Grand Declaration of War

Artist: Mayhem
Label: Necropolis Records
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 792658005420
EAN: 0792658005420
ASIN: B00004SWIA

Release Date: 2000-06-06

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Norway

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Tracks:

Part II
Grand Declaration of War
In the Lies Where upon You Lay
Time to Die
View from Nihil
Principle
Bloodsword and a Colder Sun
Crystalized Pain in Deconstruction
Completion in Science of Agony
To Daimonion

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De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Chimera
Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise
Wolf's Lair Abyss
Defending the Throne of Evil

Customer Reviews:

"And I have made WAR.".......2006-05-10

We all know about Mayhem, and their history. If Euronymous and Dead were still alive, and Varg was not imprisoned, the band would have obviously taken a different route than the current band at this point. But the past is the past, and the new Mayhem aren't going to release the same album over and over to please "kvlt" kiddies. End of story, let's move on and accept change.

One glimpse at the cover of Grand Declaration of War, depicting a dove dead and entangled in barbed wire, gives the listener a rather prophetic idea of what they're about to hear. Like a testament to the band's grisly and bloody history, GDW is harsh and cold. Overproduced? No, the production adds dimension and endows the album with a freezing and oppressive atmosphere. Indeed, though Mayhem's skeleton has morphed into something completely new, its heart pumps the pure essense of black metal throughout its icy veins; Hate, fear, war, and isolation. GDW is pretty much one long piece- particular tracks end, but only to segue into the next track. Individually, none of the tracks have any kind of climax or resolution, and seemingly go nowhere. If you don't plan on listening to the entire album in one sitting, prepare for a flat listening experience. In its entirety, however, GDW is a paradox. The craftsmanship and music is impressive, with surprisingly technical razor-like guitars, and incredible drumming from Hellhammer ample with militant snare rolls and fills. Maniac mostly recites spoken-word dialogue like a blackened preacher, rarely growling. (He tries singing at the end of the album... Not very good...) But musicianship isn't the point. It's about mood. GDW's first half accumulates tension, as Maniac spews indoctrinations like a vicious dictator preparing for a war. After a great deal of monumentous buildup, ... Silence. The listener is hurled into a war-torn landscape of ruinous grey, as one of the few survivors of some catastrophic event. An omniscient narrator whispers a cryptic summary, instilling an apocalyptic sense of confusion and dismay; "...In the multi layers of paralyzed Christian lies... In which the earth exploded, and bodies burned to ashes. The leader of the men died first, and common people changed into beasts of genocide. I penetrated the mind of god..." Next is the most controversial moment of the album. A dark electronic track begins, as Maniac whispers insidiously over muted, reverberating sounds that suggest a wide open space devoid of boundaries or reason. It's like waking up in ground zero.

Purists accuse Mayhem of dabbling in pretentious electronic elements, and "ruining Euronymous' vision." First of all, would Euronymous have made a similar album if he were alive? Maybe. He did like synth music, and signed very experimental bands like Abruptum to his label. But moreover, whether or not he would approve of this album is utterly irrelevant. Grand Declaration of War isn't inept mallgoth metal like Cradle of Filth, it's an adventurous album from a band incontent with dragging Mayhem's name through realms of mundanity. Recommended.
- Thus says the Pellington

Shattering the Mold.......2005-12-29

Four and a half stars

Some reviews for this album rant about the idiocy of black metal, and ignorantly place this album next to names like Burzum, Dark Funeral, and Emperor. Not only does this album sound nothing like the traditional black metal played by these legends, but, in fact, Grand Declaration of War sounds nothing like tradtional Mayhem either.

Those who have read my reviews know that black metal is one subgenre that just does not appeal to me. Being a Christian really has nothing to do with it, especially when the lyrical content, as is found on this album, is not over-the-top praise of the dark lord, but rather, a declaration and challenge to the religion's bloody, and cultural ravaging past. The lands that most of these black mettalers come from have literally become what they are today because of Christianity's decimation of their pagan religions, and indeed, their cherished cultural histories. This does not even get into the non-Christian world's perception of the religion as one that has earned its criticisms through a nearly relentless intolerance for ways and customs that do not fall in line with Christian dogma--often to such a degree that one would have to wonder if said Christians have actually ever contemplated the words of Christ.

