Mayhem, the Norwegian pioneers responsible for invigorating a global scene alongside originators such as Venom, Celtic Frost & Bathory, formed in 1984 & with a long history of tragedy, intrigue & infamy have become truly revered legends of black metal, with a large part of their legacy established in the late 80's & early 90's, notably when guitarist Euronymous & bassist Necrobutcher welcomed Hellhammer on drums & Dead on vocals, to help shape a new & inspired era of darkness.
Preceding this more notorious period, Mayhem's formative years were spent honing a selection of tracks of pure brutality, eventually leading to 1987's iconic 'Deathcrush' MLP release - considered the launching point for the band onto the global map. Prior to this though, came 1986's 'Pure Fucking Armageddon' demo, featuring the trio of Manheim, Necrobutcher & Euronymous.
'Command For Blood, Command For War', initially included in the recent 'Pure Fucking Armageddon' vinyl boxset, contains two early Mayhem rehearsals from Necrobutcher's own archive in all of their raw glory from back in 1986, recorded on the lead up to the eventual 'Pure Fucking Armageddon' demo sessions. The release features early versions of tracks which would remain a staple of Mayhem's live set throughout the years, such as 'Pure Fucking Armageddon' itself & 'Carnage'. The title also includes cover songs of tracks originally written & performed by genre godfathers, Venom.
This edition of ‘Command For Blood, Command For War’ coincides with the 40th anniversary of the band, & is presented on double CD including a booklet containing rare band images and reflections from long-time friend of the band & founder of the famous Slayer Magazine, Metalion.
2CD version.
Tracklisting:
CD1:
