The Most Shocking Album Cover In History: 5 Things You Didn't Know About The Dawn Of The Black Hearts

Few images in music history carry the raw, visceral shock value and ethical baggage of the cover for Mayhem’s 1995 bootleg album, The Dawn of the Black Hearts. The photograph, which depicts the body of the band’s deceased vocalist, Per Yngve Ohlin, better known by his stage name Dead, is not merely a piece of controversial artwork; it is a morbid artifact that became the defining symbol of the nihilistic and violent ethos of the early Norwegian Black Metal scene. To this day, the image remains a dark, uncompromising line in the sand, dividing those who see it as a grotesque exploitation and those who view it as the ultimate artistic statement of a movement obsessed with death and extremity.

As of December 2025, discussions surrounding the cover continue to resurface, particularly with the circulation of limited-edition re-issues—such as the 2022 “dead red suicide splatter vinyl”—confirming the enduring, macabre fascination with this piece of metal lore. The story of how a private tragedy was transformed into the most infamous album cover ever is a complex narrative involving mental illness, calculated shock tactics, and a guitarist whose actions would forever change the trajectory of the genre: Øystein Aarseth, or Euronymous. The photograph, taken in April 1991, is the epicenter of a story that goes far beyond music.

The Tragic Life and Death of Per Yngve "Dead" Ohlin

The man behind the shocking cover was a Swedish artist whose commitment to his stage persona was absolute. Per Yngve Ohlin, known as Dead, was the vocalist for the Norwegian black metal pioneers Mayhem from 1988 until his death in 1991. His biography is essential to understanding the context of the controversy.

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• Full Name: Per Yngve Ohlin
• Stage Name: Dead
• Born: January 16, 1969, in Stockholm, Sweden
• Died: April 8, 1991, in Kråkstad, Norway (Age 22)
• Bands: Morbid (1986–1988), Mayhem (1988–1991)
• Key Contributions: Credited with inventing and popularizing "Corpsepaint" in black metal, using it to look like a corpse on stage.
• Stage Persona: He was notoriously unstable, often self-harming on stage, burying his clothes to "wear death," and was deeply obsessed with death, decay, and darkness.
• Cause of Death: Suicide—he used a hunting knife to slash his wrists and throat, and also shot himself in the forehead with a shotgun.
• Legacy: His nihilistic attitude and intense persona became the blueprint for the entire second wave of Norwegian Black Metal.

Dead's mental state was deteriorating in the period leading up to his death, exacerbated by his extreme lifestyle and a growing rift with bandmate Euronymous. The isolation of the house in Kråkstad, where the band lived, only intensified his spiraling depression and suicidal ideation, culminating in the tragic events of April 1991. The nihilism he embodied was not merely an act; it was a deep, personal reality.

The Photograph: Euronymous’s Calculated Act of Shock

The true source of the controversy—and the album’s notoriety—lies in the shocking actions of Mayhem guitarist Euronymous (Øystein Aarseth) after discovering Dead's body. These actions were not just an emotional reaction but a calculated move to solidify Mayhem’s status as the most extreme band in the world and to galvanize the nascent 'Black Metal Inner Circle'.

The Discovery and the Documentation

On April 8, 1991, Euronymous returned to the house in Kråkstad to find Dead's body. Instead of immediately calling the police, he reportedly left to buy a disposable camera. He then returned to the scene and rearranged some items—allegedly placing the hunting knife and shotgun prominently—before taking several photographs of the corpse. The most notorious of these photographs, a close-up of Dead's head and torso, was the one later used for the cover of The Dawn of the Black Hearts.

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Euronymous’s justification for this macabre act was rooted in his extreme ideology. He viewed Dead’s suicide as the ultimate expression of black metal's authenticity and a necessary step in the band's evolution. He sought to exploit the tragedy to create a legend, believing that the shocking nature of the image would generate a level of notoriety that no amount of musical talent could achieve alone. This decision immediately created a profound ethical dilemma that has plagued the band and the genre ever since.

The Black Metal Inner Circle and the Aftermath

Euronymous's actions extended beyond the photograph. He allegedly took fragments of Dead's skull and made necklaces, which he distributed to a select few members of the so-called "Black Metal Inner Circle" (also known as the Black Circle).

This group, which included figures like Varg Vikernes (Burzum), was centered around Euronymous’s Helvete record store in Oslo. Dead’s suicide, and Euronymous's exploitation of it, served as a catalyst for the scene's shift toward increasingly violent and anti-social behavior, including the infamous church burnings that followed. Mayhem's bassist at the time, Necrobutcher, was reportedly so disgusted by Euronymous's actions and his morbid obsession with the death that he left the band, highlighting the deep internal division the controversy caused.

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The Bootleg, The Controversy, and The Black Metal Legacy

Despite the cover's notoriety, The Dawn of the Black Hearts is fundamentally a live album. Its musical content often gets overshadowed by its artwork, but the album itself is a crucial document of Mayhem's early, raw sound with Dead on vocals.

The Bootleg Status and Content

The album was recorded live in Sarpsborg, Norway, in 1990, a year before Dead's death. It was released in 1995 by Warmaster Records, a small label, as an unauthorized bootleg. The use of the suicide photograph was done without the consent of the other band members or Dead's family.

The title, The Dawn of the Black Hearts, is actually a reference to a line of lyrics written by Fenriz of the band Darkthrone. The album features raw, unpolished recordings of classic Mayhem tracks, including "Deathcrush," "Freezing Moon," and "Carnage." While musically significant for its historical snapshot of the band's live intensity, its sonic quality is typical of a mid-90s bootleg—often rough and poorly mixed.

The Enduring Ethical and Artistic Debate

The core of the cover’s lasting power is the ethical debate it provokes. The use of a photograph of a real corpse, particularly one who died by suicide, raises serious questions about consent, exploitation, and the boundaries of art.

• Exploitation vs. Art: Critics argue that Euronymous exploited his friend's mental illness and death for profit and notoriety, turning a personal tragedy into a marketing tool.
• Authenticity: Defenders, often within the extreme metal community, argue that the cover is the ultimate expression of black metal's philosophy—a commitment to darkness and death that is uncompromisingly "real." They see it as a testament to Dead’s vision of a truly dark and authentic music scene.
• The Anti-Cover: The image serves as an anti-cover, designed not to entice but to repel the casual listener, ensuring that only those truly dedicated to the extreme ethos of the genre would seek it out.

The circulation of the photograph, even through unauthorized re-issues like the 2022 vinyl, ensures that the image remains a potent, if disturbing, cultural entity. It is a constant reminder of the dark, violent period of the early 1990s Norwegian Black Metal scene, a time when the line between artistic expression and criminal act was dangerously blurred. The legacy of The Dawn of the Black Hearts is not just about a photograph; it is about the moment a subculture decided to use real-life tragedy to define its own terrifying mythology.