Heavy Song of the Week: Mayhem Unleash a Frigid Blast of Black Metal on "Despair"

"The six-minute "Despair" picks up with blast beats (Hellhammer is dialed in here) and the atmospheric wash of rapid riffing, Attila Csihar's voice barely peaking through the smothered sonic mix. Again, as he did on previous single "Weep for Nothing," Attila jumps between gnarled growls and more discernible, operatic bellows, as if a demon and god-like entity are in volatile conversation amidst the great calamitous noise."

"Heavy Song of the Week is a feature on Heavy Consequence breaking down the top metal, punk, and hard rock tracks you need to hear every Friday. This week, we highlight Mayhem's latest single "Despair." As the cold months descend, the icy blasts of Norwegian black metal feel apropos. And there's no better source for such disharmony than the pioneers of the genre, Mayhem, who are back this week with the second single from their forthcoming album Liturgy of Death."

"Honorable Mentions: Alter Bridge - "Playing Aces" "Playing Aces" hits the sweet spot between alt-metal and classic rock that's patently Alter Bridge, as guitarist Mark Tremonti leads the forceful and driving arrangement while Myles Kennedy exhausts the fullness of his expansive vocal range. With so many projects, one could reasonably expect Tremonti to run out of ideas at some point, but Kennedy's soaring vocals provide a nice foil, letting Tremonti dig in and stretch out a bit more with Alter Bridge."

Mayhem released the six-minute single "Despair" as the second preview for the forthcoming album Liturgy of Death. The track opens with Hellhammer's blast beats and an atmospheric wash of rapid riffing while Attila Csihar's vocals sit low in the mix. Attila alternates between gnarled growls and operatic bellows, creating contrasting demonic and god-like textures. The composition moves through slower, doomy riff sections that provide brief respite before intense pummeling resumes. Honorable mentions include Alter Bridge's "Playing Aces," noted for Tremonti's driving arrangement and Myles Kennedy's expansive, soaring vocals, and Guns N' Roses' ballad "Nothin'."

Read at Consequence