97-495: Burzum ( / ˈ b ɜːr z əm / ; Norwegian: [ˈbʉ̀rtsʉm] ) is a Norwegian music project founded by Varg Vikernes in 1991. Although Burzum never played live performances, it became a staple of the early Norwegian black metal scene and is considered one of the most influential acts in black metal 's history. The word "burzum" means "darkness" in the Black Speech , a fictional language crafted by The Lord of
194-436: A "quarrel" with a teacher and called him "a monkey". But as Vikernes perceived it the teachers "didn't dare to hit me because I was white". Vikernes' mother also recalls that "the other children in his class would get slapped by their teachers; he would not". She mentions that this created problems, but generally she "has no good explanation" of how Varg developed his views. When asked about his father, Vikernes states that he
291-590: A 1996 interview with Terrorizer , Vikernes also named Bathory 's Blood Fire Death and Celtic Frost 's Morbid Tales as significant influences on Burzum. He credited Dead Can Dance 's Within the Realm of a Dying Sun for being one of Burzum's first non-metal influences. Other non-metal artists he has cited as influence include the Cure , Depeche Mode and New Order . In 2011, Vikernes said that he no longer kept up with new black metal bands and listened mostly to
388-431: A 2009 interview, saying he was collecting explosives and ammunition "in order to defend Norway if we were attacked any time." Vikernes' trial began on 2 May 1994; he was represented by the lawyer Stein-Erik Mattsson . Many other members of the scene, including Blackthorn and Faust, were put on trial around the same time. Some of them confessed to their crimes and implicated others. According to Lords of Chaos , "Vikernes
485-517: A Burzum album or two, but that's it". In the early 2000s Vikernes regularly wrote articles in the magazine of the neopagan neo-Nazi group Vigrid . In August 2003, Vikernes was transferred from a maximum-security prison in Bergen to the low-security prison in Tønsberg. On 15 October, the local paper, Tønsbergs Blad , published an article that criticised Vikernes. On 26 October, Vikernes went on
582-474: A Burzum flyer. According to Vikernes, the anonymous interview was planned by himself and Euronymous. The goal, he says, was to scare people, promote black metal, and get more customers for Helvete . At the time, Burzum was about to release the Aske mini-album. Some of the other scene members were also arrested and questioned, but all were released for lack of evidence. Jørn Inge Tunsberg of Hades said that
679-516: A French national, were arrested at their home in Corrèze , France, on suspicion of planning acts of terrorism after his wife bought four rifles. Officials later stated that Vikernes' wife had a legal firearms permit to buy the rifles. The two were later released without charge after police failed to identify any terrorist plans or targets. Vikernes was instead charged by French authorities with inciting racial hatred against Jews and Muslims. This
776-520: A bed, toilet and shower. It's completely ridiculous. I asked the police to throw me in a real dungeon, and also encouraged them to use violence". He was released in March for lack of evidence. In early 1993, animosity arose between Euronymous and Vikernes. After the Bergens Tidende episode, Euronymous decided to shut Helvete down as it began to draw the attention of the police and media. On
873-535: A cabin in Rollag Municipality , where Vikernes had hidden during his escape. They concluded that his escape "was well planned and involved assistance from several people on the outside". Before the escape, Vikernes gave his mother a letter. In it, he wrote that he had received death threats and another inmate had tried to strangle him shortly after the newspaper article was published. For his actions, thirteen months were added to Vikernes' sentence and he
970-619: A compilation album, From the Depths of Darkness , containing re-recordings of tracks from Burzum's self-titled album and Det som engang var , on 28 November 2011. A third new studio album of original material, titled Umskiptar , was released in May 2012. Sôl austan, Mâni vestan ("East of the Sun, West of the Moon"), Burzum's first electronic album since 1999, was released in May 2013. On 27 April 2013,
1067-690: A film called ForeBears , based on bear worship during the time of the Neanderthals , and inspired by the Egyptian Book of the Dead . Vikernes was one of the recipients of far-right terrorist Anders Behring Breivik 's manifesto, which Breivik sent out before launching the 2011 Norway attacks , killing 77 people. Although Vikernes condemned Breivik's actions, this drew the attention of the French authorities. On 16 July 2013, Vikernes and his wife,
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#17328025172641164-440: A lot more to work with my books, and especially #ReconQuest. And I don't have the time for it all.". Burzum's music includes both straightforward black metal as well as dark ambient , neofolk and neo-medieval music . It is often minimalist and dark, with repetition and simple song structures. Vikernes has described Burzum as a kind of "spell" or recreation of an imaginary world tied in with Pagan history. Each album, he claims,
1261-450: A newspaper depicted there refer to her with the given name Lene, whereas Vikernes' own website uses the name Helene ). In a 2004 interview, Vikernes said his mother was "working in a large oil company". His father is an electronics engineer, and his older brother is a civil engineer. In the Lords of Chaos interview, Vikernes recalls that when he was 6 years old, the family moved for about
