Music Review: Burzum – Fallen (2011)

Those who’ve been complaining about the dearth of screams on Belus will perhaps be satisfied with Fallen. Varg Vikernes is not only screaming here; if his clean singing on Belus came as a surprise, the humming on Fallen may prove too shocking for some.

Compared to Belus (everything in black metal shall henceforth be compared to Belus), Fallen sounds far less intense and closer to early Burzum. The guitar tone is thinner and raw, and the drumming, for a change, isn’t minimal. The songs aren’t as woven into themselves as they are on Belus, and they aren’t trance-inducing either. Fallen is  for those who liked/loved Burzum‘s early work, mainly because it has that kind of rawness and the typically chunky riffs and the excited black metal drumming.

But really, the humming makes Varg sound like a guy in love smelling a colourful flower thinking about his girl. Maybe Count Grishnackh composed it while taking a merry stroll in his favourite forest. Your first reaction to it may be ‘what-the-fuck-is-he-doing’, but later when you’re in the loo, that tune comes back to haunt you and doesn’t allow you to shit properly.

Before I turn into an asshole and tell you how the whole damned world can learn from Burzum about honour and integrity, let me play safe by merely stating that this man can single-handedly slap you all with several lessons in black metal aesthetics while having a lot of fun making albums like Fallen.

There will always be poseur bands making music for poseurs, and there will always be great bands creating true black metal art. And then there will always be one man who, by the very nature of his existence, keeps the fire burning.

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Burzum “Belus” Review

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Music Review: Axioma Ethica Odini

Yet another strong album from Enslaved, Axioma Ethica Odini is extremely well-crafted music that moves at a confident pace, with plenty of clean singing thrown in with the screams and growls.

RATING: 4/5

Review: Belus

Year: “2010”

Artist: “Burzum”

Album: “Belus”

Genre: “Black Metal”

CREATOR

Black Metal has known no finer exponent than Burzum, no character more intriguing than Count Grishnackh. The composer of fine albums like Aske, Hvis Lyset Tar Oss, Filosofem and Hliðskjálf among others, Count Grishnackh’s odd behaviour fascinated me as much as his music. Burzum being a one-man project added greatly to his mystique, and all these factors led to Burzum becoming my all-time favourite Black Metal band.

DESTROYER

Sentenced to 21 years in prison for arson and the murder of Øystein Aarseth, Count Grishnackh’s racist ideologies got tremendous exposure thanks to the media which was and is as taken by the man as many of us are. As much as I love architecture, I have to say the thought of churches burning is exciting as hell. As much as I love Mayhem, I have to say Euronymous was replaceable (he was replaced, wasn’t he?) and Varg Vikernes is not. One of them had to die; better Euronymous than Grishnackh.

PRESERVER

Coming to the album at last, Belus is everything you expect and want the new Burzum record to be. Belus is very powerful music, a superb album from Burzum. The old bard picks up from where he left off, his sound and signature firmly in place, his trademark drumming and riffing keeping the pace steady and interesting throughout. Those who share my views on “pure music” will be satiated with what Count Grishnackh has done on Belus, meaning “The White God”. The essence of Burzum’s music is ever-present on Belus, and the purity of his sound intact. The man is feared, the band is here, the vision is clear. Black Metal has a white god – we know him as Varg.