I'm no longer gary floyd. I'm now Dr. Obrero.

Anyways, back to the countdown to the best stories in music.

2.) The Story of Mayhem.

Black Metal is a fascinating thing when you think about it. It started thanks to Speed Metal band Venom (who's 1982 album was called Black Metal), as well as help from bands like Bathory, Celtic Frost, and Mercyful Fate. However, Black Metal is most notorious in Norway, thanks largely to the band Mayhem, who have lived up to their name.

Mayhem was founded in 1984 by guitarist Euronymous, Bassist Necrobutcher, and some other guys with names that aren't theatrical. Their debut album, an EP called Deathcrush, was released in 1987. Frontman Maniac left the band, and was replaced by a guy named Per Yngve Ohlin, also known as dead. Dead wasn't all that right in the brain matter, so to speak: He would inhale a dead raven he kept in a plastic bag, cut himself on stage, and several other pleasent activities. He only appeared on one album, the live album Live in Leipzig. He ended up shooting himself in the head, the result of which can be seen on the picture you see on this entry, a live bootleg called Dawn of Black Hearts.

So, irony of all ironies, Dead was well...dead. Better yet, his suicide note said "Excuse all the blood." Interestingly, one of the band members (I think it was Euronymous) not only took a picture of dead, but used skull fragments on a necklace, and used some of the brain matter in a stew.

Shockingly, Necrobutcher left the band, and was repleaced by Varg Vikernes, who also had a one man project named Burzum (both Mayhem and Burzum are to this day major influences on Black Metal.) The band went on to record the album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, which is considered the band's masterpiece. Things were still shaky though.

Varg and Euronymous didn't exactly get along. To make a long story short, Varg killed Euronymous in his apartment in Oslo, stabbing him with a knife. Varg was arrested, though there's more to the story. You see, Varg was also tied to several church burnings (he denies involvement, but I doubt it), and police found several explosives, like dynamite, in his apartment. He also is a white supremacist and fan of Hitler.

Anyways, De Mysteriis came out in 1994 (as did Burzum's Hvis Lyset Tar Oss, also considered his best work.) It wouldn't be three years until the world heard from Mayhem. Original frontman Maniac appeared on three albums-Wolf's Lair Abyss, Grand Declaration of War, and Chimera. De Mysteriis frontman Attila returned for their latest album, Ordo Ad Chao. Drummer Hellhammer remains in the band (and is actually a pretty damn good drummer), Varg remains in jail (he attempted an escape, and did two shitty ambient albums while in incarceration), and Dead remains...dead.

Now that folks, is fucking metal.