Mayhem, Mortiis, Imperial Triumphant, New Skeletal Faces
The Concert Hall, Toronto
March 26, 2025
By Sephora Henderson
The legendary Mortiis, Imperial Triumphant and New Skeletal Faces led the charge before the ultimate Norwegian extreme history lesson!
Beginning at the (current) end, Mayhem took fans on a deep, dark journey through their 40 year legacy. How fitting that a band who has always defied the norm and pushed boundaries should opt for a reverse order pathway through their heretical heritage.
Beginning with the latest album, each one had a moment to make its own ‘grand declaration’ so-to-speak, before moving to the next. Whether you have fed on their occult offerings all along or not, the set list was a masterclass in all things Mayhem.
The venue was a good choice for this experience, even without the balcony space. The large interior space with touches of the older and more ornate features of the historic building mixed with sleek, modern elements was a perfect analogue. The raised stage ensures a decent view from just about anywhere in the room, and awesome acoustics deliver the goods in terms of sound.
A great variety of merch was available, and it was worth the wait. Lineups were really long at certain points, spanning the entire width of the floor, but the merch table was well stocked. Lots of hoodies, long sleeves, t-shirts, beanies, pins and patches featuring the band’s iconic logo.
Larger than life graphics projected behind the band throughout the entire show provided a constant flow of imagery to complement the songs, including extensive tributes to fallen founding members Per Yngve “Pelle” Ohlin (Dead) and Øystein Aarseth (Euronymous). The onslaught of image and sound was a heady mix, drawing us deeper into the abyss. As the set progressed, the atmosphere grew darker, heavier, more ominous; the sounds increasingly raw, the graphics more visceral. The faces of the dead were staring back at us, in a remorseless, relentless crush.
The set was split into a few parts, although there was no interruption to their flow. They weaved seamlessly through their timeline starting with tracks from their 2019 release, Daemon, and progressing through Esoteric Warfare, Ordo Ad Chao, Chimera, Grand Declaration Of War, and Wolf’s Lair Abyss. It was like listening to the band stripping away layers. Reserving De Mysterii Dom Sathanas and Deathcrush for a longer portion near the end, the band devoted more time to these albums, and created the atmosphere to match, building from bleak gloom to raw, crushing energy. Drummer Hellhammer (Jan Axel Blomberg) provided a searing, blasting foundation throughout, along with the heavy and thunderous bass of Necrobuther (Jørn Stubberud). Guitarists Teloch (Morten Bergeton Iversen)and Ghul (Charles Hedger)delivered the droning dissonant tones to brutally fast, powerful picking that are hallmarks of the Mayhem sound. Frontman Attila rounds everything out, putting the audience in a collective, sustained trance, and then rousing them to rapture with aggressive vocals that range from guttural to ear-splitting and everything in between.
As one of the originators of black metal and masterful architects of their craft, it is spellbinding to witness them weave their dark magic decades later, and they are still going strong.
(Photo credit: © Rae Chatten | @raerocknroam)
The post CONCERT REVIEW: MAYHEM, MORTIIS, IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT, NEW SKELETAL FACES Live In Toronto appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
Continue reading...
The Concert Hall, Toronto
March 26, 2025
By Sephora Henderson
The legendary Mortiis, Imperial Triumphant and New Skeletal Faces led the charge before the ultimate Norwegian extreme history lesson!
Beginning at the (current) end, Mayhem took fans on a deep, dark journey through their 40 year legacy. How fitting that a band who has always defied the norm and pushed boundaries should opt for a reverse order pathway through their heretical heritage.
Beginning with the latest album, each one had a moment to make its own ‘grand declaration’ so-to-speak, before moving to the next. Whether you have fed on their occult offerings all along or not, the set list was a masterclass in all things Mayhem.
The venue was a good choice for this experience, even without the balcony space. The large interior space with touches of the older and more ornate features of the historic building mixed with sleek, modern elements was a perfect analogue. The raised stage ensures a decent view from just about anywhere in the room, and awesome acoustics deliver the goods in terms of sound.
A great variety of merch was available, and it was worth the wait. Lineups were really long at certain points, spanning the entire width of the floor, but the merch table was well stocked. Lots of hoodies, long sleeves, t-shirts, beanies, pins and patches featuring the band’s iconic logo.
Larger than life graphics projected behind the band throughout the entire show provided a constant flow of imagery to complement the songs, including extensive tributes to fallen founding members Per Yngve “Pelle” Ohlin (Dead) and Øystein Aarseth (Euronymous). The onslaught of image and sound was a heady mix, drawing us deeper into the abyss. As the set progressed, the atmosphere grew darker, heavier, more ominous; the sounds increasingly raw, the graphics more visceral. The faces of the dead were staring back at us, in a remorseless, relentless crush.
The set was split into a few parts, although there was no interruption to their flow. They weaved seamlessly through their timeline starting with tracks from their 2019 release, Daemon, and progressing through Esoteric Warfare, Ordo Ad Chao, Chimera, Grand Declaration Of War, and Wolf’s Lair Abyss. It was like listening to the band stripping away layers. Reserving De Mysterii Dom Sathanas and Deathcrush for a longer portion near the end, the band devoted more time to these albums, and created the atmosphere to match, building from bleak gloom to raw, crushing energy. Drummer Hellhammer (Jan Axel Blomberg) provided a searing, blasting foundation throughout, along with the heavy and thunderous bass of Necrobuther (Jørn Stubberud). Guitarists Teloch (Morten Bergeton Iversen)and Ghul (Charles Hedger)delivered the droning dissonant tones to brutally fast, powerful picking that are hallmarks of the Mayhem sound. Frontman Attila rounds everything out, putting the audience in a collective, sustained trance, and then rousing them to rapture with aggressive vocals that range from guttural to ear-splitting and everything in between.
As one of the originators of black metal and masterful architects of their craft, it is spellbinding to witness them weave their dark magic decades later, and they are still going strong.
(Photo credit: © Rae Chatten | @raerocknroam)
The post CONCERT REVIEW: MAYHEM, MORTIIS, IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT, NEW SKELETAL FACES Live In Toronto appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
Continue reading...
