Best Burzum album from both eras

[illidurit]

It's not about buying into it, it's about understanding it. It's important to do so in order to comprehend the music.

wrong

NFU is right, you have to take a different approach to the music than one would to some super accessible melodic garbage like dimmu borgir, but that doesn't mean you can't fully comprehend/appreciate it without knowing varg's philosophical worldview

 

[Hubster]

Given you've been negative in this discussion, I'm going to ignore everything you have to say. Nothing you've said has been thought out.

 

[illidurit]

no you're just an elitist who takes pride in knowing the pseudo intellectual bullshit that goes through murderers/arsonists' heads when they're making records

you don't 'get' Burzum any more than I do, you just think you do

your musical listening priorities are your own and aren't projectable onto everyone else

 

[NFU]

well i wouldnt say the approach to burzum needs to be more "calculated". the material is fairly simple still...just needs to be absorbed correctly to achieve its full affect. the listener needs to be open minded and not of the mindset that its going to be 4 minutes of intense instant gratification. it wont be.

 

[Pethical]

I've heard of them but haven't had a chance to check them out yet. Given the album has only in recent times been re-issued, it's hard to come by.

I've got one of their albums Hub, you can get it off me sometime

 

[Larsson]

Agreed, 100%. It's not music which can just be background noise or easy listening, like Death Metal is (no offence to DM fans, but really DM is so much more accessible).

Personaly I found Suffocation to be one of the hardest band to get into. And now when I have gotten into them i wouldnt describe them as easy listening.

I actually detested Vikernes' vocals when I first started listening to Burzum. Infact, I initially had difficulties with Black Metal's music style overall. The thin-ness of the guitars, blastbeats, shrieks... it all totally pissed me off because Doom-Death and Death Metal was what I was mainly listening to around that time and those styles are much more defined and polished. Black Metal was the complete opposite.

Even Ihsahns on In The Nightside Eclipse? Remains the most impressive extreme metal lyrics to this day.

Not only this, but being a huge fan of electronic music, early house and dark techno at the time, and then having listened to Burzum's ambient stuff knowing full well that Future Sound Of London (FSOL) are the true masters of electronic soundscapes, I realise now that the ambient Burzum songs are just as Black Metal as say, "Dominus Sathanas" (Aske EP). Again, it's the philosophy, not just the sound. The two are parallel in Black Metal, one can NOT exist without the other in this musical realm.

So it's the philosophy that makes a song metal or not now?

Anyway... once the ideals made sense to me, the genius of the music just dawned and I havent looked back since. I also found that discussions like this one, reading interviews etc helped a lot. The more I learned, the more I listened.

The more interviews I read, the more black metalers seem like total idiots.

Some might argue: "oh why should I have to "work" at listening to music?", and I will respond, well are you feeling casual about it, or do you have an amazing passion for your music? If you're like me, and are passionate, you WILL go out of your way to research, listen and explore. Its like any hobby you love, you'll consume yourself into it and that is the beauty of it, its well known and extremely personal at the same time.

Most people on this boar listens to music that have some demands on the listener, so where are you going at?

 

[Hubster]

no you're just an elitist who takes pride in knowing the pseudo intellectual bullshit that goes through murderers/arsonists' heads when they're making records

you don't 'get' Burzum any more than I do, you just think you do

your musical listening priorities are your own and aren't projectable onto everyone else

Originally i had written a long response here, but after reading your bullshit again, I just realised its like trying to talk to a 5 yr old child. Its not worth typing all of that for a waste of DNA like you.

 

[Hubster]

well i wouldnt say the approach to burzum needs to be more "calculated". the material is fairly simple still...just needs to be absorbed correctly to achieve its full affect. the listener needs to be open minded and not of the mindset that its going to be 4 minutes of intense instant gratification. it wont be.

Thats exactly the point I was getting at, youve worded it better though

 

[Ben_Bids_You_Farewell]

Purchase 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss' for it contains one of the greatest BM songs ever written...'Det Som En Gang Var'.
The opening to that song is simply breathtaking.

 

[fränzi]

Purchase 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss' for it contains one of the greatest BM songs ever written...'Det Som En Gang Var'.
The opening to that song is simply breathtaking.

Oh yep. It's a perfectly constructed album, the closing track summing it all up perfectly.

To quote from the greatest film ever: "Oh bliss! Bliss and heaven! Oh, it was gorgeousness and gorgeousity made flesh. It was like a bird of rarest-spun heaven metal or like silvery wine flowing in a spaceship, gravity all nonsense now. As I slooshied, I knew such lovely pictures!"

Erm.
Well, not quite, but you get the picture.

 

[Hubster]

Lets move on from Hvis Lyset Tar Oss - what are your thoughts on Filosofem people?

Its regarded as the most accessible Burzum album of them all, but personally I feel its just as raw as the others. I love the production of it, the muffled sound of the drums, stronger bass and super cold chainsaw guitars.

