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Burzum

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This article is about the one-man music project. For more details and biography on its founder, see Varg Vikernes. For the song, see Filosofem.
Burzum
Burzum logo (1991 to 1993)
Burzum logo (1991 to 1993)
Background information
OriginBergen, Norway
Genres
Years active
  • 1991–2000
  • 2009–2020
  • 2023–2024
Labels
MembersVarg Vikernes
Websiteburzum.org

Burzum (/ˈbɜːrzəm/; Norwegian: [ˈbʉ̀rtsʉm]) is a Norwegian music project founded by Varg Vikernes in 1991. Although Burzum never played live performances, it became a staple of the early Norwegian black metal scene and is considered one of the most influential acts in black metal's history.[4][5][6][7] The word "burzum" means "darkness" in the Black Speech, a fictional language crafted by The Lord of the Rings writer J. R. R. Tolkien.[8][9] Burzum's lyrics and imagery are often inspired by fantasy and Norse mythology.[10]

Vikernes founded Burzum in 1991 and recorded the first four Burzum albums between January 1992 and March 1993. From 1994 to 2009, Vikernes was imprisoned for the murder of Mayhem guitarist Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth and the arson of eight churches. While imprisoned, he recorded two dark ambient albums using only synthesizers, as he had no access to drums, guitar, or bass.

Since his release from prison in 2009, he has recorded several more albums, including those in the dark ambient and neofolk genres. Vikernes ended the Burzum project in 2020 before announcing a new album in 2024.

History

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Early years (1988–1992)

[edit]
Original Burzum logo used only in 1991

Varg Vikernes began making music in 1988 with the band Kalashnikov.[9] The following year, the name was changed to Uruk-Hai, after the creatures from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.[8][9] In 1990 and 1991, Vikernes played guitar for the death metal band Old Funeral, which also consisted of members who would later form the band Immortal. He appears on the Old Funeral EP Devoured Carcass. Vikernes left Old Funeral in 1991 to concentrate on creating his own musical visions. He had a short-lived project called Satanel, along with Abbath Doom Occulta. He then began a solo project under the name Burzum. The word "burzum" means "darkness" in the Black Speech, a language crafted by Tolkien. Soon after recording two demo tapes, he became part of the Norwegian black metal scene. With his demo tapes, he had attracted attention from Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth of Mayhem, who had just recently formed Deathlike Silence Productions. Aarseth then signed Burzum to the label, and shortly after, Vikernes―under the pseudonym of Count Grishnackh (another name adapted from The Lord of the Rings)―began to record Burzum's self-titled debut album. According to Vikernes' autobiography on his website, he had intended to record the album in the worst recording quality possible (due to this being a typical trademark of the early Norwegian black metal scene), while still making it sound acceptable. Burzum's eponymous debut album was released in 1992, being the second album released on Deathlike Silence Productions. The song "War" from this album had a guest appearance from Euronymous, playing a guitar solo "just for fun", according to Vikernes.

Vikernes has stated that he had never played any live shows with Burzum, though at one point was interested in it,[11] so Samoth of Emperor accompanied him as a session bassist, though only appearing on the Aske EP.[12] Additionally, Erik Lancelot was hired to be the band's drummer,[13] though did not record on any Burzum material, and along with Samoth did not play a live show. Vikernes had by then lost his interest in playing live concerts, and stated that he "didn't even need session musicians anymore". Therefore, Samoth and Lancelot had parted ways with Burzum. Det som engang var was released as Burzum's second album in 1993, recorded in 1992.

Imprisonment (1993–2009)

[edit]
Burzum logo used between 1994 and 2009

May 1994 saw the release of Hvis lyset tar oss, a new album of previously recorded material from 1992. Burzum remained as a solo project until 1994, when Vikernes was arrested for the murder of Euronymous and the burnings of several churches in Norway. During his time in prison, Vikernes released his next album, titled Filosofem, on 1 January 1996. Recorded in March 1993, Filosofem was the last recording Vikernes made before his imprisonment. Burzum / Aske, a compilation comprising the Burzum album and Aske EP, was released in 1995. While imprisoned, Vikernes managed to record two other albums in a dark ambient style. They were released as Dauði Baldrs (1997) and Hliðskjálf (1999). Both of these albums were created with a synthesizer, as Vikernes was prohibited from using any other instruments in prison.

In 1998, all Burzum albums released up to that point were re-released as vinyl picture discs in a special box set called 1992–1997; however Filosofem did not contain "Rundtgåing av den transcendentale egenhetens støtte" due to its length. The regular vinyl issue of Filosofem on Misanthropy had tracks 1–4 plus "Decrepitude II" on side 1 and "Rundtgåing av den transcendentale egenhetens støtte" on side 2.

