Ordo Ad Chao

Ordo Ad Chao is the fourth full-length album by the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem. The album received the Spellemann Award for best heavy metal album on 2 February 2008.^[7]

Ordo Ad Chao
Studio album by Mayhem
Released	23 April 2007
Recorded	13 November – 4 December 2006
Studio	Mølla Studio, Gjerstad, Norway
Genre	Black metal
Length	40:46
Label	Season of Mist
Producer	Blasphemer Attila
Mayhem chronology
Chimera (2004) Ordo Ad Chao (2007) Esoteric Warfare (2014)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
About.com	[1]
Chronicles of Chaos	8/10[2]
Metal Storm	9.0/10.0[3]
PopMatters	5/10[4]
The Observer	[5]
Sputnikmusic	4.0/5[6]

Background

Ordo Ad Chao is the first album to feature vocalist Attila Csihar since the 1994 debut De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas and the last with Blasphemer before he announced his departure from the band in 2008.

Ordo Ad Chao was released on 23 April 2007. It charted at #12 in Norway, making it the band's highest-charting album yet. There is a version of the album supplied in a metal case that is limited to a production of 3,000.^[8]

Music style and songwriting

Drummer, Hellhammer said that the drum tracks were not equalized and only the bass drums were triggered.^[9] He concluded "the production sounds necro as fuck, but that's the way we wanted it – this time. It represents Mayhem today." Indeed, the sound of the album is much rawer than that of any official Mayhem studio release since Deathcrush, with a very bass-heavy mix. Despite that, the album continues the somewhat unorthodox songwriting approach showcased on the band's last two releases, with "Illuminate Eliminate" being the band's second longest song. Despite being a black metal album, it has some death metal influences including the use of death grunt vocals.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Attila except "Anti", which is by both Atilla and Blasphemer; all music is composed by Blasphemer.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"A Wise Birthgiver"	3:30
2.	"Wall of Water"	4:40
3.	"Great Work of Ages"	3:52
4.	"Deconsecrate"	4:07
5.	"Illuminate Eliminate"	9:40
6.	"Psychic Horns"	6:32
7.	"Key to the Storms"	3:52
8.	"Anti"	4:33
Total length:		40:46

Personnel

Mayhem

• Attila Csihar – vocals, producer, mastering
• Blasphemer – guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals
• Hellhammer – drums
• Necrobutcher – bass guitar

Additional personnel

• Knut Valle – engineer, mixing
• Kim Sølve, Trine Paulsen – artwork, photography

Charts

Chart (2007)	Peak position
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[10]	57
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[11]	12