Mayhem is a Norwegian black metal band that was formed in 1984. Mayhem’s musical style was influenced by the punk rock and heavy metal music of the 1980s. They released two demos in 1985 and 1986 respectively, before releasing their first album “Deathcrush” in 1987. The album reached number one on the Norwegian charts, but was banned by the government.
Mayhem is most notably recognized for their work on the album “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas” which was released in 1994. The album was praised by critics for its “unique and innovative guitar riffs” and “themes of Satanism, anti-Christianity, Norse mythology, psychiatry, serial killers”.
In 2007 they released an album called “Ordo Ad Chao” which has received mixed reviews from critics due to its lack of distinguishing features from other albums they have previously released.
The first US tour with Slayer caused Mayhem to face many problems while on tour; including being tossed off stages and kicked out of clubs because they were not yet well known outside of Norway. The tour ended after only nine dates because vocalist Manheim had been arrested.