1358-532: A simple melody for nearly the entirety of the runtime, switching from a bass ostinato to a harmony ostinato midway through the piece. The song was featured in the soundtrack album of the American experimental drama film Gummo . "Burzum" ("Dunkelheit"), the opening track, features a prominent melody played by a synthesizer that sits atop the distorted guitars and vocals. The two "Decrepitude" tracks complement each other, with ".i." featuring vocals and keeping
1455-484: A song on his official YouTube channel, titled "Back to the Shadows", which Vikernes has stated to be the last metal track to be released by Burzum. In May 2013, he released another ambient album, Sôl austan, Mâni vestan . In the years following his release from prison, Vikernes became an active video blogger on his YouTube channel, ThuleanPerspective (or Thulêan Perspective). In 2013, Vikernes and his wife released
1552-479: A song was posted on the official YouTube channel of Vikernes, titled "Back to the Shadows". In a blog post, Vikernes stated that "Back to the Shadows" would be the last metal track released by Burzum. Another album, The Ways of Yore , was released in June 2014. After a period of inactivity, Vikernes posted a video on his YouTube account in June 2018 announcing that "[he had] moved on [from Burzum]", saying "bye bye" to
1649-602: A special box set called 1992–1997 ; however Filosofem did not contain "Rundtgåing av den transcendentale egenhetens støtte" due to its length. The regular vinyl issue of Filosofem on Misanthropy had tracks 1–4 plus "Decrepitude II" on side 1 and "Rundtgåing av den transcendentale egenhetens støtte" on side 2. Soon after being released, Vikernes started writing new tracks (nine metal tracks and an ambient intro and outro) for an upcoming Burzum album. According to Vikernes' recounts, several record companies were interested in releasing his first album in eleven years. He stated about
1746-418: A synthesizer. In 2000, Vikernes decided to put Burzum on hold. He believed that his philosophy was constantly misinterpreted by an ignorant fan base that was too closely related to black metal and Satanism. Later, through his website, he indicated that he hoped to continue Burzum after his release from prison, stating: "I will publish a few books, possibly using a pseudonym in order to stay anonymous, and perhaps
1843-535: A year to Baghdad , Iraq, because Vikernes' "father was working for Saddam Hussein " developing a computer program. Since there were no places available in the English school in Baghdad, the young Vikernes went to an Iraqi elementary school during this time. According to his interview, Vikernes here became "aware of racial matters". Corporal punishment was very common in the school, and on one occasion, Vikernes had
1940-538: Is a Norwegian musician and author best known for his early black metal albums and later crimes. His first five records, released under the name Burzum from 1992 to 1996, made him one of the most influential figures in the early Norwegian black metal scene . He was convicted of murder and arson in 1994 and sentenced to 21 years in prison, being released after serving 15 years. A native of Fana in Bergen Municipality , Vikernes began playing guitar at
2037-415: Is disgusted by the fact that, while he held fast to a code of silence, others confessed." During the trial, the media made Vikernes "the nation's first real bogeyman in fifty years". At the trial it was claimed that he, Blackthorn, and another friend had planned the murder. The court alleged that this third person stayed at the apartment in Bergen as an alibi; to make it look like they never left Bergen, he
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#17328025172642134-448: Is music; art if you like, and the interpretation of art lies in the eye of the beholder. I might be Nordic, heterosexual and have a Pagan ideology myself, but why would I expect the fans of my music to be just like me?". Despite the project's apolitical nature, Burzum is included on Meta 's Dangerous Individuals and Organizations list. Burzum's early work was influenced by Tolkien ; for example, Vikernes' early moniker "Count Grishnackh"
2231-487: Is only releasing the music as "Burzum (NEW)" because he does not control the Burzum accounts on major streaming services, and that the album will be released as "Burzum" when complete. However, the album art Vikernes used for the released singles all list the project name as "Burzum (NEW)". On November 4th 2024, Vikernes announced the end of the project on his X account saying "I stopped making music (again), because I appreciate
2328-665: Is taken from an orc character called Grishnákh in Tolkien's works. Burzum is a word of the Black Speech of Mordor meaning "darkness" (though Vikernes views what Christians consider "darkness" as "light"), and is inscribed on the One Ring in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings . Vikernes said that the German thrash metal band Destruction "changed my approach towards playing my instrument" despite having only discovered them in 1991. In
2425-520: Is taken from that of an orc in The Two Towers , while the band name Burzum, meaning "darkness", was taken from the Black Speech inscribed on the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings . The inscription read "Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum -ishi krimpatul", or in English, "One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in
