TELOCH On MAYHEM's 'Hard-To-Please' Fanbase: 'They Will Always Complain About Something'

In a recent interview with France's United Rock Nations, guitarist Teloch (real name: Morten Bergeton Iversen) of Norwegian black metallers MAYHEM spoke about the creative process for the band's forthcoming "Daemon" studio album, as well as the lofty expectations placed upon MAYHEM by their fanbase.

"Normally we start out with Charles [Hedger, 'Ghul'] or myself writing some sketches and we take it to the band and we try it out at the rehearsal place," he said (hear audio below). "If it feels right, we keep on going on with it and try to make some vocal arrangements and drum beats with it. That's the first line in the process, to make the sketches. For this album, we had so much material from this process, so not all things you're making will make the album. Maybe ten percent or something."

As one of the first true Norwegian black metal bands, MAYHEM has altered its sound multiple times throughout its career. Teloch joined MAYHEM in 2011 as the replacement for Rune "Blasphemer" Eriksen, a formidable guitarist in his own right who took MAYHEM's sound down more experimental and chaotic paths, most notably with 2000's controversial "Grand Declaration Of War". Preceding Eriksen was founding member Øystein "Euroymous" Aarseth, who was widely credited as one of the pioneers of the Norwegian black metal sound. Euronymous was murdered in 1993, but not before he wrote and recorded the band's "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" studio album, an album held in high reverence by MAYHEM fans and the black metal scene at large. Perhaps as a result of the unwavering influence of "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" and the multiple sonic permutations of MAYHEM, Teloch provided some candid insight on the band's fanbase.

"It's hard to please MAYHEM fans," he said. "They will always complain about something. If we release 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas' part two, they will complain about that as well. But most of them will like the simplicity and black metal-ish feeling ['Daemon'] has."

"Daemon" will be released October 25 via Century Media Records.

MAYHEM entered NBS Audio Studio (a.k.a. Necromorbus Studio) in Söderfors, Sweden to record drums and vocals with producer/engineer Tore Stjerna. Newly consecrated Studio A (Stjerna's Stockholm studio will continue to operate as Studio B) in an old church, drummer Hellhammer and vocalist Attila Csihar recorded their respective parts for "Daemon". The band then had Ghul record his guitars in the Netherlands, while the bass was engineered by Teloch and performed by Necrobutcher at Lupercal Studio in Oslo, Norway. Teloch took his guitar tracking to SleikBallaMi Studio, also in Oslo. "Daemon" was then brought back to Stjerna for mixing and sent off to Thomas Johansson at The Panic Room for mastering. The whole affair took about three months to nail down.