MAYHEM guitarist/songwriter Blasphemer (a.k.a. Rune Eriksen) has decided to leave the legendary Norwegian black metal band. His statement on the matter reads as follows:

"It is with these written words that I hereby retract myself from my position as the guitar player of MAYHEM.

"The main reason behind this conclusion lies in the fact that I simply don't see any future for me in the band anymore, at least not a future I'd like to participate in over the coming years. I've been playing my part in the band now for more than 13 years already, having composed, produced and released several albums with great vision, dedication and craftsmanship, to arrive at this crossroad of opposites. Sooner or later, all things comes to an end, and in my case, this circle is complete.

"For some of you this might not come as the biggest surprise, as I've clearly stated in several interviews that I was not sure what the next step would be. These 'hints' were partly rooted in the fact that our latest album fulfilled all of the expectations, visions and aspects of negativity that I felt I wanted to express with this band, and also, of similar importance, that I felt tired of both the touring aspects, amidst its turbulence and personal differences, and also my role in the band.

"It has been a dark, devoted and spellbinding journey, and as some beings and entities develop, others remain the same. I've developed my essence. No questions. However, the legacy of MAYHEM will / must always remain what it always has been, and I wish to thank all parts involved and to wish them all the best for the future. I also would like to thank my followers over the years, from 'Wolf's Lair...' to 'Ordo...', my vision has been clear. I'm also sure the band will continue with a respectful formation, and that an eventual album will be placed 'up there' where it (should) belong.

"I have now personally chosen to focus on other paths in terms of creativity and vision. My 'child of heart' AVA INFERI has already a busy schedule for the future and our third album is being crafted as we speak. I will also resurface with new will and blood in a future extreme project. You have not heard the last of me, on the contrary. It's all about to begin.

"Note that the few already scheduled shows will go on as planned WITH me."

Fan-filmed video footage of MAYHEM performing the song "Ancient Skin" on February 26, 2008 at the Barfly in Birmingham, England can be viewed below (courtesy of "daveingham").

Revolution-Music.dk conducted an interview with MAYHEM singer Attila Csihar at the Royal Metal Fest, which took place this past February in Århus, Denmark. Download the 28-minute audio file at this location.

MAYHEM was honored in the "Metal" category at the 36th annual Spellemann awards (the Norwegian equivalent to the Grammy Awards) for their latest release, "Ordo Ad Chao". The largest and oldest Norwegian music awards show was held on February 2 at the Spektrum in Oslo, Norway and was broadcast live on the Norwegian channel TV2.

A photo of MAYHEM members Jan Axel Blomberg (a.k.a. Hellhammer; drums) and Jørn Stubberud (a.k.a. Necrobutcher; bass) with their Spellemann award can be viewed at Dagbladet.no.

Speaking to Dagbladet.no, Stubberud implied that MAYHEM might have released its last album ever with "Ordo Ad Chao". "For us to make a record is such a great undertaking that I have to admit I can't entertain the idea of starting a new one," he said. "We'll see in a couple of years, but I can't guarantee anything whatsoever."

"Ordo Ad Chao" entered the Norwegian album chart at position No. 12, the band's highest position ever.

MAYHEM had only once before been on the Norwegian charts, when the band's last album, "Chimaira", reached No. 28 in 2004.