2522-524: The Hvis lyset tar oss album, but Vikernes was unhappy with it due to how poor the recording quality was, so it went unused. Instead he re-recorded the track six months later which is the version that appears on Filosofem . According to a statement made by Vikernes on burzum.org, the master tapes for the version of "Burzum" meant for Hvis lyset tar oss were lost by the Norwegian prison system. Filosofem
2619-478: The Fantoft Stave Church , dating from the 12th century and considered architecturally significant, was burned to the ground by arson. The cover of Burzum's EP Aske ("ashes") is a photograph of the destroyed church. By January 1993, arson attacks had occurred on at least seven other major stave churches , including one on Christmas Eve of 1992. Vikernes was found guilty of several of these cases:
2716-494: The darkness bind them." Additionally, before joining the Bergen death metal band Old Funeral , he was in a band called Uruk-Hai, which was named for a type of orc from Tolkien's writing. Vikernes started playing guitar at the age of 14. When he was 17, Vikernes came into contact with members of Old Funeral. He played guitar with them during 1990–1991 and performed on their Devoured Carcass EP before he began his solo musical project, Burzum , and quickly became involved with
2813-487: The early Norwegian black metal scene . During 1992–1993, he recorded four albums as Burzum. Vikernes has stated that for the recording of these early albums he used an old Westone guitar, which he had bought in 1987 from an acquaintance. He used the cheapest bass guitar there was in his local shop and borrowed a drum kit from Old Funeral, the successor band Immortal , and "another musician living nearby". On Hvis lyset tar oss , he also borrowed Hellhammer 's drum kit,
2910-697: The Blood , Vikernes launched the Norwegian Heathen Front ( Norsk Hedensk Front ) during his early years in prison. Gardell says this was a pagan neo-Nazi group that grew into the international Pan-Germanic Heathen Front ( Allgermanische Heidnische Front or AHF). According to Xavier Cattarinich, Vikernes was the "self-proclaimed leader" of the Norwegian Heathen Front and Goodrick-Clarke mentions that Vikernes underlined "his role as chieftain of his Norwegian Heathen Front" with
3007-736: The Cure instead. Burzum is widely considered to be the most influential act in black metal history. Bands that have listed Burzum as an influence include Deafheaven , Liturgy , Wolves in the Throne Room and Altar of Plagues . The project has also inspired musicians from other genres, including Chelsea Wolfe , Mount Eerie , Thurston Moore , and Vision Eternel . Main releases EPs Singles Demos and promos Music videos Compilation albums Box sets Other appearances Varg Vikernes Louis Cachet (born Kristian Vikernes ; 11 February 1973), better known as Varg Vikernes ( Norwegian: [ˈvɑrɡ ˈvìːkəɳeːs] ),
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3104-483: The Norwegian black metal scene. With his demo tapes, he had attracted attention from Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth of Mayhem , who had just recently formed Deathlike Silence Productions . Aarseth then signed Burzum to the label, and shortly after, Vikernes―under the pseudonym of Count Grishnackh (another name adapted from The Lord of the Rings )―began to record Burzum's self-titled debut album . According to Vikernes' autobiography on his website, he had intended to record
3201-605: The Rings writer J. R. R. Tolkien . Burzum's lyrics and imagery are often inspired by fantasy and Norse mythology . Vikernes founded Burzum in 1991 and recorded the first four Burzum albums between January 1992 and March 1993. From 1994 to 2009, Vikernes was imprisoned for the murder of Mayhem guitarist Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth and the arson of eight churches. While imprisoned, he recorded two dark ambient albums using only synthesizers , as he had no access to drums, guitar, or bass. Since his release from prison in 2009, he has recorded several more albums, including those in
3298-469: The age of 14 and formed his first band, Kalashnikov (later known as Uruk-Hai), by 1989. He went on to join the band Old Funeral , in which he played guitar from 1989 until his departure in 1991. He recorded multiple tracks with the band, which were featured on the Devoured Carcass EP , as well as various compilation albums released years later. In 1992, Vikernes, along with other members of
3395-517: The album in the worst recording quality possible (due to this being a typical trademark of the early Norwegian black metal scene), while still making it sound acceptable. Burzum's eponymous debut album was released in 1992, being the second album released on Deathlike Silence Productions. The song "War" from this album had a guest appearance from Euronymous, playing a guitar solo "just for fun", according to Vikernes. Vikernes has stated that he had never played any live shows with Burzum, though at one point
3492-482: The album was released in March 2020. Vikernes stated at the time that this would be his last album under the Burzum name. In 2024, however, he began releasing singles in his former black metal style under the name "Burzum (NEW)", intended to form an album called The Land of Thule when put together. In late 1994, while in prison, Vikernes wrote a Norwegian-language book called Vargsmål ("Varg's Speech" ). Vikernes has said he wrote Vargsmål to defend himself against