Post-imprisonment and retirement (2009–2020)

[edit]

Burzum logo used on the 2010 album Belus, set in the typeface Ruritania

Soon after being released, Vikernes started writing new tracks (nine metal tracks and an ambient intro and outro) for an upcoming Burzum album. According to Vikernes' recounts, several record companies were interested in releasing his first album in eleven years. He stated about the new album, "I want to take my time, and make it the way I want it. It will be metal, and the fans can expect genuine Burzum."

The album was going to be originally titled Den hvite guden (The White God),[14] but he later decided to change it to Belus, which was released by the independent record label Byelobog Productions (byelobog is the transliteration of "белобог" in Slavic languages, meaning 'white god', Belobog) on 8 March 2010.[15][16] It was also announced that a movie would be released in 2010, based on Varg Vikernes' life in the early 1990s. The movie would mainly draw inspiration from the book Lords of Chaos, with the film being of the same name. Vikernes expressed his contempt towards both the movie and the book upon which it is based.[17]

A second new album of original Burzum material, Fallen, was released on 7 March 2011,[18] followed by a compilation album, From the Depths of Darkness, containing re-recordings of tracks from Burzum's self-titled album and Det som engang var, on 28 November 2011.[19] A third new studio album of original material, titled Umskiptar, was released in May 2012.[20] Sôl austan, Mâni vestan ("East of the Sun, West of the Moon"), Burzum's first electronic album since 1999, was released in May 2013.[21] On 27 April 2013, a song was posted on the official YouTube channel of Vikernes, titled "Back to the Shadows".[22] In a blog post, Vikernes stated that "Back to the Shadows" would be the last metal track released by Burzum.[23] Another album, The Ways of Yore, was released in June 2014.[24]

After a period of inactivity, Vikernes posted a video on his YouTube account in June 2018 announcing that "[he had] moved on [from Burzum]", saying "bye bye" to the project.[25]

In July 2018, a YouTube user named Hermann posted unreleased materials of Uruk-Hai from 1988 to 1990 and Burzum's Bergen prison recordings from 1994, which he received from Tiziana Stupia.[26]

In October 2019, Vikernes posted a tweet saying he intended to release another album as Burzum.[27] He announced that the tentative name of the album would be Thulêan Mysteries, which would have 23 songs.[28][better source needed] The tracks from the album were previously used as background music on Vikernes' YouTube channel, which was taken down the same year. Vikernes also said that the music of Thulêan Mysteries is meant to be used as a background soundtrack for his MYFAROG role-playing game. On 18 December, Vikernes tweeted the album cover for Thulêan Mysteries and announced its release date as 13 March 2020. Vikernes has stated it would be Burzum's last album at the time.[29][30][31]

"Burzum (NEW)" (2023–2024)

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On 8 September 2023, Vikernes released a new song titled "The Reincarnation of Ódinn". In April 2024, Vikernes announced the return of the project on his X account, with a new album titled "The Land of Thulê". It is the first metal album since Umskiptar. From late April to May 2024 Vikernes released numerous singles from the upcoming album under the name "Burzum (NEW)". Vikernes claimed on his X account that he is only releasing the music as "Burzum (NEW)" because he does not control the Burzum accounts on major streaming services, and that the album will be released as "Burzum" when complete. However, the album art Vikernes used for the released singles all list the project name as "Burzum (NEW)". On November 4th 2024, Vikernes announced the end of the project on his X account saying "I stopped making music (again), because I appreciate a lot more to work with my books, and especially #ReconQuest. And I don't have the time for it all.".

Musical style

[edit]

Burzum's music includes both straightforward black metal as well as dark ambient, neofolk[2] and neo-medieval music. It is often minimalist and dark, with repetition and simple song structures. Vikernes has described Burzum as a kind of "spell" or recreation of an imaginary world tied in with Pagan history.[9] Each album, he claims, was designed as a kind of "spell" in itself, with each beginning song intending to make the listener more susceptible to "magic", the following songs to inspire a "trance-like state of mind", and the last song to carry the listener into a "world of fantasy" (dreams, for the listener would fall asleep—Burzum was supposed to have been evening music).[9] Vikernes claims the intent to create this fantasy world came from dissatisfaction with the real world.[9] He has stated the "message" of Burzum can be found in the lyrics of the first song of the first album ("Feeble Screams from Forests Unknown").[9]

Burzum's lyrics and imagery are often inspired by fantasy and Norse mythology, and do not feature the far-right political views Vikernes is known for.[10] In a 2010 interview, Vikernes said: "Burzum is not a political or religious band, or even an anti-religious band. Burzum is music; art if you like, and the interpretation of art lies in the eye of the beholder. I might be Nordic, heterosexual and have a Pagan ideology myself, but why would I expect the fans of my music to be just like me?".[32] Despite the project's apolitical nature, Burzum is included on Meta's Dangerous Individuals and Organizations list.[33]

