BURZUM / Sôl austan, Mâni vestan (2013)

The promise to create three skaldic instrumental/electronic albums is fulfilled. Better twelve years late than never, right? I've been disappointed with his recent metal albums, so it was with a happy nod that I greeted Sôl austan.
It's a concept album, similar to Dauði Baldrs (1997) and Hliðskjálf (1999), that documents a descent into darkness followed by a redeeming ascent back into the light. Burzum fans will know what the 'dark' and 'light' represent.
It's reminiscent of the ambient tracks on his Black Metal albums, but without the contrast it all feels rather empty and samey. It's hard to shake the feeling that it sounds like an age-old video game soundtrack, not the modern film score that it's supposed to be (the film is ForeBears).

Songs of Note: Feðrahellir; Sôlbjörg

2½ compass directions out of 5

BURZUM / Hvis Lyset Tar Oss (1994)

Hvis Lyset Tar Oss (If the Light Takes Us) is the reason I love Burzum. Forget the political ideology. Forget the media whoring. Come instead for the music because it's a fucking masterpiece.
What separated Burzum from other bands in the Norwegian scene was the atmosphere. It wasn't just about playing your instrument as fast as possible, it had to mean something and it had to represent something. The darkness isn't the enemy. The lo-fi production isn't a barrier. The aesthetic isn't merely an afterthought. It's all part of something larger.

Songs of Note: Det Som En Gang Var; Inn I Slottet Fra Drǿmmen

5 castles out of 5

BURZUM / Burzum (1992)

The term 'Burzum' first appeared in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books. It means 'darkness' in the Black Speech created by Sauron. The first Burzum album takes the early Bathory sound and imbues it with Varg's conceptual ideas, auditory landscapes that reflected the birthing of evil from the womb of Mordor as described in Tolkien's writings. It's cold and desolate, a soundtrack to pain and decay. It's a little uneven compared to his later works but remains an essential purchase for anyone interested in the Norwegian Black Metal scene.

Songs of Note: Feeble Screams from Forests Unknown; My Journey to the Stars 

4 weeping Orcs in winter out of 5

BURZUM / Det Som Engang Var (1993)

Creeping desolate darkness is what Black Metal does best. There was a time Burzum did it better than most. Det Som Engang Var is the proof. The production is raw but much more refined than on Aske (1993). It's also doomier at times but no less aggressive. Varg's layering of guitar tracks is almost perfect. The repetitive drone sinks into your psyche and drags you deep into his world. The vocals are pained screeches that sound inhuman. For me this is the real sound that accompanied the birthing of the Dark Lord's denizens on Middle Earth. Howard Shore would probably shit himself if he heard the power of it.

Songs of Note: Lost Wisdom; Han Som Reiste

4 keys to the gates of Moria out of 5

BURZUM / Umskiptar (2012)

Damn it, Varg, you make it hard to care anymore. I understand you need to progress musically, but self-indulgent meandering musings does not make good Burzum. Put this shit out under a different name (like Quorthon had the good sense to do), stop with the pristine production and give us something raw again.

Songs of Least fail: Jóln; Hit helga Tré

1 painfully monotonous opus out of 5

BURZUM / Filosofem (1996)

The Count stepped out of the shadows with Filosofem but managed to bring the essence of the darkness with him. The sound retains the fuzzy coldness of previous releases, while downtuned guitars wail their repetitive pains into your brain. The vocals are less screechy and more distorted than previous albums because he asked a confused sound technician for the worst microphone he could find; it works beautifully. Side one is perhaps the most perfect example of extreme but accessible Norwegian Black Metal ever created. Side two has an extended ambient track that is longer than it seems. Overall, the album is the perfect place to start if you're new to the scene.

Songs of Note: Dunkelheit; Jesu død

5 clarion calls out of 5

BURZUM / Hliðskjálf (1999)

Varg's second prison album was made under the same constraints as Dauði Baldrs (1997) but it sounds fuller and has less fumbling. It's once more exploring Norse mythology through the medium of music, without the need for vocals. The dark ambient sound needs a suitably dark ambient environment to work in. If the quiet reflection of Rundtgåing av den Transcendentale Egenhetens Støtte (Filosofem, 1996), or Tomhet (Hvis Lyset Tar Oss, 1994) didn't make you hit the stop button, then you may connect with Hliðskjálf more than the average Burzum fan.

Songs of Note: Der Tod Wuotans; Einfuhlungsivermugen

3½ hand drawn album covers out of 5

BURZUM / Dauði Baldrs (1997)

Mr Stabby may be an asshole at times but he made some fine Black Metal in his time. The Dauði Baldrs album is different. It was the first release from his prison cell. Being denied a guitar and drums, etc, meant he had to make do with a PC and as a result it's mostly synth. It tells the story of Baldur and Loki and the rest of the gang. There are no lyrics, so you have to read the accompanying booklet or research the story elsewhere; it's not hard to find (it's kinda famous).
You'll maybe struggle to find it now, but the vinyl edition is a great release.

Songs of Note: Daudi Baldrs; Moti Ragnarokum

3 ill tidings out of 5

BURZUM / From The Depths of Darkness (2011)

From the Depths is an odd release. It's mostly re-recorded versions of songs from the seminal Burzum (1992) and Det Som Engang Var (1993) albums. Gone is the atmospheric lo-fi production in favour of a more precise, bombastic one. But the soul is missing somehow, the fierce angst and "fuck you" attitude is totally absent. The screech is less severe, which may be a good thing if you didn't like it, but an old Varg attempting to recreate a young (or better?) Varg is a depressing thought.
Anyhow, if you weren't aware, it's Black Metal but with a production that pretends it isn't. If you're new to the Black then maybe you'll be able to appreciate the release a lot more than I'm able to do.

Songs of Note: The original versions of them all.

2 mostly pointless but not terrible endeavours out of 5