Lords of Chaos (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Euronymous deliberately chose not to alert authorities because he saw Dead's suicide as an opportunity to enhance Mayhem's notoriety. He posed the body, took photographs, and even made necklaces from pieces of Dead's skull to distribute among band members, viewing the tragic event as a marketing tool for their extreme image. This callous decision shocked even his bandmates and contributed to Necrobutcher leaving the group in disgust.

• Dead suicide
• Euronymous
• corpse photography
• Mayhem
• notoriety

Euronymous created morbid necklaces from pieces of Dead's skull after the vocalist's suicide, distributing them among Mayhem members. These necklaces became symbols of the band's commitment to their extreme image and their willingness to blur the boundaries between art and reality. Varg Vikernes later wore one of these necklaces, which later became evidence in the murder investigation.

• skull necklaces
• Dead
• Euronymous
• black metal
• memorabilia

Varg set fire to a local church as an act of rebellion against Euronymous and what he perceived as the commercialization of black metal. This wasn't simply vandalism, it was meant as a symbolic attack on Christianity, aligning with the anti-religious ideology of the black metal movement. The arsons quickly escalated, with Euronymous and Faust joining in, leading to multiple church burnings across Norway.

• church arson
• Varg Vikernes
• Norway
• black metal
• rebellion

The conflict stemmed from multiple factors: Euronymous publicly revealed that the skull necklaces were fake and that his violent persona was an act, humiliating Varg who had worn them sincerely. Additionally, Euronymous had threatened to kill Varg after learning he planned to leave Mayhem to start his own record label. These betrayals, combined with underlying power struggles over the band's direction, ultimately led to Varg's decision to murder Euronymous.

• Euronymous
• Varg Vikernes
• feud
• Mayhem
• betrayal

Varg murdered Euronymous after being invited to Helvete under the pretense of signing a contract for music rights. The real reason was multifaceted: Varg was furious about Euronymous revealing that the skull necklaces were fake and that his tough persona was an act. He also felt betrayed by Euronymous's control over the band and had expressed genuine thoughts of killing him. The meeting was a setup, and Varg brutally stabbed Euronymous multiple times, ignoring his pleas for mercy.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Euronymous explicitly tells Varg he will kill him, foreshadowing the deadly confrontation.

• murder
• Varg Vikernes
• Euronymous
• Oslo
• Mayhem

The Black Circle was a group of influential Norwegian black metal musicians who gathered at Euronymous's Helvete record store. Key members included Euronymous, Varg Vikernes, Fenriz from Darkthrone, and Faust from Emperor. The group became notorious for their extreme views and actions, including church arsons and the eventual murder of Euronymous. They represented the inner core of the Norwegian black metal movement's most radical elements.

• Black Circle
• Helvete
• Fenriz
• Faust
• black metal musicians

Necrobutcher quit the band because he was disgusted by Euronymous's response to Dead's suicide. Rather than notifying the police, Euronymous photographed the body and made morbid souvenirs from the skull. This行为 demonstrated a level of callousness and exploitation that Necrobutcher found unforgivable, causing him to walk away from the band.

• Necrobutcher
• Mayhem
• Dead
• departure
• disgust

De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas was Mayhem's debut studio album, recorded with Varg on bass, Blackthorn on guitar, and Hungarian vocalist Attila Csihar. Released in 1993 after Euronymous's death, it became one of the most influential albums in black metal history. The album was created during a period of intense internal conflict between Euronymous and Varg, and its production was fraught with the band's deteriorating relationships.

• De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
• Mayhem
• album
• black metal
• debut

Helvete (meaning "Hell" in Norwegian) was Euronymous's black metal record store in Oslo, which also served as the headquarters for his record label. The store became a gathering hub for musicians and fans of the Norwegian black metal scene, including future key figures like Varg Vikernes. It was where the Black Circle formed and where many of the scene's most extreme ideas and actions were conceived, making it central to the movement's identity.

• Helvete
• record store
• Oslo
• black metal
• Varg Vikernes

Dead, the Swedish vocalist for Mayhem, was known for his erratic and self-destructive behavior, which included extreme on-stage performances involving self-harm. His suicide was described as occurring "in a fit of despair," stemming from his deep personal turmoil and the nihilistic worldview that permeated the black metal scene. He used Euronymous's own shotgun to kill himself, a detail that would later factor into the band's mythology and the eventual murder of Euronymous.

• Dead
• suicide
• Mayhem
• despair
• Swedish vocalist

Faust, the drummer for Emperor and member of the Black Circle, murdered a gay man in what appeared to be a random attack. The killing was connected to the wider wave of violence surrounding the black metal scene and drew police attention to the music community. Faust was eventually arrested and convicted for this murder, which occurred as part of the escalating violence that included the church arsons.

• Faust
• murder
• gay man
• Emperor
• church arsons

In the closing narration, Euronymous reflects on his life and tells the audience not to grieve for him. He emphasizes the achievements he accomplished and urges viewers to remember his contributions to the black metal movement rather than focusing on his death. This voice-over was recorded before his actual murder and serves as a poignant, self-aware reflection on the legacy he hoped to leave behind.

• Euronymous
• voice-over
• ending
• reflection
• legacy