Burzum's early work was influenced by Tolkien; for example, Vikernes' early moniker "Count Grishnackh" is taken from an orc character called Grishnákh in Tolkien's works.[9] Burzum is a word of the Black Speech of Mordor meaning "darkness" (though Vikernes views what Christians consider "darkness" as "light"),[9] and is inscribed on the One Ring in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.[34]

Influences and legacy

[edit]

Vikernes said that the German thrash metal band Destruction "changed my approach towards playing my instrument" despite having only discovered them in 1991. In a 1996 interview with Terrorizer, Vikernes also named Bathory's Blood Fire Death and Celtic Frost's Morbid Tales as significant influences on Burzum.[35] He credited Dead Can Dance's Within the Realm of a Dying Sun for being one of Burzum's first non-metal influences.[9] Other non-metal artists he has cited as influence include the Cure, Depeche Mode and New Order.[36] In 2011, Vikernes said that he no longer kept up with new black metal bands and listened mostly to the Cure instead.[37]

Burzum is widely considered to be the most influential act in black metal history.[4][6][7] Bands that have listed Burzum as an influence include Deafheaven,[38] Liturgy,[39] Wolves in the Throne Room[40] and Altar of Plagues.[41] The project has also inspired musicians from other genres, including Chelsea Wolfe,[42] Mount Eerie,[43] Thurston Moore,[44] and Vision Eternel.[45]

Discography

[edit]

Main releases

EPs

Singles

  • "Mythic Dawn" (2015)
  • "Forgotten Realms" (2015)
  • "Thulean Mysteries" (2015)
  • "The Reincarnation of Ódinn" (2023)
  • "The Magic of the Grave" (2024)
  • "The Hidden Name" (2024)[47]
  • "The Nature of the Gods" (2024)
  • "The Call of the Kraken" (2024)
  • "Beyond the Gate" (2024)
  • "Winds of the Vanished Realm" (2024)
  • "Memories in the Mist" (2024)

Demos and promos

  • Burzum Demo (1991)
  • Reh/Demo 91 (1991)
  • Burzum Promo (1992)

Music videos

  • "Dunkelheit" (1996)

Compilation albums

  • Burzum / Aske (1995)
  • Burzum Anthology (2002) (bootleg)
  • Draugen – Rarities (2005) (bootleg, mistakenly featuring an Ildjarn track)
  • Burzum Anthology (2008)
  • From the Depths of Darkness (2011)
  • Foreldra (2019)
  • Thulê (2019)
  • Unreleased Material 1988–1994 (2021)[a]

Box sets

  • Burzum 1992–1997 (1998)
  • Burzum 1992–1999 (2010)
  • XIII (2018)
  • In the Arms of Darkness (2019)

