Burzum - Burzum

The second wave of the black metal sound was literally reinvented by a handful of Scandinavian bands in the late Eighties and early Nineties. Utilizing horrible production values as innovation, dark personal imagery as lifestyles and criminal activities as promotion one can’t deny the accuracy of the saying “There’s no such thing as bad publicity”. Burzum was one of the bands instrumental in revamping a vital, albeit campy bad seed of the metal genre.

Alongside Darkthrone’s A Blaze in the Northern Sky the initial effort called Burzum by a nineteen-year-old Varg Vikernes in a band of the same name is one of serious complexity. In one sense you have a very disproportionate musical journey in both its simplicity and primitive devices, yet on the other hand the ugliness of the tone and Vikernes’ screeching vocals make for a very pinpoint perfect sound. You either love this album or you hate it; there is no middle ground here. The mediocre, yet engaging guitar work in tracks like “Ea. Lord of the Deeps” and “War” show that Vikernes is no Joe Satriani - far from it - but he manages to befuddle and engage the black metal fanatic ever so perfectly. The guitar solo provided by Euronymous of Mayhem in “War” is the highlight of otherwise ‘okay’ riff management. For a kid from Bergen he had some pretty good ideas on just what the black metal sound was looking for and he implemented them accordingly.

The music here is of moderate enchantment; his later black metal work is slightly more advanced, but the infancy of Burzum outlasts many of its contemporaries that never made it past the demo stage. Vikernes has stated time and again that he wanted his music to be more storytelling, more epic in design, and certainly more cerebral. While I definitely think he manages to find that niche in later albums like Det Som Engang Var or Hvis Lyset tar Oss this first effort set a solid standard for such a progression, if somewhat immature. The lack of real maturity on this first release doesn’t negate the message or woodwork being carved out, but it should be taken with a grain of casual trepidation and awareness. While I can listen to “Channeling the Power of Souls into a New God” and find some serious solace and painful recall, I can just as easily take in “A Lost Forgotten Sad Spirit” and find myself entertained and impressed if even for nostalgia’s sake.

We all know that the scene in the early days of Norway was one of infinitely pedestrian caliber, but as the scene grew so too did the level of the music. The drumming on this album is fun, not overwhelming; the guitar work, as stated, is decent, not overly-excitable, and the vocals…well, they’re vocals anyway. These little nuisances aside, Burzum is the blueprint for a million-and-one imitators and fat-cat capitalists, most of who have never ventured out of their individual states, let alone their countries, to find fast fortune on the next big thing. Say what you want about the lack of complexity here; the fact is that Burzum is one of the landmarks for the genre that was once something prideful and pure.

               =================================================

Back in the days of pre-Internet (yep, they existed) we used to secure contacts all over the globe with tape trading, answering and placing ads in rock magazines both here at home and abroad, trading band demos, you name it. I had a contact/friend in Norway named Sonder who was one of my best buddies in terms of tape trading and information. This guy was a metal music machine; he seemingly knew everything about every band out there, underground and otherwise. While I myself was a twenty-year old machine of music knowledge, he schooled me just as quickly in ‘foreign affairs’ that I never knew existed. He was a gem of a person.

Well, Sonder mentioned to me one day that these bands out by him were making some noise and I should keep an eye open. He mentioned Darkthrone, Burzum, Mayhem, Immortal and possibly Emperor, though my memory is hazy on them. I do recall him sending me an original copy of Darkthrone’s ‘Thulcandra’ demo that I still have as well as the original Morbid ‘December Moon’ demo that has sadly been lost to time. When he tried to get me the Deathcrush and first Burzum releases he regretfully wrote me and said they were sold out completely from the guy who ran the label. He did, however, put me in touch with the guy at the Deathlike Silence label, which caught my attention immediately as I was a huge Sodom fan. He told me his name was Euronymous, another catchy enticement, and he was the guitar player in Mayhem.

