Description

Dawn of the Black Hearts is a terrific slab of legendary black metal with an incredible performance by Dead. The highlight of the album is definitely the live performance in Sarpsburg, Norway, 1990. This part of the entire record has the best and most listenable production which is not saying by any means that it is clear because Dawn Of The Black Hearts is as raw as it gets. However the songs played are mostly classics including Freezing Moon, Carnage, Funeral Fog and Pure Fucking Armageddon. The songs relentlessly slay listeners as the legendary line-up plays their instruments like they're possessed. Dead's vocals are so aggressive and work perfectly with Euronymous' unique guitar playing. Hellhammer's drumming isn't as polished as what he does with the band today but it works to convey the atmosphere of the music, playing more primitively than the more mechanical sound that is found on newer albums like Chimera. It is practically too impossible to hear anything on the next live performance on the album, taking place in Lillehammer, Norway in 1986. The sound is not really in the normal raw black metal vein, a better way to describe it is muffled. The tracks sound more like creepy atmospheric music that lead up to an actual song. The vocals are completely different, not even having that classic black metal rasp yet. Next come the Pure Fucking Armageddon demo which originally came on tape with one side saying ‘Fuck’ and another saying ‘Off’. Once more the band displays their classics that have been heard in so many different ways and versions. However, this demo is one of the first original versions of the songs and is recorded rawer than ever, almost hiding the vocals completely. Nonetheless, those who enjoy the great Mayhem classics should enjoy this. If you are a black metal fanatic then getting this album is mandatory. It is a testament of Norwegian black metal in its prime that not only serves as great atmospheric music, but a part of black metal history as well. Without this album, there is a huge gap in your black metal collection. Track listing: Live In Sarpsborg 1990 1. Deathcrush 2. Necrolust 3. Funeral Fog 4. Freezing Moon 5. Carnage 6. Buried By Time And Dust 7. Chainsaw Gutsfuck 8. Pure Fucking Armaggedon Live In Lillehammer 1986 9. Danse Macabre-Celtic Frost cover 10. Black Metal-Venom cover 11. Procreation Of The Wicked-Celtic Frost cover 12. Welcome To Hell-Venom cover Pure Fucking Armageddon-demo 1986 13. Voice Of A Tortured Skull 14. Carnage 15. Ghoul 16. Black Metal-Venom cover 17. Pure Fucking Armageddon 18. Mayhem-instrumental rehearsal 19. Ghoul-instrumental rehearsal 20. Pure Fucking Armageddon-instrumental rehearsal 21. Carnage-instrumental rehearsal