Yes, Mayhem is a real band. Although Mayhem isn't who they used to be, there's no denying that they were a legitimate band with many different members throughout their long history. The first incarnation of Mayhem formed in Oslo, Norway in 1984 and was composed of bassist Necrobutcher (Jørn Stubberud), vocalist Manheim (Erik Brødreskift), and drummer Kjetil Manheim. Their first album, Deathcrush , was recorded in 1987 on a 4-track recorder with a very low budget. The band's members were involved in various side projects at this time, so the original Mayhem lineup only lasted for this one album. In 1988, Mayhem's guitarist Euronymous (Øystein Aarseth) recruited Swedish vocalist Per Yngve Ohlin to join the band. At this point, Manheim switched over to drums while bassist Varg Vikernes was hired on to play guitar. However, in 1991, the "Black Metal" scene in Norway took a dramatic turn when Euronymous was murdered by Per Yngve Ohlin. In the wake of his death, there is some disagreement about who killed him and whether it was intentional or not. This has been attributed to both Vikernes and a burglar named Christian. After Euronymous' death, several members left the band. This period is considered to be Mayhem's "first" end for this reason, but they actually reformed in 1994 with Necrobutcher returning to bass, Vikernes returning to guitar, and Manheim returning to drums. They began work on a new album that year entitled De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas . It was finally recorded in April, 1994 and released on Deathlike Silence Productions, the label owned by Euronymous. The next two full-length albums— Wolf's Lair Abyss (1997) and Grand Declaration of War (2000)—were recorded with Manheim back on drums but Vikernes on guitar. However, animosity between him and the other band members was growing, so he left the group. This second version of Mayhem ended in 2001 with Vikernes' incarceration for arson and murder.