The One True Mayhem. Courtesy photo. Hot off the release of their well-received sixth album, Daemon, Norwegian black metal godfathers Mayhem were ready to take the world by storm—until the coronavirus hit. The band suddenly had to get out of town. “We had two days of pre-production before we figured…

Under that moniker DJ Shadow, Joshua Paul Davis in 1996 gave sample-based music one of its first hit albums with Endtroducing. He transcended the established norms of ‘90s hip-hop by incorporating elements of ambient music, electronica and “sampledelia.” Davis found more common ground with U.K. trip-hop than West Coast G-funk—which might…

Norwegian black metal band Mayhem’s groundbreaking career is often overshadowed by the macabre events that defined its early years. The murder of founding guitarist Øystein “Euronymous” Aarseth and the suicide of vocalist Per “Dead” Ohlin only scratch the surface. Suffice it to say, there’s a reason this band and the…