So why did Venom even play a role?

I have promised that I was going to talk about Venom. Of course Venom played a role in the early years, before black metal as a genre emerged. I know that it sounds strange - how did a stupid band like that manage to influence norwegian black metal? It is a good question. They where kind of childish, Venom. Teachers pet, and all that.

Well, the thruth is actually quite simple. The summer the record "Black metal" hit the norqegian marked, a friend of ours bought the record. He didn't like it himself, but gave us a copy because he thought we might find it interesting - given what we where thinking of with our own project. This was before Mayhem was established. We listened a lot to that album, and we where fascinated. Not only by the music, but mainly by the image and themes of the album.

It might be fair to asume that Venom was the seed for Mayhem as a image. They did something totally different, but we certainly had them as inspiration. And to manifest that we covered the song Black metal and wiching hour. Mayhem would have emerged without them, but probably under a different genre name. With Mayhem we took it much further, but the historical link is without question. Venom named the genre, without knowing I guess.

Now, is Venom worth while listening to? I say yes. For the ones that really want to explore the black metal genre, you should listen to Venoms album "black metal" and their album "at war with satan". They where two records we

used a lot of time listening to, and they gave us inspiration to build the satanic image. Musically their only interseting in a historical sense, and for some of us - bacuase of nostaligia :-)

Hello Manheim!
a couple questions:
1. What do you think of Mayhem today!? with the release of "Ordo Ab Chao" being called the most intense, darkest album since "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" I personally think this is the best album since the Deathcrush
album, have you heard it!? what do you think?
2. Did you know Pelle very well? Was he as fucked up as some people made him out to be.
3. What drum heads, bass pedals, snare were you using to record the Deathcrush album? i love the drum sound on that album and would like to know more, i've seen various pictures of your kit but the pics were so poor quality i couldn't make it out.
thanks for your time if you decide to answer these questions! you truly are a legend wether or not you want to be, and keep the noise scene alive!

Hey Manheim,
Glad to see you still around in the industry. I accidentally found this place and it's very cool!!
Do you still in contact with Mayhem guys? Maybe necrobutcher?
Thanks, and you are truly a pioneer

formaldehyde: thx :-) I do have contact with Mayhem guys. Mostly Necro

Brian: Thx for your compliments.

1. I haven't listened to the latest Mayhem release yet, but I'm looking forward to sit down and listen to it. I do like what they do, and listen to Mayhem regularly.

2. I knew Pelle, not that well - but we met on occasion and I considered him a friend. You might say he was fucked up - but not in the way many people think. I think I leave it with that.

3. The recording was done on low cost. I used a combination of Tama and Sonor on the lighter drums. I used Paiste cymbals and hi-hat, the ride was a light jazz ride. It was not the high class set, I couldn't afford that. I do not remember the exact product name, though.

All drumheads where thick oil heads - even the snare, which where a 6.5x14 inch.

And I used heavy carbon sticks.

The bass drum pedals was a nightmare. I only had two single direct drive pedals. I had to hit the bass drums the old fashioned way, hard and with no help from anything but my own feet. I guess you can hear that on Deathcrush.

I dont like Venom too much.
In my opinion, the best old school black metal discs are:
1st- Pure Fucking Armaggedon - Mayhem
2nd- Satanic Rites - Hellhammer
3rd- I.N.R.I. -Sarcofago
In that order.
I don't understand how people unworth PFA with so much hate that boil my veins and only look their quality sound, its really my favorite CD.
When I heard Venom first time, it didnt surprise me but I like very much V8, the argentinian band I mentioned you before, its like the Venom of argentinian metal, and its from the same period. It's strange that, for a metal band that never had good difussion, one go out to the street, sing a V8's song and the people know it without been a metalhead.
If you really want to explore the argentinian metal genre, you should listen to V8s album "Luchando por el Metal" and "Un Paso Mas en la Batalla".
Regards.

What about Sodom?
I see some connections between early Mayhem and Sodom :) btw I've seen them and Immortal live two days ago in Slovenia, they're still kicking butts! I have yet to see Mayhem live though...
Regards,
A

black: Sodom did influence us, in the way that their first album came out while we worked on our own project - and we really liked their expression. As you can read in an earlier posting in my blog, I write about it.

hi my friend,
something irrelevant with this post...
I just want to know the source of the image on the pure fucking armaggedon demo .if possible answer by email.thanks a lot

Herald with greetings!

I have no idea where to find the picture we used on P.F.A. today. We found it in a print somewhere. I think it was from a movie, but I'm not shure.

Hi Manheim.
On the track "mayhem" on the P.F.A-demo, who can I hear?

Hi Ghoul,

sorry for the late answer - been away for some days. What you can hear is me in the background, laughing, and Necro going berserk :-)

It was recorded at one of our rehearsals

What do you think of Darkthrone? Wich Darkthrone album do you like the best?

Erik; Darkthrone is my favorite BM band. I like most of their records, but if you want me to choose among them i must admit that the demos from their first years is most treassured by me. Under a funural moon is next.

Under a Funeral Moon is my favorite album ever. How was the respons on that album when it came? What did Euronymous say? It must have been a massive respons, as UAFM is the most black metal album ever. Pure evil to the core.

Mr. Manhaim?! Some quite deep knowledge about the past is t'thing this mag needs. And 'bout the the way of living. Hum... punk too

Hejsam herr M! Just liked to do a punk influensed MayheM aticle so when ever you have time. The add: bloodmetal@hotmail.com and the name's Mantas

Hejsan herr M! Just liked to do a punk influensed MayheM aticle so when ever you have time. The add: bloodmetal@hotmail.com and the name's Mantas

Hi manhaim
A couple of questions:
I) did u guys listen to early death metal bands like Death, possessed, morbid angel, etc? Did they have any influence on u? (i've read some old interviews of euronymus which he opposed bands like entombed or cannibal corpse because of what he called commercialization of death metal).
II) What about thrash metal bands like exodus or slayer? Did u pay any attention to them? (For example Fenriz hailed exodus for their 1st album-bonded by blood- in their Panzerfaust album notes)
III) Do u familiar with Gorgoroth? If the answer is positive what do u think about their music.
Cheers
Kourosh?hails from Iran