Early Norwegian Black Metal Scene - Dead's Suicide

Dead's Suicide

On 8 April 1991, Mayhem vocalist Per Yngve 'Dead' Ohlin committed suicide while alone in a house shared by the band. While fellow musicians often described Dead as odd and introverted off-stage, his on-stage persona was very different. He went to great lengths to make himself look like a corpse and would cut his arms while singing.

He was found with slit wrists and a shotgun wound to the head, by Mayhem guitarist Øystein 'Euronymous' Aarseth. Dead's suicide note apologized for firing the weapon indoors and ended: "Excuse all the blood, cheers." Before calling the police, Euronymous allegedly went to a nearby shop and bought a disposable camera with which he photographed the body, after re-arranging some items. One of these photographs was later used as the cover of a bootleg live album called Dawn of the Black Hearts.

In time, rumors spread that Euronymous had made a stew with bits of Dead's brain and had made necklaces with bits of his skull. The band later denied the former rumor, but confirmed that the latter was true. Moreover, Euronymous claimed to have given these necklaces to musicians he deemed worthy. Mayhem bassist Jørn 'Necrobutcher' Stubberud noted that "people became more aware of the scene after Dead had shot himself ... I think it was Dead's suicide that really changed the scene". Emperor drummer Bård 'Faust' Eithun believes that Dead's suicide "marked the point at which, under Euronymous's direction, the black metal scene began its obsession with all things satanic and evil".

Two other members of the scene would later commit suicide: Erik 'Grim' Brødreskift (of Immortal, Borknagar, Gorgoroth) in 1999 and Espen 'Storm' Andersen (of Strid) in 2001.