 

[neuroticandroid]

Not only this, but being a huge fan of electronic music, early house and dark techno at the time, and then having listened to Burzum's ambient stuff knowing full well that Future Sound Of London (FSOL) are the true masters of electronic soundscapes.

not trying to diminish future sound of london in any way, some of their music is sheer brilliance, but i find haujobb (especially the solutions for a small planet cd) frontline assembly (implode) and numb (especially the language of silence cd) create more interesting soundscapes imho. just thought i'd add my two bits' worth on that subject

 

[FUBAR]

Lets move on from Hvis Lyset Tar Oss - what are your thoughts on Filosofem people?

Its regarded as the most accessible Burzum album of them all, but personally I feel its just as raw as the others. I love the production of it, the muffled sound of the drums, stronger bass and super cold chainsaw guitars.

Its seems to be growing on me...although that instrumental track (5?) is waaay too long.

 

[Hubster]

.on another note hubster...being the big burzum fan that you are...do you have any thoughts on weakling?

Well it's been some time since that post, and it took me a bit to hunt down "Dead As Dreams" (big thanks Tom), but finally, I have it.

Its an album full of surprises (although one friend of mine referred to it as average). In some places I hear Burzum, Varg styled torturous vocals, and then in other areas, the music becomes almost early Emperor-like (in demo quality kinda ways ).

I am taking my time absorbing this album. It is far more layered and complex than "meets the eye" at first take, and deserves a thorough analysis. So far, very impressive indeed.

 

[Wires & Waves]

just get hvis lyset tar oss and filosofem and dotn bother with the casio shit, daudi baldrs isnt bad but its not worth spending money on

 

[NFU]

Well it's been some time since that post, and it took me a bit to hunt down "Dead As Dreams" (big thanks Tom), but finally, I have it.

Its an album full of surprises (although one friend of mine referred to it as average). In some places I hear Burzum, Varg styled torturous vocals, and then in other areas, the music becomes almost early Emperor-like (in demo quality kinda ways ).

I am taking my time absorbing this album. It is far more layered and complex than "meets the eye" at first take, and deserves a thorough analysis. So far, very impressive indeed.

yea, ive yet to meet a burzum fan who didnt appreciate it. id LIKE to say emperor fans as well, but it definitely has a more raw, dirty, and less "instant gratification" drive to it than emperor. and tell your friend hes "average".

 

[Hubster]

yea, ive yet to meet a burzum fan who didnt appreciate it. id LIKE to say emperor fans as well, but it definitely has a more raw, dirty, and less "instant gratification" drive to it than emperor. and tell your friend hes "average".

Well a few days later, and Ive totally thrashed this album out.

What can I say? A masterpiece in its own right, and an essential album for any Black Metal enthusiast. When looking back at the times, and considering it hails from America, I think the album is quite unique. Its on high rotation on the iPod

As for my friend... I made him listen to the title track in its entirety, trying to point out things as it went along. His opinion has changed, but I hope he sees what I see in it. I trust his intuition though, he's pretty musically switched on (I owe my obsession with Tåke to him).

As for the Emperor-ness... I'm suprised an Emperor fan might not like it... it definitely heralds the Wrath of the Tyrant and (lesser extent) In The Nightside Eclipse age of Emperor.

In summary, the more I listen to Weakling, the more I like it. Definitely one to order through the local metalshop when I get the chance, an essential album both musically and historically.

 

[Abhorsen]

and recently back in print!

 

[NFU]

Well a few days later, and Ive totally thrashed this album out.

What can I say? A masterpiece in its own right, and an essential album for any Black Metal enthusiast. When looking back at the times, and considering it hails from America, I think the album is quite unique. Its on high rotation on the iPod

As for my friend... I made him listen to the title track in its entirety, trying to point out things as it went along. His opinion has changed, but I hope he sees what I see in it. I trust his intuition though, he's pretty musically switched on (I owe my obsession with Tåke to him).

As for the Emperor-ness... I'm suprised an Emperor fan might not like it... it definitely heralds the Wrath of the Tyrant and (lesser extent) In The Nightside Eclipse age of Emperor.

In summary, the more I listen to Weakling, the more I like it. Definitely one to order through the local metalshop when I get the chance, an essential album both musically and historically.

and if youre interested, DEFINITELY check out "The Gault". Its a dark/doom band like NO other by the same guitarist/writer of weakling. And its no less impressive of an album...easily one of my favorite metal releases of all time (along with weakling). Superb melodies, atmosphere and extremely unique and powerful vocals.

 

[Hubster]

and if youre interested, DEFINITELY check out "The Gault". Its a dark/doom band like NO other by the same guitarist/writer of weakling. And its no less impressive of an album...easily one of my favorite metal releases of all time (along with weakling). Superb melodies, atmosphere and extremely unique and powerful vocals.

Sounds interesting, I will have to check that out

Have you listened to any material by a band called Darkestrah (hailing from Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia)? Excellent Pagan Black Metal with female vocals buried under the mix, instruments of the region, with ethnic folk tales as concept. Arid mountains and dry winds across plains await! An excellent band with a good future ahead. Check out their album "Embrace of Memory".

Also, which you might have known of already is MGŁA, hailing from Poland. Extreme hateful Black Metal which while doesnt break ground, is raw, extremely dark with aggressive vocals of the type not heard for some time (they also were included in The Crushing The Holy Trinity compilation along with DsO among others). Excellent band. Latest EP "Presence" is fantastic. PS - fans of Filosofem's sound will appreciate this band.