3589-434: The album were previously used as background music on Vikernes' YouTube channel, which was taken down the same year. Vikernes also said that the music of Thulêan Mysteries is meant to be used as a background soundtrack for his MYFAROG role-playing game . On 18 December, Vikernes tweeted the album cover for Thulêan Mysteries and announced its release date as 13 March 2020. Vikernes has stated it would be Burzum's last album at
3686-564: The arson and attempted arson of Åsane Church and Storetveit Church in Bergen , the arson of Skjold Church in Vindafjord , and the arson of Holmenkollen Chapel in Oslo. He was also charged with the arson of Fantoft Stave Church, although the jurors found him not guilty. The judges called this an error but did not overthrow the whole case. At the time, media outlets reported that Vikernes
3783-523: The band Immortal . He appears on the Old Funeral EP Devoured Carcass . Vikernes left Old Funeral in 1991 to concentrate on creating his own musical visions. He had a short-lived project called Satanel, along with Abbath Doom Occulta . He then began a solo project under the name Burzum. The word "burzum" means "darkness" in the Black Speech , a language crafted by Tolkien. Soon after recording two demo tapes, he became part of
3880-544: The black metal scene into the media spotlight. Two friends of Vikernes interviewed him and brought the interview to the newspaper, hoping they would print it. In the anonymous interview, "Count Grishnackh" (Vikernes) claimed to have burnt the churches and killed a man in Lillehammer. BT journalist Finn Bjørn Tønder set up a meeting with Count Grishnackh with help from the friends. The journalists were summoned to an apartment and reportedly warned that they would be shot if
3977-516: The case against the "Einsatzgruppe" was dropped. During his time in prison, Vikernes recorded two albums made up wholly of ambient and neofolk music. The first, Dauði Baldrs , was recorded in 1994–1995 and released in October 1997. The second, Hliðskjálf , was recorded in 1998 and released in April 1999. Vikernes was denied access to an electric guitar, bass guitar or drums, and instead used
Burzum - Misplaced Pages Continue
4074-454: The dark ambient and neofolk genres. Vikernes ended the Burzum project in 2020 before announcing a new album in 2024. Varg Vikernes began making music in 1988 with the band Kalashnikov. The following year, the name was changed to Uruk-Hai, after the creatures from J. R. R. Tolkien 's The Lord of the Rings . In 1990 and 1991, Vikernes played guitar for the death metal band Old Funeral , which also consisted of members who would later form
4171-444: The event . Vikernes explains: "If he was talking about it to everybody and anybody I wouldn't have taken it seriously. But he just told a select group of friends, and one of them told me". He said Euronymous planned to use a meeting about an unsigned contract to ambush him. On the night of the murder, Vikernes and Snorre "Blackthorn" Ruch drove from Bergen to Euronymous' apartment at Tøyengata in Oslo. Blackthorn allegedly stood in
4268-443: The explosives, two churches were set on fire the day he was sentenced, "presumably as a statement of symbolic support". Blackthorn, who hadn't taken part in the murder as he had gone down the condominium's stairs to smoke, was sentenced to 8 years in prison for being an accomplice. May 1994 also saw the release of Mayhem's album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas , which has Euronymous on electric guitar and Vikernes on bass guitar. Before
4365-476: The first four Burzum albums between January 1992 and March 1993 at the Grieg Hall in Bergen . However, the releases were spread out, with many months between the recording and the release of each album. During this time, Vikernes became a part of the early Norwegian black metal scene and met Mayhem guitarist Euronymous . He also allegedly took part in burning down four churches, along with other members of
4462-420: The game. The game has been criticized for its overcomplicated rule set as well as racist references; there are multiple nonplayable enemy races collectively referred to as Koparmenn ("copper men") who are described as filthy and animalistic, and presumably represent non-Europeans. From 2017, Vikernes also wrote a series, which includes three volumes, titled "Paganism Explained", with his spouse, Marie Cachet ,
4559-716: The group's leading members, esotericist Jan Erik Kvamsdahl helped Vikernes publish Vargsmål and set up the Heathen Front according to the Monitor organization. On 8 April 1997, Norwegian police arrested five neo-Nazis in Hemnes Municipality . According to police, the young men were part of a self-styled " Einsatzgruppe " and were plotting attacks on political and religious figures in Norway. They also had plans to break Vikernes out of prison. The group "had all
4656-399: The influence of an absolute degenerate loser, Øystein ", and blaming his past actions and "degeneracy" on the negative influence of others in the scene. In a 2020 blog post, Vikernes wrote that he had many differences with others in the black metal scene from the beginning; they did not care for his political opinions or rifle collection, and he changed his beliefs to fit in. On 6 June 1992,
