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Deathcrush
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| Deathcrush | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP by | ||||
| Released | August 1987 | |||
| Recorded | February–March 1987 | |||
| Studio | Creative, Kolbotn, Norway | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 17:28 | |||
| Label | Posercorpse | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Mayhem chronology | ||||
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Deathcrush is the debut EP and overall first commercial release by Norwegian black metal band Mayhem. It was released in August 1987 by Posercorpse Music.
The album's lyrics explore topics such as murder, necrophilia and maggots.[1]
Background
[edit]Though influential to black metal, its lyrics and sound were largely influenced by thrash metal bands. After vocalist Dead joined the group, the band adopted darker lyrical topics and guitarist Euronymous (Øystein Aarseth) started rejecting most other metal bands as their lyrics turned towards "social awareness"[2] and "normal" topics[3] instead of death worship;[2] he "wanted things to be more serious and extreme".[3] Dead stated that the lyrics "aren't bad at all, but they are later what would become gore and trendy".[2]
The opening track "Silvester Anfang" was provided to the band by German electronic music composer Conrad Schnitzler, after Euronymous found Schnitzler's home address and sat outside his house until he was eventually invited in.[4] Euronymous then asked Schnitzler to compose an intro for the album; rather than record a new composition Schnitzler gave Euronymous a random piece from his archives, which would later become known as "Silvester Anfang".
Drummer Kjetil Manheim later stated that the band's sound was "something that [the studio technician] did not know how to record (...) so he just set the settings and we recorded". He also noted that there was "no mix, before or after" and "no overdubs: bass, drums, guitar are live and then we recorded the vocals after".[5]
In 2008, Daniel Ekeroth wrote, "The two visionaries [Aarseth and Per 'Dead' Ohlin] pushed each other further into darkness, and sometime in 1990 they finally adopted the Satanic image that would become so crucial for the genre [...] It's well documented that Øystein initially was very into death metal and grindcore".[6]
According to Dead, most, but not all of the lyrics were written by bassist Necrobutcher.[2][7]
Maniac performed vocals on all of the tracks except "Pure Fucking Armageddon", which was sung by Messiah. The Venom cover "Witching Hour" was sung by Messiah and Maniac.[8] Manheim played piano on "(Weird) Manheim".[8]
Reception and legacy
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Kerrang! | |
Despite its limited print run, the mini-album appeared in the top 20 on Kerrang! magazine's album charts.[4] In 2001, Q named it one of the "50 Heaviest Albums of All Time".[11]
"Chainsaw Gutsfuck" was voted "Most Gruesome Lyrics Ever" by Blender in 2006.[12]
Track listing
[edit]No credits exist in liner notes. Credit for Tracks 2 and 7 according to Lords of Chaos (2018) end credits. Tracks 1 and 4 are cover songs.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Silvester Anfang" (instrumental) | Conrad Schnitzler | 1:56 |
| 2. | "Deathcrush" | Jørn Stubberud, Øystein Aerseth | 3:33 |
| 3. | "Chainsaw Gutsfuck" | 3:33 | |
| 4. | "Witching Hour" (Venom cover) | Venom | 1:49 |
| 5. | "Necrolust" | 3:37 | |
| 6. | "(Weird) Manheim" (instrumental) | 0:48 | |
| 7. | "Pure Fucking Armageddon" | Stubberud, Aerseth | 2:09 |
| Total length: | 17:28 | ||
LP Bonus track
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 8. | Untitled | 1:09 |
| Total length: | 18:34 | |
Note: Some versions have "(Weird) Manheim" and "Pure Fucking Armageddon" on the same track.
Personnel
[edit]Mayhem
[edit]- Maniac – lead vocals
- Euronymous – guitar, vocals on track 8
- Necrobutcher – bass, vocals on track 8
- Manheim – drums, piano on track 6, vocals track 8
Session members
[edit]- Messiah (Eirik Skyseth Norheim) – "Iron Lungs (session)" (lead vocals on track 7; co-lead vocals on track 4 and 8)[13]
- Conrad Schnitzler – drums, percussion and electronic instruments on track 1
References
[edit]- ^ Magazine, Alternative Press. "10 scene song lyrics that probably wouldn't have been sung in 2020". Alternative Press Magazine. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ a b c d The True Mayhem. In: Metalion: Metalion: The Slayer Mag Diaries. Brooklyn, NY: Bazillion Points Books 2011, p. 209.
