MAYHEM : Still Black Metal or not ?

[opethmaniac]

well, i just kinda argued/debated with my girlfriend about whether Mayhem's Chimera and GDOW are Black Metal or not...well, actually, if Mayhem are still black metal or not..
WE are waiting for your replies and overall your arguments...and please, don't insult us or anything or say "DMDS is better than Chimera" or Hellhammer is in Mayhem just for the money tickled: )coz it's not relevant to this topic...
thanks a lot!

 

[ShadowOfDeath]

It's more watered down corporate 'norsecore' as opposed to authentic black metal as the Mayhem unit appeared on their effort "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas". While mayhem is trying to pioneer back to those days the influences from "Grand Declaration of War" chime in perfectly as Mayhem explore new horizons. The new Mayhem reminds me much of corporate cocksucking norsecore BM a la Marduk. So in conclusion "Chimera" features only black metal influences. It is not 100% pure black metal due to the experimental and creative additions to the overall sound.

 

[Caelum Adustum]

The answer is No.

 

[ShadowOfDeath]

When i heard Marduk i had the demo "Fuck Me Jesus" on my computer and gave it a listen. It wasn't anywhere near great, and just as you said is very lacking without feeling and atmosphere. Feeling and Atmosphere in music can usually result in my enjoyment of a release or not. Hence why if i'm reviewing a band's album i usually mention atmosphere. Especially in black metal, or in rare cases power metal (such as the forest/lotr atmospheres i recieve from the first elvenking.)

 

[opethmaniac]

For me, a lack of atmosphere is being 'cold', and DMDS (which is black metal) is really cold.. so for me, even if Chimera lacks atmosphere, it's still black metal... and I disagree with Mayhem trying to be as fast as they can... hellhammer could go faster i think...
but my girlfriend disagrees with me..
thanks, by the way, for your constructive replies...

 

[genocide roach]

arguments like these are stupid. arguments like these are the reason BM fans are called elitist BM nazis
~gR~

 

[no country for old wainds]

For me, a lack of atmosphere is being 'cold', and DMDS (which is black metal) is really cold.. so for me, even if Chimera lacks atmosphere, it's still black metal... and I disagree with Mayhem trying to be as fast as they can... hellhammer could go faster i think...
but my girlfriend disagrees with me..
thanks, by the way, for your constructive replies...

When I say 'cold' I mean that it evokes cold images, and things that are associated with being cold, rather than being dead of atmosphere. Atmosphere definitely doesn't equal warmth.

 

[Life Sucks]

I would say that Chimera is black metal, despite the polished production. At the very least, it can be categorized as blackened death/thrash.

 

[Alwin]

as far as the music is concerned: why should it have a label?
and what exactly is black metal? do you define it by comparing to some well-defined collection of records? in that way the genre is deprived of creativity!

 

[no country for old wainds]

as far as the music is concerned: why should it have a label?
and what exactly is black metal? do you define it by comparing to some well-defined collection of records? in that way the genre is deprived of creativity!

Eh, all musical genres have developed in a certain way with certain fundamental rules. There's always a template.

 

[anonymousnick2001]

Albeit a loose one preferred.

 

[Serve Your God]

Every single thing that Marduk has done rules.

 

[Unfaithfully Metalhead]

Is Chimera worth getting? ... im still debating whether to get it or not.. i havent heard any samples of it..

 

[bmh]

Chimera is worth checking out for tracks like "Dark Night Of The Soul", "Impious Devious Leper Lord" and "My Death". None of it is substandard though the 'gems' of the record are unfortunately few.

That said, I would still recommend you try it out.
Oh, and here's an mp3 clip

 

[Nile577]

In my view almost the entire (Black) Metal genre is eclipsed by GDOW. It's a masterpiece album. I found Chimera to be rather redundant and a disappointing, albeit passable, attempt at fan appeasement

I think that caring whether a band is 'black metal' should be a distant second to caring whether they are 'good'. The abundance of Metal fans whose only critical qualm when deciding what to listen to is 'is it metal?' is suffocating the handful of interesting bands under mediocre stuff. Listen to what you like rather than what a 'scene' dictates that you should like.

 

[Hell Mike]

Noone ever said that "black metalness" is more important that how good the music is, but the gathering of gays (How clever of me) who nowadays call themselves Mayhem are neither black metal nor good. Then again, if you think GDoW is the best metal music has to offer you just don't get it so I suppose arguing is futile