4753-491: The interview had "grave consequences" for the rest of the scene and that they did not know he was going to talk to the press, as "he had said nothing". He added that they became "bloody angry" and he, Tunsberg, was "pissed off". Norwegian magazine Rock Furore published an interview with Vikernes in February 1993. In it, he said of the prison system: "It's much too nice here. It's not hell at all. In this country prisoners get
4850-410: The key of E minor , and all tracks of the album are quite long in duration (the shortest being just over seven minutes), being primarily composed around very few musical motifs. For instance, "Jesu' død", a track of over eight-and-a-half minutes, is primarily based on variations of a single riff. The epic "Rundtgåing av den transcendentale egenhetens støtte", Burzum's longest ambient song to date, repeats
4947-593: The media. According to Lords of Chaos , Vargsmål became available on the Internet for some time in 1996 but not in a printed form. In 1997, a Norwegian publisher released a paperback edition of the book; its publication was financed by Vikernes's mother, Helene Bore. As of 1999, Vargsmål was being sold by the Nazi organization Heathen Front via its website. In 1998 he wrote a book called Germansk Mytologi og Verdensanskuelse ("Teutonic Mythology and Worldview") that
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#17328025172645044-623: The mid-to-late 1990s. He has since disavowed the ideology and its associated movements, although critics continue to label his views as far-right . Vikernes calls his beliefs " Odalism " and defends a " pre-industrial European pagan society" that opposes the Abrahamic religions and systems such as capitalism , communism , materialism , and socialism . In the interviews printed in the 1998 book Lords of Chaos , Vikernes discusses his background and childhood. Lords of Chaos also includes an interview with his mother, Helene Bore (the book and
5141-446: The murder, Vikernes and Blackthorn drove back to Bergen. On the way, they stopped at a lake where Vikernes disposed of his bloodstained clothes. This claim of self-defense is doubted by Emperor drummer Faust , but Mayhem bassist Necrobutcher believed Vikernes did kill Euronymous due to the aforementioned death threats. Blackthorn claimed Vikernes planned to murder Euronymous and pressured him into coming along. He claimed that, in
5238-912: The murder]". Vikernes was arrested on 19 August 1993 in Bergen. The police found 150 kg of explosives and 3,000 rounds of ammunition in his home. According to the Encyclopedia of White Power , Vikernes "intended to blow up Blitz House , the radical leftist and anarchist enclave in Oslo", a plan that "was reportedly on the verge of execution." In an article originally published in 1999, Kevin Coogan also mentioned Vikernes' alleged intent to "destroy an Oslo-based punk anti-fascist squat called Blitz House", and stated "Vikernes may have felt that he had no choice but to kill Euronymous before bombing Blitz House because 'the Communist' would almost certainly have opposed such an act." Vikernes denied these claims in
5335-510: The new album, "I want to take my time, and make it the way I want it. It will be metal, and the fans can expect genuine Burzum." The album was going to be originally titled Den hvite guden ( The White God ), but he later decided to change it to Belus , which was released by the independent record label Byelobog Productions ( byelobog is the transliteration of " белобог " in Slavic languages, meaning 'white god', Belobog ) on 8 March 2010. It
5432-637: The night of 10 August 1993, Vikernes stabbed Euronymous to death at his apartment in Oslo. The murder was initially blamed on Swedish black metallers by the media. It has been speculated that the murder was the result of a power struggle, a financial dispute over Burzum records (Euronymous owed Vikernes a large sum of royalty payments ), or an attempt at "outdoing" a recent stabbing in Lillehammer committed by Emperor drummer Faust. Vikernes claims that he killed Euronymous in self-defense. He says that Euronymous had plotted to stun him with an electroshock weapon , tie him up, and torture him to death while videotaping
5529-478: The official Burzum website. He also wrote for his personal blog, Thulean Perspective, which was set up in January 2013. The website Ancestral Cult was created by him and his wife. Vikernes has self-published a tabletop role-playing game named MYFAROG (Mythic Fantasy Role-playing Game). In 2019, he announced that the upcoming ambient album of Burzum, Thulêan Mysteries , was also intended as background music for
5626-488: The organization, as all letters would have been screened by the prison personnel. Vikernes said "I have never formed or been a member of such organizations. The only organization I am a member of is Riksmålsforbundet " ( The Society for the Preservation of Traditional Standard Norwegian ). However, Vikernes did come into contact with the neo-Nazi group Zorn 88 , and wrote articles in its magazine Gjallarhorn . One of
5723-588: The parts are as follows, " Thrymskvida ", "Little Red Riding Hood & Jack and the Beanstalk ", "The Cult of Mithra & Hymiskvida", "Valholl & Odinn in Yggdrasill ", and "Ásgardr, Vanaheimr & the Nine Worlds of Hel" Filosofem Filosofem ( Norwegian for " Philosopheme ") is the fourth studio album by Norwegian black metal solo project Burzum . It was recorded in March 1993 and
5820-414: The police were called. There, Vikernes and his companions told the journalists that they had burnt the churches, or knew who had done it, and said that the attacks would continue. They claimed to be devil worshippers and said: "Our intention is to spread fear and devilry [...] that is why we are telling this to Bergens Tidende ." They gave the journalists details about the arsons that hadn't been released to