- ^ a b Kristiansen, Jon: Metalion: The Slayer Mag Diaries. Brooklyn, NY: Bazillion Points Books 2011, p. 221.
- ^ a b Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult, Dayal Patterson, p. 135.
- ^ Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult, Dayal Patterson, p. 136.
- ^ Ekeroth, Daniel: Swedish Death Metal. Brooklyn, NY: Bazillion Points Books 2008, pp. 245–246.
- ^ "Cooking with Satan – The Mayhem Archive Part II: Dead Interview". cookingwithsatan.com. 11 July 2010. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ a b "Mayhem - Deathcrush - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". metal-archives.com. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
- ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Deathcrush – Mayhem". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ Ruskell, Nick (November 2011). "Mayhem: Deathcrush". Kerrang!: 666 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die!. Bauer Media Group. p. 71.
- ^ "50 Heaviest Albums of All Time". Q. London: 87. July 2001.
- ^ "Blabbermouth.net – Slayer, Slipknot, Cannibal Corpse Among 'Most Gruesome Lyrics... Ever'". Blabbermouth.net. 24 October 2006. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ Listed as session member on back cover
Deathcrush
View on GrokipediaDeathcrush is the debut extended play by the Norwegian extreme metal band Mayhem, released on 16 August 1987 as a limited-edition 12-inch vinyl mini-album of 1,000 copies by the independent label Posercorpse Music.[1][2] Featuring a raw, lo-fi production characterized by hollow-toned guitars, aggressive thrash-influenced riffs, and brutal vocals alternating between screeched hatred and guttural snarls, the EP includes four tracks: the instrumental "Silvester Anfang," the title track "Deathcrush," "Chainsaw Gutsfuck," and a cover of Venom's "Witching Hour."[3][4] Recorded by vocalist Maniac (Sven Erik Kristiansen), guitarist Euronymous (Øystein Aarseth), bassist Necrobutcher (Jørn Stubberud), and drummer Manheim (Kjetil Manheim), Deathcrush blends elements of black metal, thrash metal, and punk, predating the fully developed second wave of black metal while laying foundational groundwork for its sonic and ideological extremism.[1][5] The release holds cult significance as one of the earliest commercial outputs from Norway's nascent extreme metal scene, influencing subsequent bands through its unpolished ferocity and promotion of anti-Christian, satanic themes, though its crust-punk edges and Venom-inspired aggression mark it more as proto-black metal than the atmospheric style that later defined the genre.[6][7] Mayhem's broader notoriety for real-world violence, including suicides and murders among members, amplified the EP's underground legacy, embedding it in the controversial mythology of black metal's "inner circle" without the recording itself directly inciting such events.[8][9]
Band Context and Development
Formation and Early Activity
Mayhem, the Norwegian band responsible for the Deathcrush EP, was founded in 1984 in Oslo by guitarist Øystein Aarseth (stage name Euronymous), bassist Jørn Stubberud (Necrobutcher), and drummer Kjetil Manheim.[10] The initial lineup included vocalist Eirik Norheim (Messiah), who contributed to early rehearsals but left the group soon after its inception due to creative differences. This core trio established the band's foundation, drawing from influences like Venom's raw aggression and Bathory's emerging black metal style to craft music emphasizing speed, distortion, and occult imagery.[11] In the band's formative period from 1984 to 1986, activities centered on intensive rehearsals in makeshift spaces and sporadic live performances at small underground venues in Norway.[12] These early shows featured rudimentary setups with high-volume amplification and aggressive stage presence, though without the later infamous elements like self-harm or arson associations. The group self-produced rehearsal tapes circulated among tape-trading networks, fostering connections within Europe's extreme metal underground and honing a sound that blended thrash metal's velocity with proto-black metal's dissonance.[12] By mid-1986, Mayhem recorded and independently released their debut demo Pure Fucking Armageddon, a four-track cassette limited to approximately 500 copies that captured their chaotic energy through brief, blast-driven compositions averaging under two minutes each. This release marked their transition from local obscurity to recognition among second-wave black metal enthusiasts, with tracks like "Pure Fucking Armageddon" and "Freezing Moon" (in embryonic form) highlighting vocalist shifts and Euronymous's guitar work dominated by tremolo picking and atonal riffs.[12] The demo's lo-fi production, achieved via basic home recording, reflected resource constraints but underscored the band's commitment to unpolished extremity over commercial viability.Material Composition and Demos