Nevertheless, I do not mean to come off as a great defender of black metal, because the well-documented violence surrounding bands like Burzum and Mayhem deserve no excuse, I just hope that any possible new fans will not be turned off by the misinformed view that an album such as this is simply a moronic piece of noise and satanic glorification.

What we do have here is an album from a black metal band which soars well past the boundaries of black metal. Containing many elements of electronica, an undeniable heartbeat of doom which often echoes Black Sabbath's creepy debut, prominent bass in both the more ambient and frenetic, traditional black metal tracks, and a surprisingly light amount of growling vocals (at least in comparison to most black metal), Grand Declaration of War has simultaneously become a work of blasphemy for black metal purists, and an outright masterpiece to those into more experimental extreme music.

The backbone for this album, and actually, for any album he appears on, is the one and only Hellhammer. This album has me convinced that when the apocalypse is upon us, Hellhammer will be supreme commander of hell's marching band. The precision, and restraint demonstrated within a completely chaotic attack that this already legend lays down literally gives this album the feeling of being an actual declaration of war. Though this is not my favorite Hellhammer clinic, that honor would have to go to The Kovenant's Nexus Polaris and Winds' Imaginary Direction of Time, the rhythms presented here are proabably his fastest and most explosive. As with all other albums featuring Mr. Blomberg, I would highly suggest listening to this album while trying to block out everything but the drums at least once. Of course, first make sure you have a clamp and a roll of paper towels to wipe up the drool and force your mouth shut when the trip is over.

Also proving that the apple can indeed fall far from the tree, Grand Declaration of War sports an astounding level of production. Every element of the music is crystal clear. The bass will actually make use of your subwoofer, and the guitar riffs are completely discernible. Much of this direction was probably precipitated by the album's often sludgy, doom pace, but either way, this departure from tradition is one of the reasons I can actually stomach this black metal release.

I have no words to sway the minds of traditional black metal fans; if you are one, you simply will not like this album. However, if you like extreme metal, especially of the more experimental kind, or you are intrigued by the components of black metal which separate it from other forms, but have not found a sound which appeals to you, then I would suggest Grand Declaration of War more so than any other black metal album. With this highly controversial release from this highly controversial band, Mayhem has perpetuated the truism that what music is, is simply what the visionary envisions. Music is good in so far that it is good, not according to how well it follows the path of its influences or labels. Anyone familiar with this album would agree that its disconnect from previous Mayhem releases was not a gimmick to slide into the mainstream. So barring that unforgivable sin, let's give a round of applause to Mayhem for doing the only thing that will ensure that untainted, anti-commercial music will exist into the future: forging through unchartered territory.

Mayhem's best and most meaningful album........2005-06-27

At first, this album begins where WLA left off- Literally and figuratively. The riff used for the end of Symbols of Bloodswords appears twice- in the opener, A Grand Declaration of War, and at the end of The View From Nihil, and this album is parts two and three of some sort of series about a grand war against Christianity, whereas WLA was part one. The riffs are even more mindblowing than the ones on WLA, and the production, while being very clean, cleaner than that of WLA (And WLA was uncomfortably clean for most Mayhem fans) but it's still very aggressive, with lots of mids and highs, and very cutting tone to the guitars and drums. Maniac's voice, while being a tad high pitched, is easy to get used to. And the drumming is so fast, I can't even replicate it in my mind. Yes, it's that fast. It puts every single album Mayhem made before and after this to shame.

The album, as I said, began with the same riff that WLA left off with, and the drums are in military style (lots of snare rolls, less neccessary than otherwise) and it will occasionally cut out- but that just helps the thing, because it's supposed to be a grand declaration of war. It then pauses for a microsecond, then goes into a speed inferno called "It Lies Where Upon You Lay" and slows down (don't worry, the riffs are still razor sharp and continue at high speed) but the drumming doesn't, but that just adds variety. The song abruptly cuts off, and goes into and even FASTER song called "A Time To Die" which is breathtaking in its speed. And when you think it's fast enough, it speeds up. And then it cuts out very abruptly, and then the snare rolls start up again, this time for "The View From Nihil", where Maniac, with slight distortion on his voice, (as if speaking through a megaphone) starts into a philosophical rant, as if he's indoctrinating us with some message, then the drums go into unforeseen and unprecendented speed and aggression, then it goes ahead a track (although it's still The View From Nihil) and goes into the opening riff again, this time with speeding drums. Then, all of a sudden, after the famous quote "I came not to send peace, but a sword, and I have made WAR!!!" And then a giant explosion happens, and you're left with nothing, just an odd ringing. The silence is incredibly unnerving, and it leaves you feeling cold, empty, and dead- exactly how it intends for you to feel. And that's the end of part two.