5917-521: The press, so BT spoke with the police before publishing it, who confirmed these details. The article was published on 20 January as the front page of the BT . It was headlined "We Lit the Fires" and included a photo of Vikernes, his face mostly hidden, holding two large knives. However, by the time the article was printed, Vikernes had already been arrested. The police found him by going to an address printed on
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#17328025172646014-404: The primary influence on black metal, Vikernes has always denied to be influenced by them, as well as defining the band as "a joke". He once wore a T-shirt of Venom's Black Metal to promote the genre but stated he later regretted doing that. From an early age, Vikernes was also deeply fascinated with the fictional realm of Middle-earth created by J. R. R. Tolkien . His stage name, Grishnakh,
6111-456: The project. YouTube removed Vikernes's channel from the platform in June 2019, by which point it had 250,000 subscribers. This coincided with an announcement from YouTube that it would be more aggressive in removing "videos alleging that a group is superior in order to justify discrimination, segregation or exclusion". In late 2019, Vikernes announced on Twitter that he intended to release another album as Burzum. Titled Thulêan Mysteries ,
6208-424: The project. In July 2018, a YouTube user named Hermann posted unreleased materials of Uruk-Hai from 1988 to 1990 and Burzum's Bergen prison recordings from 1994, which he received from Tiziana Stupia. In October 2019, Vikernes posted a tweet saying he intended to release another album as Burzum. He announced that the tentative name of the album would be Thulêan Mysteries , which would have 23 songs. The tracks from
6305-434: The real world. He has stated the "message" of Burzum can be found in the lyrics of the first song of the first album ("Feeble Screams from Forests Unknown"). Burzum's lyrics and imagery are often inspired by fantasy and Norse mythology , and do not feature the far-right political views Vikernes is known for. In a 2010 interview, Vikernes said: "Burzum is not a political or religious band, or even an anti-religious band. Burzum
6402-476: The release, Euronymous' family had asked Mayhem's drummer, Hellhammer , to remove the bass tracks recorded by Vikernes. Hellhammer said "I thought it was appropriate that the murderer and victim were on the same record. I put word out that I was re-recording the bass parts, but I never did." Vikernes served his sentence at the prisons in Bergen, Tønsberg , Ringerike , Trondheim , and Tromsø . According to Swedish scholar Matthias Gardell in his book Gods of
6499-532: The run after being granted a short leave. He stopped a car in Numedal . Inside it was a family of three, who said that he hijacked the car at gunpoint. About 19 hours later, police stopped the car in Romerike and arrested him. The car contained knives, a gas mask, camouflage clothing, a portable GPS navigator , maps, a compass, a laptop and a mobile phone. Police also found a handgun and a G3 automatic rifle in
6596-403: The same one Hellhammer used to record De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas by Mayhem . He used a Peavey amplifier, but for the recording of Filosofem , he used the amplifier on his brother's stereo and some old fuzz pedals. For vocals, he would use whatever microphone the sound tech handed him, but during the recording of Filosofem , he intentionally used the worst mic they had, a headset mic. On
6693-424: The scene, was suspected of burning down four Christian churches in Norway. Vikernes denied committing the arsons, though he supported them. In 1992–1993, he also recorded bass for Mayhem 's debut studio album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (1994). In August 1993, Vikernes fatally stabbed Mayhem guitarist Euronymous during an altercation at the latter's apartment, and was arrested shortly after. In May 1994, Vikernes
6790-520: The scene. In August 1993, Vikernes stabbed Euronymous to death outside his apartment in Oslo . He was arrested a few days later and, in May 1994, was sentenced to 21 years in prison for both the murder, and for church arson. The album's opening track, "Dunkelheit", was the first song Vikernes wrote as Burzum, with the song itself initially being named "Burzum". It had been recorded in September 1992 for
6887-420: The stairwell smoking while Vikernes went to Euronymous' apartment on the fourth floor. Vikernes said he met Euronymous at the door to hand him the signed contract, but when he stepped forward and confronted Euronymous, Euronymous "panicked" and kicked him in the chest. Vikernes claims Euronymous ran into the kitchen to fetch a knife. The two got into a struggle and Vikernes stabbed Euronymous to death. His body
6984-447: The summer of 1993, he was almost committed to a mental hospital but fled to Bergen and stayed with Vikernes. Blackthorn said of the murder, "I was neither for nor against it. I didn't give a shit about Øystein". Vikernes, however, claims that he had not planned the killing and that Blackthorn came along to show Euronymous some new guitar riffs. Vikernes called Blackthorn's claims a "defense [...] to make sure I couldn't blame him [for
