This might serve as a collector's item more than a recording to listen to for many people, since we have the ass kicking versions of those songs in Deathcrush and De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. On the other hand, I have always liked how Dead handled the vocals, and despite Attila's milestone performance in Dom Sathanas, Dead has always been the best vocalist that these fellow norsemen had. Out From The Dark satisfies my hunger on hearing more and more stuff with Dead on vocals, and this one, as it is absolutely better sounding than Live In Leipzig and Dawn Of The Black Hearts, is a showcase how this man's totally grim and eeire voice put the things in the blackest masquerade. There is also the nostalgia stuff, you know... I cannot say that Out From The Dark was produced well (not like the Pure Fuckin Armageddon demo of course), with too high vocals pushing the rest of the music back, but since you know the songs, it doesn't make too much difference because you can easily hear what the hell is happening there. And this is just a rehearsal anyway. The tracklist is the one that probably Euronymous-era Mayhem used on all their gigs, combining the Deathcrush songs that emphasize on mayhem with De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas material that is still the best performance in all Black Metal history. There is no point in trying to define the music. This band is known largely enough. Mayhem was not a band that changed their songs throughout time, so there is still nothing different in those songs than any other version you may across (I don't know if the post-Euronymous era mushrooms have done anything with them, I am not interested in their revolting material so I am not following their pathetic attempts to produce something for themselves by just using the name). They probably just went into the studio and played it head on as composed in the first place. If you are into Mayhem, try to lay your hands on this one, and you will not be disappointed.
