On the visionary importance of Burzum:
Burzum ended black metal. While this statement will be protested by those many who participate in black metal "in form" and not as an active movement of art toward change, the evidence is overwhelming. Burzum set a new level of musicality and thought which others couldn't surmount. It was a challenge to all future black metal to join it at this new level, and since most people lack this capacity, they were revealed to be hangers-on and not innovators. The new standard of Burzum separated sheep from shepherds, leaders from followers, artists from scenesters. Any band that came after Burzum was judged by how well it stood up to the power and honesty of the music and ideas of Burzum.
After all, black metal was a movement against modern society and its lack of value, in theory. The founding bands like Burzum, Immortal, Emperor, Darkthrone, Enslaved, Gorgoroth, Ildjarn and Mayhem upheld a Romantic vision of a more primal time: the meaning found in conflict, the beauty of nature, the secondary importance of comfort toward epic achievement and conflict, a desire for a less plastic and democratic time. They unconsciously expressed what many in modern society feel, which is that humanity has domesticated itself and is comfortably breeding idiots and parasites through the wealth of its technology and fossil fuels and global domination. Capitalism and democracy are card-shuffling that redistribute wealth among those low-minded enough to be fascinated by it, the implication goes, and the Crowd is always present with its desire to tear down the independent thinkers and leaders and replace them with "safe" ideas and institutions for the education of more people of specialized ability but no leadership prowess.
Read More: On the Importance of Burzum
Burzum ended black metal. While this statement will be protested by those many who participate in black metal "in form" and not as an active movement of art toward change, the evidence is overwhelming. Burzum set a new level of musicality and thought which others couldn't surmount. It was a challenge to all future black metal to join it at this new level, and since most people lack this capacity, they were revealed to be hangers-on and not innovators. The new standard of Burzum separated sheep from shepherds, leaders from followers, artists from scenesters. Any band that came after Burzum was judged by how well it stood up to the power and honesty of the music and ideas of Burzum.
After all, black metal was a movement against modern society and its lack of value, in theory. The founding bands like Burzum, Immortal, Emperor, Darkthrone, Enslaved, Gorgoroth, Ildjarn and Mayhem upheld a Romantic vision of a more primal time: the meaning found in conflict, the beauty of nature, the secondary importance of comfort toward epic achievement and conflict, a desire for a less plastic and democratic time. They unconsciously expressed what many in modern society feel, which is that humanity has domesticated itself and is comfortably breeding idiots and parasites through the wealth of its technology and fossil fuels and global domination. Capitalism and democracy are card-shuffling that redistribute wealth among those low-minded enough to be fascinated by it, the implication goes, and the Crowd is always present with its desire to tear down the independent thinkers and leaders and replace them with "safe" ideas and institutions for the education of more people of specialized ability but no leadership prowess.
Read More: On the Importance of Burzum