7081-427: The time of the 1995 Lords of Chaos interview, Vikernes still had a positive relationship with his mother but "very little contact" with his father. He also stated that his parents are divorced; Vikernes' father is said to have "left about 10 years ago", which would have been 1985, when Vikernes was 11 or 12. The Encyclopedia of White Power and historian Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke have both alleged that Vikernes
7178-430: The time. On 8 September 2023, Vikernes released a new song titled "The Reincarnation of Ódinn". In April 2024, Vikernes announced the return of the project on his X account, with a new album titled "The Land of Thulê". It is the first metal album since Umskiptar . From late April to May 2024 Vikernes released numerous singles from the upcoming album under the name "Burzum (NEW)". Vikernes claimed on his X account that he
7275-473: The track "Dungeons of Darkness", he used the large gong at Grieghallen for background noise ( Euronymous assisted him by beating his fists on it). In 1992, Vikernes joined the black metal band Mayhem , a year after band member Dead committed suicide on 8 April 1991. Vikernes replaced bassist Necrobutcher , who quit the band because of Euronymous' treatment of Dead's suicide. Vikernes has distanced himself from his black metal past, claiming he "came under
7372-401: The trappings of a paramilitary unit", including guns, explosives, bulletproof vests, steel helmets and balaclavas. One of its members, Tom Eiternes, had befriended Vikernes in prison before escaping while on leave. Vikernes' mother, Lene Bore, was arrested for supplying the group with 100,000 kroner . She confessed, but claimed she did not know they were "right-wing extremists" and said her son
7469-442: The writing of Vargsmål . The Heathen Front officially denied that Vikernes was in charge. According to the authors of Lord of Chaos , this may have been to protect him, as Norwegian prisoners were prohibited from leading political groups. In addition, the organization's listed address was the same PO box Vikernes used in prison, which the authors state would have made it "very hard for him [Vikernes] to do an effective job" at leading
7566-415: Was also announced that a movie would be released in 2010, based on Varg Vikernes' life in the early 1990s. The movie would mainly draw inspiration from the book Lords of Chaos , with the film being of the same name. Vikernes expressed his contempt towards both the movie and the book upon which it is based. A second new album of original Burzum material, Fallen , was released on 7 March 2011, followed by
7663-426: Was announced. He had then served nearly 15 years of his 21-year sentence. On 22 May 2009, he confirmed that he had been released from prison on probation. Vikernes continued with Burzum after his release. He released a further three black metal albums: Belus (2010), Fallen (2011) and Umskiptar (2012) and a compilation of re-recorded songs ( From the Depths of Darkness ). On 27 April 2013, Vikernes posted
7760-653: Was associated with theistic Satanism . In later interviews Vikernes, while not accepting responsibility for the arsons, said that they were not Satanic, but instead "revenge" for the Christian desecration of Viking graves and temples. According to Vikernes, the arsons were on the anniversary of the Lindisfarne Viking raid . Vikernes claimed that all the burnings, except for the one at Stavanger, were done by one person. In January 1993, an article in one of Norway's biggest newspapers, Bergens Tidende , brought
7857-428: Was being attacked by fellow inmates. In late 1996, his jaw had reportedly been broken in a fight with another inmate. However, the prison director said her claims were unfounded, and police suspected that the money came from Vikernes himself. Lords of Chaos says that Vikernes adopted a " skinhead " look and wore a belt buckle with SS insignia around this time. Despite her confession, Bore was not convicted, and in 1998
7954-493: Was convicted of first-degree murder , church arson and possession of explosives. Vikernes has always maintained the killing was self-defense , and unsuccessfully argued for the charge to be reduced to voluntary manslaughter . He was sentenced to 21 years in prison, the maximum penalty under Norwegian law. During his incarceration, Vikernes launched the neo-Nazi organisation Norwegian Heathen Front , had two books published, and released two ambient albums as Burzum. In 2009, he
8051-558: Was denied parole by the Department of Criminal Justice for this reason. His lawyer, John Christian Elden , has complained that the policy change is a form of retroactive legislation . Article 97 of the Norwegian constitution forbids any law being given retroactive force. Vikernes was denied parole again in June 2008, although he was allowed to leave Tromsø Prison for short periods to visit his family. His full sentence would run for another seven years. In March 2009, however, his parole
8148-437: Was designed as a kind of "spell" in itself, with each beginning song intending to make the listener more susceptible to "magic", the following songs to inspire a "trance-like state of mind", and the last song to carry the listener into a "world of fantasy" (dreams, for the listener would fall asleep—Burzum was supposed to have been evening music). Vikernes claims the intent to create this fantasy world came from dissatisfaction with