The earliest recorded material by Mayhem, preceding the Deathcrush release, appeared on the band's 1986 demo Pure Fucking Armageddon, a rehearsal recording captured without polished vocals and emphasizing raw, instrumental aggression.[13] This demo featured five tracks: "Voice of a Tortured Skull" (an instrumental opener), "Carnage," "Ghoul," "Black Metal" (in a version titled "Total Death" or similar early iteration), and "Pure Fucking Armageddon" itself, with runtimes ranging from 2:06 to 4:14 minutes.[14] Composed primarily by guitarist Øystein Aarseth (Euronymous) alongside bassist Jørn Stubberud (Necrobutcher) and drummer Kjetil Manheim, these pieces drew from influences like Venom and early Bathory, establishing a primitive thrash-death hybrid sound but lacking the black metal rasp that would define later work.[15] Following vocalist Sven Erik Kristiansen's (Maniac) recruitment in late 1986, Mayhem composed new material blending screamed vocals, grinding riffs, and occult-themed lyrics for what became the Deathcrush demo and EP. The core tracks—"Deathcrush" and "Chainsaw Gutsfuck"—were originals credited to the full lineup of Euronymous, Necrobutcher, Manheim, and Maniac, with the former's opening riff evoking Hellhammer and Celtic Frost's sludge-heavy style, clocking in at approximately 3:21 minutes.[16] "Chainsaw Gutsfuck," at 3:48 minutes, featured Maniac's visceral lyrics depicting mutilation and sadism, supported by Euronymous's chainsaw-like guitar tones and relentless drumming.[4] These songs represented a shift toward faster tempos and more explicit horror elements, refined through live rehearsals in Oslo's underground scene. The Deathcrush demo cassette, circulated in March 1987 via Posercorpse Music (Euronymous's imprint), contained these originals alongside a Venom cover, "Witching Hour" (originally from Venom's 1981 album At War with Satan), performed at 2:52 minutes to homage second-wave black metal pioneers.[17] An electronic intro, "Silvester Anfang 2000," was not an original composition but a pre-existing piece by German experimental artist Conrad Schnitzler (formerly of Tangerine Dream), which he permitted Mayhem to adapt after providing Euronymous with tapes; it runs about 1:10 minutes and sets a dissonant, atmospheric tone.[18] This demo version preceded the August 1987 vinyl EP, offering lo-fi production that captured the band's chaotic energy but suffered from thin mixing, with guitar and bass often bleeding into a muddy haze.[4] No evidence links Deathcrush tracks directly to Pure Fucking Armageddon's songs, indicating fresh writing post-Maniac's arrival, though the demos collectively documented Mayhem's evolution from thrash primitivism to proto-black metal extremity.[19]Recording and Production
Studio Process
The recording of Deathcrush took place at Creative Studios in Kolbotn, Norway, from February to March 1987.[2] This session marked the band's first professional studio effort, following years of rehearsals and demo tapes that captured their raw, aggressive sound in less controlled environments.[20] Production was handled by the band—consisting of Euronymous on guitar, Necrobutcher on bass, Manheim on drums (who also contributed piano elements), and vocalists Maniac and Messiah—and external collaborator Erik Avnskog.[20] The tracking approach emphasized live performance for cohesion, with guitars, bass, and drums captured simultaneously to preserve the chaotic energy typical of early black metal, while vocals were overdubbed afterward to allow for the band's dual vocalists and stylistic shifts across tracks.[2] This method contributed to the EP's lo-fi, hollow production, characterized by distant drum tones and raw guitar distortion, reflecting limited budget constraints and a deliberate rejection of polished commercial metal aesthetics of the era.[20] The opening track, "Silvester Anfang 1984/85," deviated from this process, as it was an electronic composition originally recorded by German musician Conrad Schnitzler, integrated into the EP and co-produced by Avnskog and Schnitzler to provide an atmospheric prelude.[21] No additional engineering credits beyond Avnskog's production role are documented, underscoring the DIY ethos of the Norwegian black metal scene at the time, where band self-reliance often supplanted specialized studio expertise.[2]Technical Execution and Sound Characteristics
