Deicide’s Glen Benton recently shared his unforgettable first meeting with Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth, the founder of Mayhem and a pivotal figure in the black metal scene. Euronymous, known for his controversial actions and opinions, had famously criticized several metal bands, including Deicide, for not being "metal" enough in a letter written shortly after the death of his bandmate Per "Dead" Ohlin.
During an interview with Justin Horval (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar), Benton was asked about that letter and his impressions of Euronymous. He responded by recalling their meeting, painting a less-than-intimidating picture of the infamous musician, contrasting sharply with his public image as one of black metal’s most intimidating figures.
"I meet the guy. He's four foot five. He's got a 'Party City' vampire cape on made out of fucking polyester. He's got a fucking table leg. He looked like he stole the table leg off his mom's dining room table, and popped some nails in the fucking thing."
Benton continued his description with a touch of sarcasm: "I'm telling you, it was comical. I could have probably picked him up with my pinky. I just came out and talked to the kid for a few minutes, and, you know, it was like, 'Yeah, okay, you're fucking weird,' and I just went by my way."
While the black metal look was very, hyper-specific back then (and iconic now), it's at least a little funny to hear Benton's take on it. And despite the cape, Euronymous was still a notable figure as he owned record label Deathlike Silence Productions, the record shop Helvete, and played in Mayhem. Euronymous was killed in August 1993 by Varg.
