Daemon (album)

{{Infobox album | italic_title = yes | name = Daemon | type = Studio | artist = Mayhem | cover = Mayhem - Daemon.png | alt = | released = 25 October 2019 | recorded = * NBS, Stockholm, Sweden * Lupercal, Oslo, Norway * Chamber, Hillegom, Netherlands * SBM, Oslo, Norway | venue = | studio = | genre = Black metal | length = {{Duration|m=49|s=24}} | label = Century Media | producer = * Tore Stjerna * Teloch | prev_title = Esoteric Warfare | prev_year = 2014 | next_title = Atavistic Black Disorder/Kommando | next_year = 2021 }}

'''''Daemon''''' is the sixth studio album by Norwegian black metal band Mayhem.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/mayhem-to-release-daemon-album-in-october/|title=MAYHEM To Release 'Daemon' Album In October|date=August 12, 2019|website=BLABBERMOUTH.NET}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://loudwire.com/mayhem-daemon-album/|title=Mayhem Unveil Details Behind Sixth Album 'Daemon'|first=Joe|last=DiVita|website=Loudwire}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metalinjection.net/upcoming-releases/mayhem-announces-new-album-daemon|title=MAYHEM Announces New Album Daemon|date=August 13, 2019|website=Metal Injection}}</ref> Their major label debut, it was released by Century Media Records on 25 October 2019 in digital formats while a manufacturing problem delayed the physical release until 8 November 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/mayhemnorway/status/1181961954799362049|title=Unfortunately we have to let you know that due to an unforeseen delay in the manufacturing process, the physical release date of “Daemon” will have to be pushed back by two weeks to November 8th, 2019.pic.twitter.com/Yu1PD9DHdJ|first=The True|last=Mayhem|date=October 9, 2019}}</ref>

==Background and promotion== The band went into the studio not long after the ''De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Alive'' anniversary tour in which the band played the iconic debut album in its entirety for various dates around the world. Many critics suggested the tour was highly influential to the sound of ''Daemon'' with many comparing it to that album. The album was also released on the back of the ''Lords of Chaos'' semi-biopic movie, giving the band a boost in popularity and interest.

During promotional interviews for the album, Necrobutcher claimed he was "On [his] way to kill Euronymous but Varg beat [him] to it", and also claimed that the Norwegian Police were aware of Vikernes' plot to kill Euronymous, stating: "But little did I know that the Norwegian police already knew that Count Grishnackh [Varg] was going down also to kill him. Because they bugged his phone, and he actually talked about this killing before he went to Bergen so the cops already knew that he was coming, so they probably were thinking to themselves, ‘We didn’t nail this guy for the church burnings, so let’s nail him for murder, and get rid of this f–king guy in Oslo the same time.’ So that’s basically what happened."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/mayhems-necrobutcher-way-kill-euronymous-2557567|title=Mayhem's Necrobutcher: "I was on my way to kill Euronymous myself" | NME|date=October 16, 2019}}</ref>

The bonus disc for the album features a cover of "Disgusting Semla" from former vocalist Dead's pre-Mayhem band Morbid.

==Reception== {{Album ratings | MC = 69/100<ref name="Metacritic">{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/daemon/mayhem|title=Daemon by Mayhem Reviews and Tracks|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=22 February 2024}}</ref> | rev1 = ''Blabbermouth.net'' | rev1score = 9/10<ref name="Gornia"/> | rev2 = ''Consequence of Sound'' | rev2score = A−<ref name="Hadusek"/> | rev3 = ''Exclaim!'' | rev3score = 8/10<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelleher |first=Jack |date=25 October 2019 |title=Mayhem |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/mayhem-daemon |access-date=22 February 2024 |website=Exclaim!}}</ref> | rev4 = ''Metal Hammer'' | rev4score = {{rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="Brown"/> | rev5 = Metal Storm | rev5score = 7.8/10<ref name="X-Ray Rod"/> | rev6 = Sputnikmusic | rev6score = 3.0/5<ref name="Simon K."/> }} ''Daemon'' was met with favorable reviews by critics upon release. Loudersound awarded it 4.5 out of 5 and strongly compared it to the band's debut album ''De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas''.<ref name="Brown">{{Cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/black-metal-legends-mayhem-channel-de-mysteriis-dom-sathanas-with-new-record-daemon|title=Black metal legends Mayhem channel De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas with new record Daemon|first=Dean|last=Brown|website=Metal Hammer Magazine}}</ref> Metal Storm awarded it a 7.8 out of 10 calling it a return to form and "leaving behind the experimental and dissonant sound" of earlier releases.<ref name="X-Ray Rod">{{Cite web|author=X-Ray Rod|url=http://www.metalstorm.net/pub/review.php?review_id=15292|title=Mayhem - Daemon review - Metal Storm|website=www.metalstorm.net}}</ref> Consequence of Sound awarded the album an A− calling it a "return to form".<ref name="Hadusek">{{Cite web|last=Hadusek|first=Jon|url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/10/album-review-mayhem-daemon/|title=Album Review: Mayhem Explore the Extremes of Black Metal on Daemon|website=Consequence of Sound|date=October 24, 2019}}</ref> Blabbermouth.net awarded it a 9 out of 10.<ref name="Gornia">{{Cite web|last=Gorania|first=Jay H.|url=https://blabbermouth.net/cdreviews/daemon/|title=Daemon - MAYHEM|date=November 12, 2019|website=BLABBERMOUTH.NET}}</ref> Sputnikmusic were more critical, awarding it only 3.0 out of 5, stating "''Daemon'' is a solid dose of black metal, and not much else".<ref name="Simon K.">{{Cite web|last=K.|first=Simon|url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/80440/Mayhem-Daemon/|title=Review: Mayhem - Daemon | Sputnikmusic|website=www.sputnikmusic.com}}</ref>

==Track listing== {{Track listing | total_length = 47:21 | all_writing = Teloch, except where noted | title1 = The Dying False King | length1 = 3:45 | title2 = Agenda Ignis | length2 = 4:34 | title3 = Bad Blood | lyrics3 = Necrobutcher | music3 = Ghul | length3 = 4:58 | title4 = Malum | lyrics4 = Hellhammer | music4 = Ghul | length4 = 5:05 | title5 = Falsified and Hated | length5 = 5:48 | title6 = Aeon Daemonium | length6 = 6:03 | title7 = Worthless Abominations Destroyed | length7 = 3:48 | title8 = Daemon Spawn | length8 = 6:02 | title9 = Of Worms and Ruins | lyrics9 = Ghul | music9 = Ghul | length9 = 3:48 | title10 = Invoke the Oath | lyrics10 = Attila Csihar | length10 = 5:33 }}

'''Limited Edition CD bonus tracks''' {{Track listing | title11 = Everlasting Dying Flame | length11 = 5:53 | title12 = Black Glass Communion | length12 = 4:25 }}

'''Limited Edition Vinyl bonus disc''' {{Track listing | title1 = Everlasting Dying Flame | length1 = 5:52 | title2 = Black Glass Communion | length2 = 4:25 | title3 = Evil Dead (Death cover) | length3 = 2:59 | title4 = The Truth (Death Strike cover) | length4 = 3:03 | title5 = Disgusting Semla (Morbid cover) | length5 = 3:06 }}

==Personnel== '''Mayhem''' *Attila – vocals *Ghul – guitars *Hellhammer – drums *Necrobutcher – bass *Teloch – guitars

'''Additional personnel''' *Tore Stjerna – producer, mixing, engineering *Teloch – producer *Marco Salluzzo – co-engineering *Thomas Johansson – mastering *Daniel Valeriani – artworks and layout *Ester Segarra – photos

==Charts== {|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" !scope="col"|Chart (2019) !scope="col"|Peak position |- {{album chart|Austria|35|artist=Mayhem|album=Daemon|rowheader=true|access-date=2 December 2021}} |- {{album chart|Flanders|78|artist=Mayhem|album=Daemon|rowheader=true|access-date=2 December 2021}} |- {{album chart|Wallonia|125|artist=Mayhem|album=Daemon|rowheader=true|access-date=2 December 2021}} |- {{album chart|Finland|8|artist=Mayhem|album=Daemon|rowheader=true|access-date=2 December 2021}} |- {{album chart|France|145|artist=Mayhem|album=Daemon|rowheader=true|access-date=2 December 2021}} |- {{album chart|Germany|id=394493|18|artist=Mayhem|album=Daemon|rowheader=true|access-date=2 December 2021}} |- {{album chart|Hungary|28|year=2019|week=46|rowheader=true|access-date=29 November 2021}} |- {{album chart|Italy|84|artist=Mayhem|album=Daemon|rowheader=true|access-date=2 December 2021}} |- {{album chart|Spain|78|artist=Mayhem|album=Daemon|rowheader=true|access-date=2 December 2021}} |- {{album chart|Sweden|32|artist=Mayhem|album=Daemon|rowheader=true|access-date=2 December 2021}} |- {{album chart|Switzerland|37|artist=Mayhem|album=Daemon|rowheader=true|access-date=2 December 2021}} |- {{album chart|BillboardHeatseekers|4|artist=Mayhem|rowheader=true|access-date=2 December 2021}} |}

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:2019 albums Category:Mayhem (band) albums