Ordo Ad Chao

Ordo Ad Chao is the fourth full-length album by the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem. The album received the Spellemann Award for best heavy metal album on 2 February 2008.[5]

Ordo Ad Chao
Studio album by
Mayhem
Released23 April 2007
RecordedMølla Studio, Gjerstad, Norway, 13 November – 4 December 2006
GenreBlack metal
Length40:10
LabelSeason of Mist
ProducerAttila Csihar, Blasphemer
Mayhem chronology
Chimera
(2004)		 Ordo Ad Chao
(2007)		 Esoteric Warfare
(2014)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com[1]
Chronicles of Chaos[2]
PopMatters[3]
The Observer[4]

Background

It is the first Mayhem album with the vocalist Attila Csihar since the 1994 album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas and the last with Blasphemer before he announced his departure from the band in 2008.

The drummer, Jan Axel Blomberg (Hellhammer), said that the drum tracks were not equalized and only the bass drums were triggered.[6] He ended saying "the production sounds necro as fuck, but that's the way we wanted it – this time. It represents Mayhem today." Indeed, the sound of the album is much rawer than that of any official Mayhem studio release since Deathcrush, with a very bass-heavy mix. Despite that, the album continues the somewhat unorthodox songwriting approach showcased on the band's last two releases, with "Illuminate Eliminate" being the band's second longest song. Despite being a black metal album, it has some death metal sound. The album includes some death grunts and clean vocals; however, Grand Declaration of War has cleaner vocals.

It also has the distinction of being the first Mayhem album with lyrics written by Attila Csihar. Consequently, there is a thematic shift from the band's earlier lyrics, which focused mostly on morbid and Satanic ideas, and the lyrics here allude to psychic powers, the Annunaki, and the creation of the human race as a workforce for alien powers.

The album was released on 23 April 2007. It charted at #12 in Norway, making it the band's highest charting album yet. There is a version of the album supplied in a metal case that is limited to a production of 3,000.[7]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Attila Csihar; all music is composed by Blasphemer.

No.TitleLength
1."A Wise Birthgiver"3:30
2."Wall of Water"4:40
3."Great Work of Ages"3:52
4."Deconsecrate"4:07
5."Illuminate Eliminate"9:40
6."Psychic Horns"6:32
7."Key to the Storms"3:52
8."Anti"4:33
Total length:40:10

Personnel

Mayhem

Additional personnel

  • Knut Valle – engineer, mixing
  • Kim Sølve, Trine Paulsen – artwork, photography

Charts
Chart (2007) Peak
position
Norwegian Albums Chart[8] 12

References
  1. Bowar, Chad. "Ordo Ad Chao review". About.com. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
  2. Montague, James. "CoC: Mayhem - Ordo Ad Chao: Review". Chronicles of Chaos. 21 May 2007. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
  3. Blackie, Andrew (20 June 2007). "Mayhem: Ordo Ad Chao < Reviews". PopMatters. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  4. Campion, Chris (22 April 2007). "Mayhem, Ordo ad Chao". The Observer. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  5. Nordseth, Pål (2 February 2008). "Vet ikke om vi gir ut flere plater". Kjendis.no (in Norwegian). DB Medialab AS. Archived from the original on 20 November 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  6. New Mayhem Song!!! thread, Extremedrumming.net. January 24, 2007.
  7. "MAYHEM's 'Ordo Ad Chao' Enters Norwegian Chart At No. 12 thread Archived 2007-04-27 at the Wayback Machine, Roadrunnerrecords.com, 24 April 2007.
  8. "Norwegian charts portal". Retrieved 27 November 2011.
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