Mayhem - Live in Leipzig (1993)

Mayhem's, 'Live in Leipzig' is a live album that reached a legendary status years ago and although it has less to do with the actual quality of the music played during the show and more to do with the onstage membership that makes it one of the most renowned live recordings ever.

Released on vinyl originally in July of 1993 by Obscure Plasma Records and re-released at least 5 or 6 different times now through various labels, this early document of Mayhem took place November 26, 1990, at the Eiskeller club in Leipzig, Germany. Although the actual sound quality and performance is a thing of question the show featured heavy atmospherics, such as, severed pig heads impaled on wooden spikes, the band's clothes were decayed and soiled, pieces of rotting meat were thrown into the audience and lead vocalist Per "Dead" Ohlin also was noted for slicing himself open during the show.

The recording quality is rough and raw, to say the least, and there's numerous screw ups, such as, Euronymous completely botching the solo in, 'Freezing Moon,' his amp getting unplugged at one point, as well for some reason, 'Deathcrush' sounds like its played in slow motion when compared to the studio version. Nevertheless there's just something about this recording as well as basically anything else from the classic Mayhem line-up (Necrobutcher, Hellhammer, Euronymous and Dead) that I've constantly enjoyed for years now, regardless of how crude it may sound.

Looking at the set list its clear right away that its a trove of now Mayhem classics, which unfortunately probably don't get played much nowadays. Forgetting all the screw ups and the poor recording quality its still fun to hear the band violently blast through songs like, 'Necrolust,' 'Carnage' and 'Pure Fucking Armageddon' as well as future, 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas' songs, 'Funeral Fog, 'Pagan Fears' and 'Buried by Time and Dust.' As you may also know this is the only official recording with Dead's voice, though numerous live bootlegs and rehearsals are out there, if you've got the cash for 'em.

In the end I'd by no means consider this an essential item to own or hear, but it is a landmark to the black metal genre, simply because at the time no one looked or sounded like this. So, you've got to at least give some credit there.