In the shadowy annals of black metal history, few tales are as chilling or as morbidly fascinating as the saga of the Norwegian band Mayhem. The band’s dark narrative took a grim turn with the suicide of their vocalist Per “Dead” Ohlin in 1991, a tragedy that was macabrely exploited by bandmate Øystein “Euronymous” Aarseth for the band’s notoriety. Two years later, Euronymous himself would be the victim of a brutal murder by fellow black metal musician Varg Vikernes, also known as “Count Grishnackh”.
Mayhem was formed in 1984 by Euronymous, Necrobutcher (Jørn Stubberud), and Kjetil Manheim. Their mission was to be the embodiment of evil through their music, a goal they pursued with fervor. Euronymous, a central figure in the Norwegian black metal scene, was the owner of the extreme metal record label Deathlike Silence Productions and the record shop Helvete, which became a hub for the burgeoning black metal community.
When Dead joined Mayhem as the vocalist, he brought with him an intense and morbid stage persona that left audiences in shock. His suicide in 8th of April 1991, by slit wrists and a shotgun wound to the head, became an infamous moment in black metal lore. Euronymous discovered Dead’s body and, rather than immediately contacting authorities, he purchased a disposable camera and photographed the grisly scene. One of these photographs disturbingly ended up as the cover of a bootleg live album, “The Dawn of the Black Hearts.” Euronymous claimed to Necrobutcher that Dead “has done something really cool! He killed himself,” and went on to boast that he had photos of the incident, a statement that elicited horror and disgust.
Euronymous exploited Dead’s death to cultivate Mayhem’s image as the epitome of evil, with rumors swirling that he had made a stew from parts of Dead’s brain and crafted necklaces from fragments of his skull. These rumors were largely denied but the necklace part was confirmed by several scene members including Bård “Faust” Eithun and Metalion.
The band’s dynamic was further strained when Euronymous and Vikernes began to develop animosity towards each other. Euronymous had taken Vikernes under his wing, inviting him to play bass for Mayhem and offering to release his solo project, Burzum. However, their relationship soured and became a destructive rivalry.
On August 10, 1993, the tension reached a deadly climax when Vikernes fatally stabbed Euronymous at his apartment following an intense confrontation. The murder was speculated to have stemmed from a power struggle, a financial dispute over Burzum records, or even a bizarre attempt to outdo another violent crime in the black metal scene.
Vikernes claimed self-defense, alleging Euronymous had planned to torture and kill him. He was found with 23 stab wounds, a number which Vikernes argued included injuries from broken glass. Vikernes was arrested and, in 1994, sentenced to 21 years in prison, a judgment that also considered his involvement in church arsons, the signature crime of the black metal scene’s most notorious individuals.
Despite these macabre events, the surviving members of Mayhem decided to continue the band, releasing the album “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas” in 1994, which featured both Euronymous and Vikernes, regarded as a classic of the black metal genre.
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– Mayhem (band)