Burzum

[Eoin McLove]

I find myself listening to Burzum loads these days,  especially while in bed reading. Whatever you think of the man or his various beliefs his music is amazing. I just had 'Hliđskjalf' on and, to be honest,  I haven't spent much time with the non- metal stuff,  but it hit the spot nicely this evening. Varg was a master of writing stripped back, simple and perfect riffs and that comes across in the prison albums too. There's nothing fussy, nothing extraneous and it's all understated, but as well as having a cool atmosphere it has brilliant melodies throughout.

I'd probably have to go with 'Hvis Lysett Tar Oss' or 'Filosofem' as favourites, but 'Belus' and 'Fallen' are both brilliant pieces of work too, in my opinion.  I haven't spent enough time with the other later albums to firm an opinion on them but I'll get around to it.

I can't help but be drawn back again and again to that era of black metal. I am coming to the opinion that the creativity and magic that was presented by many of the bands back then simply can't be matched by most modern bands.

[Melmoth]

Burzum for me is definitely on a whole other level when it comes to that 'magic' element to the music, that certain something you can't really put your finger on or articulate but when you listen to the music it seems to wash over you and instantly put you into a certain mood.

I think his choices of cover artwork for the early albums, especially on Hvis lyset tar oss, really add to that feeling of being completely drawn into the world of the music. 

[ochoill]

I'd probably have to go with 'Hvis Lysett Tar Oss' or 'Filosofem' as favourites, but 'Belus' and 'Fallen' are both brilliant pieces of work too, in my opinion.  I haven't spent enough time with the other later albums to firm an opinion on them but I'll get around to it.

I can't help but be drawn back again and again to that era of black metal. I am coming to the opinion that the creativity and magic that was presented by many of the bands back then simply can't be matched by most modern bands.

Would you believe this is almost exactly the conversation I was having with another forum member (who'll likely show his face when he sees this) today.  Same two favourites though 'Det Som Engang Var' was the first I heard, 'Hvis...' and 'Filosofem' absolutely class.  It all has a very unique and sort of relaxed, almost hypnotic atmosphere not evoked in a lot of other music in the exact same way, very particular sort of thing.  Used to absolutely live on his stuff years back.

Every now and again I go on a spell of listening to BM a lot again and have to say it's quite hard to pinpoint exactly what I like in the genre each time to follow a particular line of listening.  I mean, the overall atmosphere is more important than the riffs, the production, the technicality, etc, if that makes sense.

[Necro Red]

Filosofem really does it for me. I love getting lost in the music. The album has this flow to it that's hard to describe even. I've listened to his prison albums bit never really got into them. Perhaps a few more listens at some point

[jpm4]

There is something special about Filosofem in particular - all the elements combine to make something genuinely unique. I generally pay no attention whatsoever to what artists say they are trying to accomplish with their music because I couldn't care less, but what Varg said about trying to weave a  "Spell" with each Burzum album actually rings true to me.

Filosofem would be perfect except for that instrumental being 25 mins long! About 12 mins would have been fine.

[Caomhaoin]

I was just going to mention that 'circumbabulation' choon at the end, the non stop repetition seemed totally pointless to me the first time I heard it. It's grown on me though.

[ldj]

Bizarrely, I just read on the albums wikipedia page the instrumental was sampled in a song by Gucci Mane and Kanye West  .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ocXKh_uz9A

[Eoin McLove]

I wouldn't go as far as to say that the atmosphere is more important than the riffs.  I think the atmosphere comes as a result of the brilliant riffs,  the perfect pacing of the songs,  the repetition and general compositional approach as the by the production techniques. And as mentioned above,  the choice of brilliant, eerie and timeless artwork.

[astfgyl]

Yeah it's Hvis... for me, with Filosofem not far behind. Funny to see a thread pop up after giving a few minutes yesterday talking about Burzum. There is something special about it that elevates it above so much other BM but I can't quite put my finger on it. The first album that got me into BM at all was Det Som Engang Var. A fella played it for me on the train and I had never heard anything like it. Bought myself a copy straight away. Again as mentioned the covers on his albums are class as well. It was Belus we were talking about yesterday I may throw it on it's been a while. Never really tried too hard with the prison stuff it just didn't grab me at the time.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

I've listened to only Filosofem for about the last ten years; it's just what I think of whenever I want that sound. Must go back and give the other early ones a revisit.

[Carnage]

I must be in the minority, I prefer Burzum and Aske - probably because my first Burzum listen was the Misanthropy relissue of the two combined. I'm not a big black metal fan, particularly the raw, deliberately poorly produced stuff but there's something about those early recordings, the atmosphere they generate is just deadly.

Hvis, Det and Filosofem are all excellent too, obviously. I remember getting hassle for a Burzum longsleeve I used to wear: in Sound Cellar from some pisshead (Sid just fucked him out) and at a punk gig in Eamon Doran's (after Vikernes' nazi stuff came out). Skinny was a fan, oddly.

[vinterland]

I switch around so much between albums two, three and four it's next to impossible to name my favourite. For years I viewed Burzum as a wall of impenatrable sound but that theory has long been consigned to history. Must make an effort to give a serious listen to their post Filosofem material. Huge kudos too for the art work on their earlier releases. Sometimes a picture does equate to a thousand words. What more needs to be said about Aske?

[Blackout]

Bizarrely, I just read on the albums wikipedia page the instrumental was sampled in a song by Gucci Mane and Kanye West  .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ocXKh_uz9A

That is fucking mental  doesnt sound half bad actually. The royalty for that probably built Vargs forest house.

[Blackout]

Regarding Burzum  Filosofem is by far and away the favourite album of mine. It has thee perfect Black metal sound with vocals (I find his vocals in the earlier albums a bit much at times), pitch and atmosphere are just incredible. I'd love to know how it would have finished had he not been thrown in jail before completion.

Ive heard bands try and cover burzum. None have been able to capture that sound without sounding karaokeish.

[blessed1]

Ive heard bands try and cover burzum. None have been able to capture that sound without sounding karaokeish.

Ya apart from Gucci Mane and Kanye West.

Did varg actually give them the rights to that?!
Kinda hilarious tbh.