Part three begins with an oddly synthesized voice from Maniac, saying some odd gibberish, and then it goes into an electronic track. It's kinda weird, and totally non-mayhem and non-black metal, but it fits the album well. The feeling of post war destruction that began with the explosion in part two continues with the sounds of rushing winds and dust storms, and it then ends and goes into "Crystallized Pain In Destruction", a very fast riffed song with mid paced, albiet very technical, drumming, which just gets fast towards the end, and then cuts out, again, leaving you with nothing. In the middle of that song, the drumming slows a tad, and the riffs are spaced out and empty, and the feeling of emptiness continues into the next song, which is slow, but agonizing (Hence the title, Completion of Science in Agony) where it cuts out after about 7 minutes, still having the post war feel, with choirs (yes you heard right- at least they were men's choirs) going. And then it heads into the ending track, To Daimonion. Done live, it's disappointing. Done on this album, a bit slower than they do it live, and it satisfies, and signifies victory over the war scarred and fellout land and the end of the war against christianity. A hidden track and a little voice thing signify an epilogue, and then you feel the incredible destruction and post war fallout. It's so real and empty, it makes you agoraphobic, even in your own bedroom or your car. Even the smallest of spaces becomes to large, because the feel of this album is emptiness, as if you are in a vast, war scarred wasteland. There is nothing, and you are scared, lest there be something. A sense of evilness lurks in the background, but in the end, you realize there is nothing, and you are alone. ALONE!!! And those words ring out in your ears until you realize that it's only an album, that it's not real. But it still is unnerving, in how much it makes you feel alone and empty. And I don't mean alone in the sense that nobody is there for you or that nobody loves you. I mean alone in the sense that this album makes you feel as if you are the ONLY- and I mean ONLY- human left after the war. As if you are truly alone, and there is not only nobody there FOR you, but there is nobody there, PERIOD. Not reccommended for agoraphobics.

This album is Mayhem's most effortful album, and it shows. It will blow you away, and I put it in company of albums such as Emperor's Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire and Demise, and Borknagar's Empiricism. As a little side note, though, if you only appreciate tr00 and kvlt black metal, you won't like this, because, while being more metal than any of Mayhem's previous albums,it's not quite as black. Either way, it blows you away, and I am impressed with it.

A stepping stone into new boundaries.......2005-03-07

Ok...most people either HATE this album or LOVE it. I happen to love it. The musicianship is incredible and tight (not the slang term "tight".) Mayhem is undoubtedly one of the most talented black metal bands around. The technical riffs and extreme drumming go together hand in hand perfectly.

Maniac does a wonderful job on vocals. He uses the spoken word a lot on this particular album and I think it works out well. It would probably get old if he did it frequently on every album, but he does not. People always whine about how this isn't the true Mayhem, but this so-called "untrue Mayhem" sure can play one hell of a lot better. With this album, you'll hear how the riffs really aren't your traditional black metal riffs--they seem to be influenced by traditional BM riffs, but they are derived into something else which is hard to explain.

If you enjoy listening to the same ol', oh lets say, musically challanged bands like Darkthrone, Beherit, Gorgoroth, then you probably won't like this Mayhem album. However, if you are open-minded and can enjoy black metal and good music in any form, this is a black metal great!

I should also mention that the album is split up into 2 parts, "Part II" and "Part III". Those not familiar with mayhem will be going "huh? Where's Part I?" Well, Part I is the Wolf's Lair Abyss EP that was released a few years before this album.

I can't get into blackmetal..........2004-10-24

Im sorry but to me blackmetal is not worth one cent...Let along paying for an album that plays this dull, idiotic,and,un-original genre. All these bands burzum,emperor,cof,mayhem,immortal,darkthrone,god-dethroned,dark funeral, and the rest are pretty much...Horse sh*t. Satanic lirycs are not disturbing nor its scary but idiotic and pointless. The outfits ?Laughable. You guys need sirious therapy and help--bad!! Anyways, onto mayhem's "grand declaration of war" it basically sounds like the rest and why can't these bands even with good production write or release a good album ? I dont know but maiby i just can't get into these satan lovers/Losers. Have fun burning in hell with satan, while he stick his forks up your a-holes!

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Music CD

Music CD

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