I've followed these guys for a while, hearing rumors about the church burnings and everything that came after. Lived through the mess: Dead's suicide, Euronymous murder, the endless lineup shifts, the experimental phases that alienated half the scene (Grand Declaration, Chimera). Stuck with 'em because even when it was weird or sloppy, it felt real - black metal as something dangerous, not just music. De Mysteriis dom Sathanas still floors me every winter; Daemon brought back some fire but felt like a holding pattern. So when Liturgy of Death hit on the 6th, I cleared the deck, dimmed the lights, and let it run front to back three times straight. This is peak Mayhem in 2026 - uncompromising, vicious, and yeah, I'll say it: one of their best. Full 5/5, no hedging.
It opens with "Ephemeral Eternity," and that Garm (Ulver) guest spot is genius—his haunting clean vocals layer over synth fog and building drums like a ritual summoning. Then Attila comes in with those low, crawling whispers that build to rasps, and Hellhammer's blasts kick in like a blizzard hitting full force. The tremolo riffs from Ghul and Teloch are icy and sharp, but there's this melodic undercurrent that nods to classic Norwegian stuff without copying it. It's atmospheric as hell, setting the tone for death as this endless, philosophical void—not shock value, but real confrontation.
"Despair" follows and doesn't let up—fast, punishing, with Attila switching between gutturals and higher shrieks. The production is cleaner than old days, but it keeps the evil weight; you hear every snare crack, every bass rumble from Necrobutcher. Lyrics dig into mortality's grip—suffering that drags on, fate closing in—and it hits hard if you've lost people or just stared at your own end too long.
"Weep for Nothing" is seven minutes of epic build: mid-tempo grooves with fuzzy bass, then full blast fury. The chorus has this haunting repeat that sticks without being poppy. Reminds me of "Freezing Moon" energy but updated—more layered, more controlled chaos.
"Aeon's End" slows for menace—droning guitars, operatic wails from Attila that echo like a cathedral dirge. It's where the album's core theme lands: death not as end, but gateway. No pretension; just cold truth delivered with force.
"Funeral of Existence" ramps back to assault mode—cascading riffs, atonal solo shreds, short but brutal. "Realm of Endless Misery" gets weirder: echoes, whispers, then blasts. Echoes Esoteric Warfare's experimentation but stays savage.
"Propitious Death" keeps the momentum—groove-heavy in spots, relentless blasts. Closer "The Sentence of Absolution" is the payoff: tribal drums building to frenzy, then this absolving release that leaves you exhausted but somehow cleansed. Perfect ritual end.
No real weak spots. Production upgrade lets everything breathe—drums thunder, guitars bite, Attila's voice shifts from deranged to ethereal without losing menace. It's cohesive, draws from their whole history (De Mysteriis atmosphere, Daemon modernity, old-school orthodoxy), but feels fresh. If it blends mid-album for some, that's because it's immersive—lock in and it flows like one long ceremony.
After 40+ years, they're not coasting. This proves Mayhem's still dangerous, still the benchmark. Grab the deluxe if you can (bonus 7" worth it). Eternal hails—5/5, and it earns every bit. If you've been with them through the fire, this feels like vindication.
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