Radical Research Podcast

From the dark past, in the light of freezing moons and through funeral fog, Mayhem reappeared in 1997, under cover of night and to relatively little fanfare. Wolf’s Lair Abyss, the band’s first release since 1994’s epochal De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, reveals a fiercer, future-forward approach to Mayhem’s trademark hailstorm black metal. Time has been kind to this EP and so your Radical Research hosts have pulled out the cuneiform in order to decipher symbols of bloodswords. Note 1: With this EP, we see the reappearance of two former Mayhem members, Maniac and Necrobutcher. This lineup would go on to record two full-length albums, 2000’s black-tech masterpiece, Grand Declaration of War, and 2004’s steely Chimera. Note 2: The EP’s final track, “Symbols of Bloodswords,” features a chord progression that would become a motivic device on Grand Declaration of War. Radical Research suggests a back-to-back listen for maximum effect. Music cited, in order of appearance: “From the Dark Past” (De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas,