De mysteriis dom Sathanas

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Defined by Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth's distinctive, tremolo-picked guitar riffs and the precise, relentless drumming of Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg, the album's sound is famously characterized by Attila Csihar's unconventional, theatrical vocal performance that shifts between guttural growls and operatic chanting. The production, captured in Grieg Hall, creates a cold and cavernous atmosphere, notably retaining the bass tracks of Varg Vikernes, who murdered Aarseth before the album's release. Paired with lyrics fixated on darkness and death, penned by former vocalist Per "Dead" Ohlin prior to his own suicide, these musical and historical elements solidify 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas' as a foundational and notoriously influential work of second-wave black metal.