Last night, Brisbane’s Princess Theatre was blessed with a visit from the gods of chaos themselves—Mayhem. Celebrating 40 years of destruction, they transformed the stage into a sacrilegious altar, doling out black metal hymns to the masses. And my Virgin gig for 2025 Bring it on! Mayhem proved once again that after four fucking decades, they still reign supreme as the high priests and masters of metal madness. It was a night where darkness and mayhem literally reigned supreme, and those dedicated souls in attendance, it was an evening of nostalgia and a reminder that some legends never fade—they just get louder and really scarier with time.
Mayhem’s 40th Anniversary Australian Tour has started off nothing short of legendary and what a night in Brisvegas! The bands four-decade-long legacy performing classics from their groundbreaking album ‘Deathcrush’ and all the way through a mighty career. 40 years just think about that for a minute, it’s pretty epic and the backdrop screen highlighted moments in time and memories of a majestic dark metal force that seems to just get more powerful with time. Mayhem’s show was an electrifying retrospective of their contributions to black metal and a trip into the depths of hell and back.
Mayhem painted the room blacker than your soul on a Monday morning with a blood lit spectacle of a Hellraiser-esk crime scene horror show of raw energy and terrifying precision that was enough to make even the most hardened metalheads question their life choices. And don’t get me started on the pit—a swirling vortex of limbs and leather, resembling a demonic ballet gone horribly, beautifully wrong silhouetting within the red blood lit backdrop.
Mayhem displayed brutal death metal, mesmerizing speed, and relentless black metal energy with such ease. Between the blast beats and the gory theatrics, Mayhem showed that they’ve aged like a fine, blood-soaked wine. This wasn’t just a gig; it was a historical reenactment of chaos and carnage. The riffs were so dark and heavy, even the shadows trembled. As the night wore on, the band’s relentless assault on the senses left everyone questioning which circle of hell they’d wandered into.
The tour has been a significant celebration of both their triumphs and turmoil, with rare footage, iconic photos, and special surprises that cement their status as pioneers of the genre. For longtime fans, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that highlighted Mayhem’s enduring influence in the world of extreme metal.
What an amazing night and a true highlight to have this band in Australia, watch out Sydney Tonight at the Metro Theatre and Melbourne at the Northcote Theatre on the 12th this is something truly amazing than only comes along once in a lifetime and cannot be missed!
Thank you for the years of Mayhem and cheers to your epic 40-year journey! I’m so glad I came along for the ride ~ Mert..
