The True Mayhem Lineup (Left-Right)
Jørn Stubberd aka Necrobutcher (Bass – Present)
Oystein Aarseth aka Euronymous (Guitars-1993)
Per Yngue Ohlin aka Dead “Pelle” (Vocals-1991)
Jan Axel Blomberg aka Hellhammer (Drums-Present)
Lord of Chaos is a well researched, raw, no strings attached, dope Hollywood film that tells the story of “The True Mayhem”, a Norwegian black metal band from its beginning. It was shot in 18 days and the leading actors got music lessons from “black metal coaches” from Hungary to give it a taste of authenticity. The film follows a story that is commonly known and told to new generations of young metalheads in the underground scene. I will refrain from details about what went down in the early’s band history except that Dead commits suicide in the movie, there was murder, church burnings and a “black circle” did exist, made up by mostly middle class Norwegian youth with a common bond of extreme music. I am curious to listen what the the last two remaining original members think about the film. Ultimately, Necrobutcher and Hellhammer gave Vice studios and Director Jonas Åkerlund the blessing to use Mayhem’s music in the film.
For starters, Jonas, the Director was the original drummer for Bathory from Sweden. I think this is important because he is able to capture the “elite and hypermasculine” culture of Norway’s black metal scene. He was a contemporary of the Scandinavian black metal circles and he does the film justice by recreating the scenes famously told and shared through interviews and photographs. My favorite scene was listening to Accept’s Fast as a Shark transition into the total alcoholic, men dominated, heavy metal party. It is safe to say that Scandinavia’s well known export today is black metal. However, no one comes close to the notorious influence Mayhem made and had in that region of the world. All thanks to Euronymous, a dedicated, marketing guru that promoted the band through a sophisticated world-wide snail-mail operation, with distribution lists from Latin America to all of Europe. Norwegian BM is unique through the use of early “corpse-paint,” adopting a Nordic and Pagan ethos to its music, and being a young mob of mostly (16-24 year olds) during this first-wave of northern black metal.
From the beginning of the movie, Euronymous warns “this is not going to end well,” leading up his brutal murder that was full of emotions. Rory Culkin did a masterful job playing the role of Euronymous, through him we can see an assertive, aggressive, and manipulative band leader. We can also see how he grows as a musician, in business, and gradually matures – a bit too late. Lords of Chaos does a good job at showing the world a peculiar machista culture of “outdoing” or “one-uping” another metalhead in the scene. Different characters throughout the movie did something more outrageous, evil, and “satanic.” It was made to make the average person feel uncomfortable. Midway into the movie I noticed two older white-guys nodding their head in disagreement (probably after the church burnings) and walking out together. Wimps.
I believe the relationship between Varg and Euronymous was exaggerated. They were never really good friends as the movie suggests. While the film explored Varg’s fascination with Nazism, it failed to exploit Euronymous hardcore communist views. These different ideologies puts the individuals at odds from Varg joining Mayhem in 1992 to murdering Euronymous in 1993.
All in all, the film felt like a Tribute in memoriam of Euronymous – who is today held as a hero to many into black metal, respectively. The film was highly entertaining and if you are somewhat familiar with the events that transpired in Norway from 1987 to 1993, Lords of Chaos is a treat.
I am not surprised that many metalheads have met this movie with disdain and there are people out there boycotting the film. I get it. This reaction is common when one of – our – stories is taken from us and turned into a film. It feels as if we own it and I respect that because, black metal will always be about staying in the underground.
I believe this film can provide metalheads with a honest picture of a struggling band, betrayal between friends, and constant competition. It may serve as a reflection of all bad influences that come with being in a black metal circle, the friends that turned into snakes, being prone to drugs and alcoholism, and the constant search for affirmation and acceptance.
I appreciated being in a room full of metalheads and laughing in unison at particular scenes throughout the movie. There were many laughs. Lords of Chaos was fun, gory, and in the vein of the founders
solo un chico de l.a. 