Mayhem -- Grand Declaration of War (review)

Artist: Mayhem
Album: Grand Declaration of War
Genre: avant-garde black metal
Year: 2000
Label: Season of Mist

Mayhem (or The Trve Mayhem) are regarded as one of the most important bands in black metal due to their debut album's significance in the second wave; however, I have chosen to explore their discography starting with their controversial sophomore album.  And what a strange album it is.  Grand Declaration of War is as inventive as it is absurd.
The record functions as a single unit, with each track flowing into the next.  Many of the songs are broken into two or three separate tracks.  This abnormal structuring matches the music perfectly.  The album has a mechanical sound, with crisp, calculated drums and cold, buzzing guitars.  Songs like the opening "A Grand Declaration of War" and "View from Nihil (Part I of II)" have a strict sense of martial order, filled with the rattle of war drums.  "A Time to Die" is a technical whirlwind of black metal fury.  The band also expand on their sound with electronic elements.  "A Bloodsword and a Colder Sun (Part II of II)" sees the band wandering far from metal into trip hop territory.  Towards the end of the album, the band places a series of tracks consisting of absolute silence, flirting a bit with John Cage's famous 4'33".
Mayhem's vocalist, Maniac, also pushes the limits of black metal vocals beyond the typical shrieks and rasps.  He also employs processed vocals and cleans later in the album.  What is most jarring about Maniac's performance is the spoken word segments, which make up about half of all the vocals on Grand Declaration of War.  When coupled with the marching beats and tight production, this advances the album's militaristic feel.
Mayhem really came out of left field with Grand Declaration of War, but it seems they toned down their experimentation on future releases, sadly.  Perhaps that is why this record stands out not only in Mayhem's discography, but in the realm of black metal as a whole.  Give this album a listen on YouTube here.


Rating: 4 / 5
Top Tracks:
A Bloodsword and a Colder Sun (Part II of II)
A Grand Declaration of War
Completion In Science of Agony (Part I of II)
A Time to Die

Seagulls Insane and Swans Deceased Mining Out the Void -- Seagulls Insane and Swans Deceased Mining Out the Void (review)

Band: Seagulls Insane and Swans Deceased Mining Out the Void
Album: Seagulls Insane and Swans Deceased Mining Out the Void
Genre: post-black metal | drone
Year: 2011
Label: Witching Hour Productions

Seagulls Insane and Swans Deceased Mining Out the Void is a black metal band from the Silesian region of Poland.  The masterminds of this beast are the established Polish metal purveyors Havoc (ex-Behemoth) and Nihil (Furia, Cssaba).  With this particular project, they play black metal wrought with industrial and drone influences, blanketed in an atmosphere of anguish and mystery.
The album is not composed of songs so much as it is split into five distinct parts that flow together, labeled I-V (how convenient).  The compositions are littered with droning feedback and haunting melodies.  Keyboards and electronic effects expand on the textures created by the guitars and grinding bass.  The drums have a stark, mechanical feel to them, which I feel melds well with the overall sound.  For the most part, the band trudges along at a slow pace, but the tempo occasionally picks up, like on the midsection of the first track.
The vocals are performed by Nihil and take the form of a gruff snarl.  Unlike some of his other projects, the lyrics are entirely in English (he often writes in his mother-tongue).  The vocals stand out the most on "II" when the line "Only to animate the dead world again / With a maniac ritual of inspiration" is chanted over and over in rhythm with the steady drum beat.
Other stand-out moments include the swirling, eerie melody that pops up on "III" and the plodding drone of the album closer.  The Polish duo successfully, as they put it, "voyage into limitless abyss and emptiness."  I really hope these guys put out a followup to this release, but it seems they prefer to keep their activities under wraps (at least on this project).  Give this album a listen and experience the crushing gloom for yourself here.


Rating: 3.5 / 5
Top Tracks:
III
II