Ultimate-Guitar.com recently had the chance to interview Norwegian Black Metal Legends Mayhem. They talk mostly of musical taste and equipment used so don’t expect Satan to come up much or at all in this interview. These are very brief excerpts. Click the link at the bottom to read the entire interview.

UG: Do you feel it is necessary and also important to have a broad taste of various music genres in order to grow as a guitarist?

Blasphemer: I really do believe that is of importance, yes. When I started out it was only metal (of course!) but as I grew, in both age and skills, the wider the influences went. These days I can listen to almost anything, as long as it has this often quoted “quality stamp”. I listen everything from Industrial and militant music of Cold Meat Industry, Renaissance/Medieval tones, Celtic/Folk, 70..s prog through synth goth and devastating Funeral Doom. There are so much interesting vibes and musical colours out there. Grab it and open your mind. Also the more “educated” you are, or more open minded, the more interesting the music you create tends to be as well, at least in these ears.

UG: What tuning are you using for the new album? There are speculations that you tune down to C.

Blasphemer: No, its simply the tone of the world; C. Both for Ava Inferi and Mayhem.

UG: It seemed as if solos were almost forbidden in black metal’s early days, meaning tapping or even certain sweeping techniques. Do you feel that this not only constricts the player but also the music?

Blasphemer: Yeah, I believe so. But then again, its all about the desired atmosphere. I have used a few sweeps in my time, but only for the purpose of the riff. Not to show off.

Read the rest of the interview here: Mayhem: Orchestrated Chaos In Black

Post from: Metal Martyr

Kolossus, the new album from Norwegian metallers KEEP OF KALESSIN, is available for streaming in its entirety at the band’s MySpace page. Due in Europe on June 6 and in North America on June 10, the CD will feature the following track listing:

01. Origin
02. A New Empire’s Birth
03. Against The Gods
04. The Rising Sign
05. Warmonger
06. Escape The Union
07. The Mark Of Power
08. Kolossus
09. Ascendant

In addition, Kolossus will include a BONUS DVD that will include live sets, album and band documentary, behind the scenes, and other killer material that only you’ll be able to watch by purchasing the album!

For more info on Keep Of Kalessin click on the links below

• Keep Of Kalessin Myspace
• Keep Of Kalessin Official Website

You can pre-order Kolossus Here

Image Source: Amazon.com

Post from: Metal Martyr

“In the last two decades a bizarre and violent musical subculture called black metal has emerged in Norway. It’s roots stem from a heady blend of horror films, extreme heavy metal music, Satanism, pagan mythology, and adolescent angst. In the early-mid 1990’s, members of this extremist underground committed murder, burned down medieval wooden churches, and desecrated graveyards. What started as a juvenile frenzy came to symbolize the start of a war against Christianity, a return to the worship of the ancient Norse gods, and the complete rejection of mainstream society.”

Below are some of the pictures he took while writing and photographing for the book. Look for Peter Best’s book True Norwegian Black Metal in May 2008.

All pictures are from Peterbeste.com

Post from: Metal Martyr