MYSTICUM
BIOGRAPHY
1992
Autumn: The Industrial Black Metal pioneers Mysticum are formed under the name Sabazios. They consist of three members:
Cerastes (6 strings and vox),
Ravn (6 strings and vox) and Mean Malmberg (4 strings, synth and computer programming).
December: Sabazios enters the Rolf's Cellar studio to record the first and legendary demo-tape called "Wintermass".
1993
January: "Wintermass" is released. It represents something completely new. A different way of making Black Metal that is has never been heard before. With a cold and depressive sound and computer programmed drums and sounds.
April: In order to have a more proper and fitting name, they change from Sabazios to Mysticum.
June: Mysticum once again enters Rolf's Cellar studio to record the second demo called "Medusa's Tears". Included in the recording is a new version of the song "Mourning" (that originally appeared on the "Wintermass" demo). Mysticum
re-writes it and gives it a new and different refrain, but for some reason, they decide to omit this song on the "Medusa's Tears" demo.
July: "Medusa's Tears" is released. Euronymous from Mayhem and Deathlike Silence Productions (DSP) is totally amazed when hearing the two demos in the car, while traveling to Bergen to record the infamous "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" album. He had never heard anything like it before. It was totally new and original (he told). Euronymous signs Mysticum to DSP immediately and plans for the release of the debut album "Where the Raven Flies" are done, hence flyers are sent out within the underground scene announcing its coming.
August: Euronymous is brutally murdered by Varg Vikernes from Burzum and because of his tragic death, the release of "Where the Raven Flies" never happens and the album is put on hold for a while.
October-November: The mighty drummer Hellhammer of Mayhem joins Mysticum, but it does not work out according to expectations, as Mysticum is nothing without the industrial drumming coming from a computer. With a human drummer, the music becomes more alive, more human and that is like destroying valued art! Thus, Hellhammer quits after half a year or so, getting replaced with the drum-machine once again.
1994
June 14: The infamous Ulver/Mysticum 7" split-EP is released by Necromantic Gallery Productions in 1000 copies. Mysticum contributes with the new (and earlier omitted) version of the song "Mourning". It is released for the first time on this EP, but it is heavily mastered compared to the omitted version. Very few people have ever been able to hear this song in its first form and sound. Throughout the years, this EP has become really expensive and collectors are offering high amounts of money per copy.