Other appearances

See also

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Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ On the cassette provided by Tiziana Stupia it was titled The Fighting Uruk-Hai / Wotans Verhängnis.[26]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Thomas, Fred. "Burzum - Sôl Austan, Mâní Vestan review". Allmusic. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  2. ^ a b Spracklen, Karl (2014). "True Norwegian Black Metal". Sounds and the City: Popular Music, Place and Globalization. Springer. p. 194.
  3. ^ "Burzum - The Ways of Yore". Allmusic. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  4. ^ a b Dunn, Sam (2005). Metal: A Headbanger's Journey (motion picture). Canada.
  5. ^ Patterson, Dayel (20 July 2016). "20 of the best black metal albums from the 1990s". Team Rock.
  6. ^ a b Hopper, Jessica (29 August 2013). "The Complicated Appeal of Black Metal". BuzzFeed.
  7. ^ a b Sigel, Zack (7 August 2015). "Are Music Streaming Services Doing More Harm Than Good To The Metal Community?". VH1. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022.
  8. ^ a b Kuusela, Tommy (2015). "'Dark Lord of Gorgoroth': Black Metal and the Works of Tolkien". In Van Zon, Cecile; Vink, Renee (eds.). Lembas Extra: Unexplored Aspects of Tolkien and Arda: Edition 2015 (PDF). Netherlands: Productie Boekscout. pp. 89–119. ISBN 978-94-022-1557-1.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Vikernes, Varg (December 2004). "A Burzum Story: Part I". burzum.org. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  10. ^ a b Von Helden, Imke (2017). Norwegian Native Art: Cultural Identity in Norwegian Metal Music. LIT Verlag. pp. 35, 179.
  11. ^ "Varg Vikernes - A Burzum Story: Part VI - the Music".
  12. ^ "Samoth". Metal-archives.com. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  13. ^ "Varg Vikernes - A Burzum Story: Part VI - the Music".
  14. ^ ""Greven" angrer ingenting – magasinet – dagbladet.no". dagbladet.no (in Norwegian). 4 July 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  15. ^ "Burzum – Discography – Official Releases – "Belus" 2010". burzum.org. December 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  16. ^ Vikernes, Varg (November 2009). "Varg Vikernes – A Burzum Story: Part XII – Belus". burzum.org. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  17. ^ Vikernes, Varg (December 2009). "Varg Vikernes – The Lord of Lies: Part VI – The Lords of Chaos Movie". burzum.org. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  18. ^ "Burzum – Discography – Official Releases – "Fallen" 2011". burzum.org. January 2011. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  19. ^ "Burzum – Discography – Compilations – "From the Depths of Darkness" 2011". burzum.org. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  20. ^ "Burzum and Varg Vikernes News and Updates". burzum.org. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  21. ^ Vikernes, Varg (11 February 2013). "Burzum News; "East of the Sun, West of the Moon". | Ancestral Cult". ancestralcult.com. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  22. ^ "Back to the Shadows". YouTube. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  23. ^ "Shadows of the Mind". Thulean Perspective. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  24. ^ "Burzum and Varg Vikernes news and updates". Burzum.org. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  25. ^ "Varg Vikernes Has Ended Burzum for Good: 'Burzum Is My Painful Past in a Reeking Bog'". Ultimate Guitar Archive. 3 June 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  26. ^ a b "Fan Uploads Missing 'Uruk-Hai' Burzum Recordings, Varg Vikernes Reacts". Maniacsonline.com.au. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  27. ^ "Some adventures never have an end.... It was not my intention to make another Burzum album, but it so happens that I have so much unreleased music by now, that I actually plan to release another Burzum album soon. It will be MYFAROG/Thulê themed Hopefully an end to this folly". Twitter.com. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  28. ^ "Burzum and Varg Vikernes News and Updates". 23 October 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  29. ^ Thulêan Perspective (Alias Gandalf the White). "The image on the upcoming (03/2020) Burzum album 'Thulêan Mysteries' is by Th. Kittelsen. It's called "Nøkken" (English "Nix"/"Water Troll"). "Nøkken" derives from Norse 'nykr' & translates as "stench". This is of course a mythic creature, that can be found & fought in MYFAROG.…". Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019 – via Twitter.
  30. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 13 May 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  31. ^ "Some adventures never have an end.... It was not my intention to make another Burzum album, but it so happens that I have so much unreleased music by now, that I actually plan to release another Burzum album soon. It will be MYFAROG/Thulê themed Hopefully an end to this folly". Twitter.com. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  32. ^ Haunting The Chapel No. 8. Stereogum, 10 March 2010.
  33. ^ Hartmann, Graham. "Burzum included on leaked Facebook blacklist of "Dangerous" bands". Loudwire. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  34. ^ Vikernes, Varg. "Varg Vikernes – Paganism: Part III – The One Ring". burzum.org. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  35. ^ "The Count Speaks - "Terrorizer" Magazine (#28, March 1996), by Robert C. Sanchez". www.burzum.org. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  36. ^ Dick, Chris. "Varg Vikernes (Burzum) interviewed". Decibel. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  37. ^ "BURZUM: In-depth Interview With Varg Vikernes". metalassault.com. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  38. ^ Grow, Kory (30 June 2017). "Deafheaven's George Clarke: My 10 Favorite Metal Albums". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  39. ^ Dick, Jonathan (16 February 2015). "Hunter Hunt-Hendrix Envisions Liturgy's New Sound as "Burzum Meets Bone Thugs N Harmony"". Vice. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  40. ^ "Interviews: Wolves In the Throne Room Show That US Black Metal is Alive and Well! - Sea of Tranquility - The Web Destination for Progressive Music!". www.seaoftranquility.org. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  41. ^ "Altar Of Plagues – The Era Of Immense Change". Last Rites. 20 April 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  42. ^ "The Weekly interview: Singer/songwriter Chelsea Wolfe - Las Vegas Weekly". lasvegasweekly.com. 12 February 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  43. ^ admin_bm (1 July 2009). "Phil Elverum on Six of His Songs". Believer Magazine. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  44. ^ Grow, Kory (30 July 2012). "Thurston Moore Playing on Black-Metal Supergroup Twilight's New Album". Spin.
  45. ^ Zimmerman, William (24 November 2020). "An Interview with Vision Eternel (ethereal, dark ambient)". The Noise Beneath the Snow. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  46. ^ "Burzum - Discography - Official Releases - "Thulêan Mysteries" 2020". Archived from the original on 11 April 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  47. ^ The Hidden Name. Retrieved 24 April 2024 – via www.youtube.com.
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