So I wrote the guy at DSP that summer and asked him about these releases and if he would be getting more in stock. About a month later I got a letter back with a flyer of releases and prices and a short note saying that the Burzum was a limited release due to funds but he was hoping to repress it. I ended up ordering from him the Merciless CD and another CD I can’t recall and returned his stamps as he requested. He seemed friendly and quirky, not at all evil and foreboding as I’d come to hear. Despite horror stories about customers never receiving their initial orders, I was sent my CD’s in a timely fashion with a nice letter thanking me and encouraging me to buy more and asking about the scene here in the U.S. He also assured me the Burzum was coming up for repress and he’d let me know as soon as possible. I never did get a follow-up letter. It was the second and last time I’d hear from Euronymous. I will not claim him as a friend; more he was a label guy I had corresponded with twice and then he fell off the face of the earth…so to speak. Sonder then began to tell me what was going on over there and kept me ever in the loop. This was also my education and introduction to Mayhem, Burzum and churches burning down.

The rest is recorded history. Still, Burzum and Darkthrone were on the brain.        

I remember clearly when I first heard this release in the winter of 1992 thinking to myself, ‘Is this guy for real? What the hell is with those vocals?’ Still I managed to shell out the fifteen bucks for the original DSP back at an old skinhead-run record store near my home (hey, they carried black metal music that Record Swap didn’t and long before Internet stores beggars couldn’t choose). I excitedly got it home and played it while I was putting away some new CD’s I’d procured that month. I wasn’t overly impressed with the opening track, save for the primitive, pained screaming from Varg, but when “Ea. Lord of the Deeps” kicked in with that simple, yet effective drumming my ears perked up like a cocker spaniel’s. Then my attention was focused, centered if you will. While I still had a hard time getting past the vocals, or lack thereof, I was really digging this under-produced mess. My expectations were let down, but I was interested enough to keep Burzum on my radar.

By his own admission Vikernes went into this album pretty much ready to just plug-and-play without much regard for production or sound. While serious musicians have spasms at such indifference, Varg and company out in Norway seemed to have this golden goose in terms of advancing on an already tired sub-genre. Granted, the notoriety was a bit helpful in securing their individual places in metal lore, but the music had to say something to keep us coming back for more. The black metal sound was something wonderfully horrid, intoxicating and overwhelming beyond imagination that we were hearing this disturbingly simplistic music from Scandinavia. The guys I hung out with had no concept of metal outside Metallica and Slayer, which were both a blessing and an albatross. I was angry that they would never give anything new a chance, resigning instead to a very tight hole of familiar sequence and repetition. When I played the Burzum CD for the guitarist in the band I was in his curt answer was “Shit”. It’s no wonder we didn’t coexist very happily, but I digress.

Anyway, the first Burzum album is a surprise of both curious and introspective caliber. My attentions were immediately turned towards the underground of metal music, which for us at that point was Wehrmacht or Deicide; we knew very little of what was going on outside America. I thank Sonder immensely for such enlightenment, and to a degree Euronymous and Varg Vikernes. Had I remained so musical impaired for any longer length of time I’m sure stagnation and resentment would have set in eventually. I learned much about the Scandinavian scene, as well as the German, Polish (bought Vader’s first demo directly from Pitor!), Asian and Russian scenes from such amazing contacts and music. The Norwegian movement was instrumental for me both as a fan and a metal historian; I saw firsthand that music, no matter how thin or basic, can resonate for long periods if it touches a nerve and makes you want more. It is, in essence, the greatest drug out there.

I lost touch with Sonder around 1996, and I truly hope to find him again someday. When I had a bout with cancer in 1993 he would send me mail and often music twice a month, lifting my spirits each time. We even talked on the phone a couple of times during that period and his diligent kindness and invaluable education will never be forgotten.

Here’s to you, meg venn. Thank you.                            

Release Date: March, 1992
Label: Deathlike Silence
Productions

TRACK LISTING

1.  Feeble Screams from
     Forests Unknown
2.  Ea, Lord of the Deeps
3.  Black Spell of Destruction
4.  Channelling the Power of Souls
     into a New God
5.  War
6.  The Crying Orc
7.  A Lost Forgotten Sad Spirit
8.  My Journey to the Stars
9.  Dungeons of Darkness

Total playing time:  46:07

*By clicking "Submit" you agree to the following Terms of Use. You agree not to post any material that is obscene, slanderous, or threatening, or that may violate any law of your country of origin or the United States or of international law. Should you wish to restrict viewing of your email address by third parties, you must select "Hide My Email." You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Metal Psalter from any claims, actions, suits, damages, or other costs arising out of any breach of these Terms of Use.

*Comments:

TO THE TOP

Classic Review

August 4, 2010

Reviewer: Chris