Mayhem vocalist Attila Csihar reflected on his brief friendship with late guitarist Euronymous and the shocking reality of his murder. He detailed his initial impression of killer Varg Vikernes. He described him as a polite and organized person. This sharply contrasted with the tragic and gruesome events that followed.
Speaking to Louder Sound, the frontman recalled his introduction to the band’s music and his trip to Norway. “I remember when I first heard that demo,” Csihar explained. “I was like, ‘Holy sh*t, I never heard anything like this ever.'” He noted that he never heard riffs or drumming like that before. Some of his friends even thought the band sped up the tape. “This was something really special,” he stated.
Csihar then discussed his time with the musicians. “We stayed at Euronymous’ place for a few days, and it was kind of gothic inside, with red curtains,” he recalled. He also traveled up to Bergen to stay at Vikernes’ home. “He had a very f*cking nice flat. He had a washing machine and a dishwasher. He was definitely from a more wealthy background,” he noted. However, he observed Vikernes’ specific interests. “He was still like a metal dude. He was more into Tolkien, fantasy worlds, and the dark stuff. Completely different to what he later became,” he explained.
The singer shared his surprising first impressions of the bass player. “He seemed very polite, kind of gentle,” Csihar noted. He remembered Vikernes’ highly organized nature. “He always used a typewriter when he sent a letter. Very organised and into this movement. He had some cool, big ideas for the future,” he shared. Csihar also admitted his physical expectations were wrong. “I talked to him on the phone and always pictured him as a tall guy, taller than me. Like a big Viking guy. When I met him, he was much smaller,” he confessed.
Csihar continued reflecting on the tragic murder. “It was f*cked up,” he stated. He recalled the strange silence before the news broke. “We’d talk every week but didn’t speak for a little while,” he explained. A friend eventually told him that he read someone in Mayhem was murdered. “I told him he misunderstood because of Dead’s suicide,” Csihar said. His friend told him to see for himself in a magazine called Metallica Hungarica. “There was a small news story,” Csihar recalled. “I couldn’t f*cking believe it. It was scary,” he concluded.
The infamous murder took place in August 1993. Vikernes fatally stabbed Euronymous just before the release of Mayhem’s legendary debut album, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. Csihar provided the vocals for that specific record. He eventually returned to the band in 2004 and remains their active frontman today.
The black metal pioneers recently celebrated their massive 40th anniversary. They completed an extensive global tour to mark the milestone. The group continues to perform their dark and historic catalog to extreme metal fans around the world.
