Mayhem – Ordo Ad Chao
Season of Mist – SOM150 – April 24, 2007
By Jason Jordan
Due to the departure of Maniac and the subsequent return of Attila, many voiced optimism about
Mayhem’s direction for the first time in years. Could they deliver an album as fine and relevant as 1994’s monumental
De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas? No and no, but it’s not like anyone expected Hellhammer and crew to do so, or even be able to.
Ordo Ad Chao is superior to 2000’s odd
Grand Declaration of War and 2004’s lackluster
Chimera, however, so some will take consolation in that alone. But again, even though their latest surpasses the two previous full-lengths, that’s still not saying much.
Ordo Ad Chao, beginning with the near-instrumental
‘A Wise Birthgiver,’ is definitely dark and foreboding, despite the production making it sound as if the music first travels through a thin
‘Wall of Water’ prior to reaching any eardrums. In short, the production is adequate but no better. Speaking of
‘Wall of Water,’ Mayhem change speed often, and on the whole, most songs on
OAC do indeed run the gamut of tempo variation. Attila turns in a solid, if overblown, performance that certainly has its flaws. From his raspy whispering to his theatric shouting to his ridiculous bat-like shrieking – all of which can be heard in
‘Great Work of Ages’ and
‘Deconsecrate’ – he becomes increasingly difficult to appreciate as the album unravels.
Naturally, Hellhammer (
Age of Silence,
Winds) turns in a good performance like he recently did on
Dimmu Borgir’s
In Sorte Diaboli, but it’s nothing to get excited about, which isn’t unusual since his freelance MO has enabled him to release a record with a band once a year, if not more often, as evidenced above. The only gripe about Hellhammer’s work here is that, during
‘Psychic Horns,’ ‘Key to the Storms,’ and
‘Anti,’ he utilizes a cymbal bell for several beats on end, and the succession of that specific sound is uncannily similar to what one can hear at any railroad crossing in the United States when the gates lower and the bells ring to signal an oncoming train. It’s unintentionally hilarious, which understandably ruins the mood
Mayhem shoot for on those tracks.
While there’s no obvious Achilles’ heel,
Ordo Ad Chao is simply unremarkable. Attila’s vocals, Hellhammer’s drumming, and the harrowing
Nachtmystium-esque nature of certain tracks makes it at least a semi-interesting listen, but in the end, though most likely to reach for it over
Grand Declaration of War and
Chimera, it won’t be that frequent.
Mayhem remain in the rut they’ve been trapped in for years – spinning their wheels but accomplishing little in the way of getting unstuck.
Official Mayhem Website
Official Season of Mist Website