MAYHEM w/ Astriaal + Anno Domini

After their failed attempt to tour last year, Mayhem finally returned to our shores for a line of shows across the country. I was lucky enough to attend their Sydney performance at the Factory Theatre which also brought Astriaal from Brisbane and Sydney based band Anno Domini out this evening. The crowd that gathered under the full moon was disappointingly small, and its size was even more evident when everyone was eventually let inside the venue. I used this to my advantage and procured a nice spot at the stage where I remained until I was forced to leave.

Anno Domini were first up and I highly anticipated their performance after getting a taste of their live show at Metal for the Masses earlier this year. Their set of four lengthy songs was delivered with crushing force and they were a great starting band for the evening, certainly worth a trip to see. By now, there were quite a lot more people about, but there were still many noticeable gaps. Regardless, the show continued.

Astriaal is a band I have been wanting to see for years, and with the release of their latest album 'Anatomy of the Infinite' my need to see them perform grew even bigger. They played a nice seven song set, including earlier songs suchs as; As Mist Befell the Ruins, Ode to Antiquity, Ritual Hate Construct and new songs from the latest, aofrementioned release; Blessed are the Dead, Visceral Incarnate and The Scars of Aberration. I was greatly impressed with their performance and look forward to my next chance to see this band live.

The wait between Astriaal and Mayhem was excruciating. They eventually came on stage over half an hour behind the running times displayed downstairs. As a result I was forced to leave during Mayhem's set so I could be home that evening to sleep as opposed to sitting at a train station. Despite this setback, what I managed to see of Mayhem blew my mind.

They started the set with Pagan Fears, and as Attila leeched out onto the stage wearing his cape, upside down cross, noose and mask - that make him look like an undead burns victim, my jaw dropped. They played an epic fafteen song set, including Cursed in Eternity and Freezing Moon from the 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas' album and sampled songs from all over their discography to show off this evening.

I was almost jealous upon seeing Necrobutcher enjoying an entire bottle of wine on stage. I can only imagine how much better Mayhem would be if I were not sober. It was during View From Nihil that I forced myself to leave so as not to endure a night stuck in the city, a decision I did not make lightly and which greatly disappointed me. However, what I saw of Mayhem was mind blowing.

Their performance was as good as you could expect from a band of this caliber, with every aspect of it being spot on. Each band member played flawlessly. I would certainly not hesitate to see this band again in the future and recommend anyone to check them out if ever given the chance!

Set List:

   1. Pagan Fears
   2. Ancient Skin
   3. My death
   4. Cursed to Eternity
   5. A  Time to Die
   6. Vie wFrom Nihil
   7. Illuminate Eliminate
   8. Anti
   9. Freezing Moon
  10. Crystalized Pain
  11. Silvester Anfang
  12. Deathcrush
  13. Carnage
  14. De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
  15. Pure Fucking Armageddon