THE ALBUM COVER AND NAME :
The cover of Mayhem's debut album is a monochrome photo of the blue-tinted Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway. The choice of this photo was not just aesthetic. The cover's appearance inspires an antitheistic, satanic and misonthropic atmosphere that will be present throughout the album's 46 minutes.
The name of the album, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas in Latin conceived by Euronymous, can be translated as Lord Satan's Secret Rites. But the sentence is written in a bad Latin translation. Dom is an abbreviation of Domini, it's a honorific prefix that means Lord, Mysteriis (Mystery) can be translated as Secret Ritual or Rite. Sathanas that means Satan, is written in Latin as Satanas without the H.
THE CONTEXT OF THE EARLY 90s :
During the early 90s and before the release of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, the Norwegian Black Metal scene wasn't just musically extreme. It was an era of chaos and violence. Several churches were deliberately set on fire, and members of the scene were involved in various criminal acts.
In April 8th, 1991, Mayhem vocalist Per Yngve Dead Ohlin commits suicide. This was followed by another devasting incident in August 10th, 1993 when Mayhem's guitarist Øystein Aarseth, also known as Euronymous, was murdered by Varg Vikernes, who was then a member of Mayhem and also involved in the one-man band Burzum. This dramatic context undoubtedly influenced the intensity and darkness of the album.
NORWEGIAN TIMELESS MASTERPIECE:
From the opening track Funeral Fog the listeners are immediately envloped into an oppressive and dark atmospheres, characterized by an intense riffs and frenetic rhythms. Attila Csihar's vocals with its guttural and haunted screams, adds a special dimension to the music. The songs like Freezing Moon and Pagan Fears have become classics of the genre. This Norwegian timeless masterpiece represents the essence of Black Metal characterized by its raw production, it complex musical structure and lyrical themes that deal with death, the oculte and the misanthropy.
Today, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas is recognized not only for its music, but also for its cultural impact. It has influenced a multitude of bands and helped define the aesthetic and sonic codes of black metal. The tragic events surrounding its creation have also fueled the mystical and macabre aura that surrounds the genre.
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