Providing the perfect coda to the immense Daemon, Atavistic Black Disorder / Kommando brings together three tracks from the Daemon sessions (two of which were previously fond on the special edition of the album), alongside four cover versions featuring vocals, not only from Atilla, but also from former Mayhem vocalists Maniac and Billy Messiah. Released on CD and vinyl (the latter format working better as the sides split between original and cover material) and with typically stunning artwork from Italian artist Daniele Valeriani (lucifer’s child, dark funeral), Atavistic Black Disorder / Kommando is a powerful new release in its own right and the perfect trailer for next year’s tour.
The first side hits the ground hard with the previously unreleased Voces Ab Alta providing the EP’s most intriguing cut. With Attila’s unearthly vocal sitting high in the mix amidst whirlwind guitars and Hellhammer’s bowel-loosening percussion, it maintains the high quality of the material found on Daemon, the neo-classical sweep of the piece augmented by Attila’s occasional clean vocal flourishes amidst the dense fog of his searing gasps. Those who bought the deluxe edition of the album will be familiar with the next two tracks. Black Mass Communion is the faster of the two pieces, the guitars of Ghul and Teloch moulded into a battering ram, exhorted to yet greater feats of violence by Attila’s layered vocals. In contrast, the creeping dread of Everlasting Dying Flame, a track that pairs Hellhammer’s relentless blast beats with Necrobutcher’s intense basslines, seeps into the soul, slowly corrupting everything with which it comes into contact. While these tracks may be familiar to some, there is no question that these three pieces perfectly compliment one another, making for an intense and engaging fifteen-minute A side.
Those who invested in the deluxe box set will know that Mayhem paired the album with a bonus disc featuring covers of Death, Death Strike and Morbid. It transpires that these were not the only covers tracked during the sessions, with each band member suggesting material that might be used, and Kommando (side B of the vinyl edition of this EP) gathers together four tracks, all of which seek to emphasise the rabid punk influence that lies at the heart of Mayhem. Adding to the sense of allowing listeners a glimpse into their distant past, the band even recruited former vocalists Billy Messaiah and Maniac to guest on two of the pieces, making for a very special session indeed. First up is a taut cover of Discharge’s In Defence Of Our Future. Surprisingly straight forward in its approach, Attila ditches the theatrics and delivers a convincing performance, while the band drop their heads and pound the backing into smithereens. More surprising is the band’s cover of the Dead Kennedy’s Hellnation, largely because Maniac does a remarkably coherent Jello Biafra impersonation, capturing both the cynical sneer and the affected pronunciation perfectly. With dizzying solo intact and the whole band sounding like they’re having (whisper it) fun, Hellnation is worth the price of admission alone and underscores just how vital a part punk played in the nascent black metal movement. Attila returns on a vicious cover of Only Death by Rudimentary Peni, giving the sparse track a sort of blackened punk makeover, before Billy Messiah (who also provides backing vocals on Hellnation) emerges to give the Ramones’ Commando a surprisingly thuggish makeover that sounds, in this incarnation, like the soundtrack to a bar fight in Manchester. With none of the four tracks making it much beyond two minutes in length, the whole side is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it affair, but it’s carried off with such panache and energy, that you’ll find yourself playing it until the needle passes clean through the vinyl and starts scratching across the slip mat.
An absolute must for Mayhem fans, Atavistic Black Disorder / Kommando neatly wraps up the impressive Daemon sessions and offers a glimpse into the listening habits of the band members’ teenage years. With guest shots from Maniac and Billy Messiah adding to its exclusivity, and gorgeous artwork, this is an immense EP from a legendary band. 9.5/10
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