The EP was recorded at Creative Studios in Kolbotn, Norway, during February and March 1987, with Erik Avnskog serving as producer, engineer, and mastering engineer.[22][23] This professional studio environment marked Mayhem's first venture into commercial recording, though the process emphasized raw intensity over refinement, utilizing basic amplification and distortion setups typical of the era's underground metal scene.[20] Sonically, Deathcrush features a primitive, lo-fi production characterized by heavily distorted guitars that produce a chainsaw-like rasp, derived from straightforward high-gain amplification without extensive effects processing.[4][24] Drums exhibit a relentless, machine-gun barrage quality, prioritizing aggressive blast beats and mid-tempo grooves over sonic clarity, which underscores the band's thrash and death metal influences.[4] Vocals, delivered in a high-pitched, screeching style, cut through the mix with manic urgency, enhancing the overall chaotic and abrasive texture.[25] The resulting sound blends elements of death metal's low-end chugs, thrash's speed, and nascent black metal's raw dissonance, with sparse reverb and minimal overdubs contributing to a misanthropic, infernal atmosphere that prioritizes atmosphere and aggression over polished fidelity.[4] This unrefined execution, while criticized for its crackling distortion and uneven balance in some analyses, established a template for the Norwegian black metal scene's embrace of lo-fi aesthetics as a deliberate artistic choice.[26]Content and Themes
Track Listing and Structure
Deathcrush comprises six tracks, with a total runtime of 17 minutes and 27 seconds.[27] The original 12-inch vinyl edition, limited to 1,000 hand-numbered copies, splits the content evenly across two sides: Side A contains the opening instrumental followed by two original songs, while Side B includes a cover version, another original, and a closing instrumental segment.[28]| No. | Title | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silvester Anfang | 1:56 | Instrumental; composed by Conrad Schnitzler[28] |
| 2 | Deathcrush | 3:33 | Original composition[17] |
| 3 | Chainsaw Gutsfuck | 3:32 | Original composition[29] |
| 4 | Witching Hour | 1:51 | Cover of Venom[28] |
| 5 | Necrolust | 3:05 | Original composition[21] |
| 6 | (Weird) Manheim | 3:30 | Instrumental outro[30] |
Lyrics, Imagery, and Ideological Elements
The lyrics of Deathcrush emphasize graphic violence, death, and demonic forces, characteristic of early extreme metal's fascination with horror and destruction. In the title track "Deathcrush," vocalist Dead (Per Yngve Ohlin) and lyricist Necrobutcher (Jørn Stubberud) depict a scene of cremation where "demonic laughter" accompanies a victim's lungs filling with blood and their skull being crushed, evoking sadistic triumph over life.[31] Similarly, "Chainsaw Gutsfuck" details visceral dismemberment with imagery of entrails spilling and bodies hacked apart, underscoring themes of brutal necro-erotica.[32] "Necrolust" extends this to necrophilic desecration, portraying intercourse with decaying corpses amid putrid odors and maggot-infested flesh.[32] Other tracks incorporate supernatural and misanthropic motifs. "Freezing Moon," co-written by Dead and guitarist Euronymous (Øystein Aarseth), conjures an eternal, suicidal void under a blood-red lunar glow, symbolizing isolation and self-annihilation in perpetual winter.[21] "Witching Hour" invokes satanic rituals with references to witchcraft, evil incantations, and nocturnal horrors, drawing from occult traditions akin to those in Venom's oeuvre.[32] "(Weird) World of Animals" shifts to bizarre, primal savagery, likening humanity to feral beasts in a chaotic, godless realm of instinctual carnage.[21] These lyrics, often penned amid the band's immersion in horror films and literature, prioritize raw evocation over narrative coherence, with Dead's contributions reflecting his personal preoccupation with morbidity and suicide.[33] Album artwork reinforces the lyrical gore through stark, minimalist design: a black-and-white collage evoking crushed remains and decay, paired with a back cover image of a mutilated animal carcass, amplifying themes of death and revulsion.[17] This visual brutality, selected by Euronymous, mirrors the EP's sonic aggression and rejects conventional aesthetic norms, prefiguring black metal's corpse paint and anti-cosmetic ethos.[34] Ideologically, Deathcrush embodies proto-black metal's rejection of Christianity and embrace of Satanism as symbolic rebellion, though less doctrinaire than later Norwegian scene manifestos. Euronymous articulated the band's drive as rooted in "true hatred towards humanity, life, goodness and happiness," influencing lyrics that celebrate chaos and Armageddon over redemption or morality.[35] Influences from Bathory and Venom infuse anti-religious sentiment, with tracks like "Witching Hour" parodying yet revering infernal pacts, but the EP's rawness reflects transitional ideology—blending death metal's corporeal horror with emerging black metal nihilism—rather than Varg Vikernes-style pagan nationalism that arose post-1987.[36] Band members viewed Satan not as literal theology but as archetype for anti-establishment defiance, though Euronymous later emphasized fatalistic negativity, distancing from overt political alignment.[37] This stance, evident in zine interviews, prioritized aesthetic extremity over systematic philosophy, fostering the scene's cult of authenticity amid Oslo's underground.[33]Release Details
Initial Release and Distribution
Deathcrush, the debut EP by the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem, was initially released on August 16, 1987, through Posercorpse Music, a label established by guitarist Øystein Aarseth (Euronymous).[17][1] The release marked Mayhem's first commercial recording, pressed as a limited edition 12-inch vinyl mini-album at 33⅓ RPM in Norway under catalog number FRANK 001.[17][28] The first pressing consisted of 1,000 numbered copies, featuring a gatefold sleeve with artwork depicting severed hands from a Mauritanian exhibition, though early printings exhibited a pinkish hue due to production errors rather than the intended red.[38][2] Distribution occurred primarily through underground channels, including mail-order sales handled by Euronymous via his Deathlike Silence Productions network and informal trading within the nascent Norwegian extreme metal scene.[3] This limited availability contributed to its scarcity and cult status among early black metal enthusiasts, with copies often exchanged at fanzine contacts or live shows rather than mainstream retail outlets.[1]Formats and Availability
The original release of Deathcrush was issued on August 16, 1987, as a limited-edition 12-inch vinyl mini-album at 33⅓ RPM, pressed in numbered copies by Posercorpse Music under catalog number FRANK 001.[1] This format featured a raw, lo-fi production typical of early underground black metal releases, with distribution primarily through independent metal networks in Europe.[39] Subsequent reissues expanded availability beyond vinyl. In 1993, Deathlike Silence Productions reissued the EP on vinyl, followed by CD editions from labels such as Plastic Head Records, which remastered the tracks for digital clarity while preserving the original's aggressive sound.[1] Back on Black Records produced multiple vinyl variants starting in 2009, including clear vinyl limited editions, 180-gram red vinyl pressings in 2013, and picture disc versions, often in runs of under 1,000 copies to cater to collectors.[40][41] Cassette reissues emerged later, with boutique labels offering them as nostalgic formats for tape enthusiasts.[8] As of 2025, Deathcrush remains accessible via official reissues on CD, vinyl, and digital streaming platforms, though unofficial bootlegs, such as Mexican 2xCD pressings, circulate in gray markets and are not endorsed by the band.[39] Physical copies are available through specialty retailers like Newbury Comics and eBay, with prices varying by edition rarity, typically ranging from $12 for standard CDs to over $40 for limited vinyl.[42][43] Digital versions, including remastered audio, can be purchased or streamed on services integrated with labels like Century Media, ensuring broad modern availability despite the EP's underground origins.[44]Personnel
Band members- Euronymous (Øystein Aarseth) – guitar[17][28]
- Necrobutcher (Jørn Stubberud) – bass[17][28]
- Manheim (Kjetil Manheim) – drums, piano (track 6)[17][28]
- Maniac (Sven Erik Kristiansen) – vocals (tracks 2–5)[17][28]
- Messiah – vocals (track 1, "Pure Fucking Armageddon")[17][28]
