Wow...I remember this was the first thing I though after hearing that CD, in late'94. No, not that "CD": that masterpiece! This is a real testimony of how black metal should, in my sense, sound "live". The sound of this recording is quite raw, but not shitty at all (compared to several MAYHEM bootlegs that can be found as easily as this CD, the sound's great), with an audience that screams between the songs and try to get the "freezing mood" that Dead's voice spreads… I always said (and probably will always think) that he is the only real singer for MAYHEM, as Maniac is a really pathetic guy (sorry for the "Deathcrush" lovers and those who like the "new and gay" – i.e. post-De Mysteriis…- period) and as I do not think that Attila Csihar was the perfect guy for the De Mysteriis…album. But anyway, I would have sold my whole CD collection to be present at that gig. You can feel the despair from Dead's haunting chant, Hellhammer (the REAL Hellhammer, when he was a GOD) drums beat like terrible legions of demons coming to achieve the last piece of humanity in the audience, and Euronymous approximate guitar solos give you the feeling that this band is definitely made of non-human members, which was , in a sense, true at that time.

Those who do not know that CD do NOT know black metal and should hear this one thousand times before saying that the latest CDs from the band are really great. And two main questions remain in my head when I listen to this album once again : how can that drummer be the one who plays in Covenant ? And why did they betray the legend? Because here, it is not music or trend : it is pure CULT, and this can not be understood by "normal" people.

Rating : 9.5/10

© 2001 lord pesten