No band embodies the spirit of black metal like MAYHEM. The Norwegians set the standard for the genre with their canonical 1994 debut, only to return six years later and defy all convention on their daring follow-up. That fall, the band brought their grand declaration to life by seizing the stage at one of Europe’s oldest settlements with Live in Marseille 2000.
Today, Season of Mist is celebrating 25 years of Live in Marseille by announcing a special anniversary edition of the album. Legions of fans can now relive this iconic performance from the true legends of black metal on a new vinyl edition that includes an exclusive embroidered patch and poster.
Pre-order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/mayhemliveinmarseille25
“Live in Marseille was filmed and recorded during the final performance of our European tour in support of Grand Declaration of War in 2000. It marked out first extensive tour since ‘the return…’, and it proved to be an intense yet highly successful journey”, Mayhem guitarist Blasphemer remembers.
“At that time, we were moving toward something distinctly different – what I consider a truly groundbreaking direction, reflective of the shifting landscape of the early 2000s. Whether embraced or challenged, this evolution represented a necessary expansion of our sound, not only for the band but for the genre as a whole.
“As a raw, vile, and chaotic as this recording may be, it stands as a crucial and defining chapter in the band’s history and enduring legacy”.
“Live in Marseille was recorded at the end of a long tour”, remembers Mayhem vocalist Maniac. “It was a band of worn out rebels hitting the stage in Marseille that evening. Somehow, maybe the loneliness of the long distance runners fused that night into a raging fire and pulled out whatever hidden strength and hatred was left in the combined machinery of Mayhem. We pulled off a great gig, the last stand of a long tour manifested in the rage of an hour-headed beast!”
“We were all young. We had no idea what we were doing, but we were gonna do it anyway—from stocking the dry ice in a fridge that was not plugged in to finding the barbed wire, the pig’s head and the military stock machine guns”, Season of Mist founder and manager Michael Berberian says. “I haven’t watched it since. It’s probably good, bad, amateurish, but it’s full of passion and a testimony of where things were in black metal in 2000.”
In the wake of the violence and scandal, Live in Marseille 2000 continued to build a new foundation for Mayhem. The hour-long concert pulled heavily from the recently released Grand Declaration of War, as well as earlier classics De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas and Deathcrush. Hellhammer and Necrobutcher, the band’s long-time rhythm section, continued to sharpen setlist staples like “Freezing Moon” and “Chainsaw Gutsfuck”. Recent additions Maniac and Blasphemer brought a bold flare of experimentation to the unrelenting march of “View from Nihil”.
The 25th anniversary edition of Live in Marseille 2000 is available as a limited-edition 2×12″ Colored Vinyl (Red and Black Splatter) with full-colour poster and embroidered patch.
Tracklist:
1. Intro (02:02)
2. In the Lies Where Upon You Lay (04:32)
3. Fall of Seraphs (05:43)
4. Carnage (04:20)
5. Crystelized Pain in Deconstruction (03:47)
6. Buried by Time and Dust (03:25)
7. Symbols of Bloodswords (04:26)
8. View From Nihil (03:14)
9. Deathcrush (03:17)
10. To Daimonion (03:24)
11. Freezing Moon (06:19)
12. Chainsaw Gutsfuck (04:37)
13. A Time to Die (01:59)
14. Pure Fucking Armageddon (01:48)
15. I Am Thy Labyrinth / From the Dark Past (08:26)
Full runtime: 01:01:20
Line-up:
Maniac — Vocals
Blasphemer — Guitars
Necrobutcher — Bass
Hellhammer — Drums
Production Credits:
Recorded live in Marseille on September 24, 2000.
Follow Mayhem:
Website: https://www.thetruemayhem.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mayhemofficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetruemayhem
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheTrueMayhemOfficial
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0dR10i73opHXuRuLbgxltM
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/mayhem/48820563
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/6696
Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/21543
Available Format:
Limited Edition 2×12” Coloured Vinyl Gatefold — Clear w/ Red & Black Splatters
Full Colour Poster & Embroidered Patch
