THE BEAST

Consequence of Sound
“Compositionally, Mayhem have outdone themselves on Daemon, crafting a Kafka-esque collection of intensity that sees the band pushing themselves conceptually and instrumentally. From the opening blast beats of “The Dying False King”, the record casts a bleak atmosphere of impressionistic evil and never relents. Vocalist Attila Csihar emotes, moans, and screams in a stream of consciousness, adding to the chaotic nature of the recordings. At times, he sounds like he’s giving an operatic sermon of doom; during others, he invokes the harsh demonic howls he used on Mayhem’s classic De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas back in 1994.
Cryptic Rock
“This is a pure Black Metal album made by a legacy band, but it does not feel at all unmotivated."
Heavy Music HQ
“One of the best black metal albums of the year, a highlight of the band’s discography.”
Pure Grain Audio
“For a black metal band of 35 years (and there aren’t many still going, trust me), it’s an astounding feat that they have created music this fresh and downright evil. For fans of the early era, it oozes beautifully down the ear, and for the folks that relish their later, more experimental work, it progresses without sacrificing the substance of the songs and the credibility of legends of their stature. Mayhem have produced an album of legendary quality with Daemon, music that will both excite the fan and entice the novice. This is black metal in its purest form and it deserves your ears and soul.”
Angry Metal Guy
“Mayhem shocks by telling the truth about Hell — and the truth is more fascinating, horrifying, and enthralling than mere fiction. That this truth is told through universally excellent riffs across a thoughtfully structured album that has perfect pacing and no dips in quality beyond the threshold of triviality makes Daemon a truly excellent record.”