8245-475: Was due to posts on his blog, "Thulean Perspective", which included antisemitic posts that were taken down following the charges. Vikernes claimed he had not written the posts, although the blog attributed all posts to him. On 8 July 2014, Vikernes was convicted of inciting racial hatred and sentenced to six months of probation and a fine of €8,000 . In June 2018, Vikernes made comments that he had "moved on" from Burzum on his YouTube channel, saying "bye bye" to
8342-478: Was found in the stairwell on the first floor with 23 stab wounds—two to the head, five to the neck, and 16 to the back. Vikernes claimed his final stab to the skull was so powerful the knife remained stuck in Euronymous' skull, but no physical evidence or bodily injuries supported his claim. Vikernes contended that most of Euronymous' wounds were caused by broken glass he had fallen on during the struggle. After
8439-401: Was hysterical that his son "had a swastika flag at home". Vikernes feels that his father was a hypocrite because he was worried about Vikernes "being a Nazi", whereas he too was "pissed about all the colored people he saw in town". About his mother, Vikernes states that she was "very race conscious", in the sense that she was afraid that Vikernes "was going to come home with a black girl!" At
8536-546: Was interested in it, so Samoth of Emperor accompanied him as a session bassist, though only appearing on the Aske EP. Additionally, Erik Lancelot was hired to be the band's drummer, though did not record on any Burzum material, and along with Samoth did not play a live show. Vikernes had by then lost his interest in playing live concerts, and stated that he "didn't even need session musicians anymore". Therefore, Samoth and Lancelot had parted ways with Burzum. Det som engang var
8633-682: Was moved to a prison in Ringerike. In July 2004, he was moved to a maximum-security prison in Trondheim. The last three years of his sentence were spent in Tromsø Prison. When Vikernes was convicted, it was possible to be released on parole after serving 12 years of a 21-year sentence, but in 2002, before he became eligible, the Norwegian Parliament had extended this to 14 years. In June 2006, after serving 12 years, Vikernes
8730-778: Was part of the neo-Nazi skinhead culture as an adolescent. When asked in the Lords of Chaos interview whether he hung out with skinheads in Bergen, Vikernes said that "there were no skinheads in Bergen". According to an interview posted on his official website, Vikernes' facial scar was caused by a skiing accident when he was 11 years old. A fan of classical music as a child ( Tchaikovsky in particular), Vikernes started listening to heavy metal at 12, citing Iron Maiden as his biggest inspiration. Later, he discovered other metal bands whose sound would be influential on his own band, such as Kreator , Sodom , Celtic Frost , Bathory , Destruction , Megadeth , Slayer , Pestilence , Deicide and Von . Although Venom are widely considered
8827-664: Was published by Cymophane in 2000. In 2011, Abstract Sounds Books published Vikernes's English book entitled Sorcery and Religion in Ancient Scandinavia , about the religious practices of Scandinavian peoples, particularly during the Stone Age and Bronze Age . According to a review from the music blog Heathen Harvest , the book rejects accepted academic theories, instead focusing on Vikernes's speculation and personalized story-telling. By late 2003, Vikernes had begun writing articles for Burzum.org, which became
8924-510: Was recorded under purposefully bad conditions in order to retain a raw lo-fi sound. No guitar amplifier was used; instead Vikernes plugged his guitar into the amplifier of his brother's stereo and used old fuzz pedals . For the vocals, he asked a sound technician for the worst microphone he had, and ended up using an old helicopter headset. The music of Filosofem continued Vikernes's experimentation with minimalism , repetition, and ambient music within black metal. The first three songs are in
9021-462: Was released as Burzum's second album in 1993, recorded in 1992. May 1994 saw the release of Hvis lyset tar oss , a new album of previously recorded material from 1992. Burzum remained as a solo project until 1994, when Vikernes was arrested for the murder of Euronymous and the burnings of several churches in Norway. During his time in prison, Vikernes released his next album, titled Filosofem , on 1 January 1996. Recorded in March 1993, Filosofem
9118-532: Was released on parole, after which he moved to France with his wife and children, where he has continued to write and make music. He was also an active video blogger on his YouTube channel ThuleanPerspective, before the channel was banned by the platform. Described by Sam Dunn as "the most notorious metal musician of all time", Vikernes remains controversial for his crimes as well as his political and religious views. He promoted views which combined Odinism and Esoteric Nazism , and openly embraced Nazism during
9215-596: Was the last recording Vikernes made before his imprisonment. Burzum / Aske , a compilation comprising the Burzum album and Aske EP, was released in 1995. While imprisoned, Vikernes managed to record two other albums in a dark ambient style. They were released as Dauði Baldrs (1997) and Hliðskjálf (1999). Both of these albums were created with a synthesizer, as Vikernes was prohibited from using any other instruments in prison. In 1998, all Burzum albums released up to that point were re-released as vinyl picture discs in
9312-517: Was the last recording before Varg Vikernes was sentenced to prison in 1994; the album was not released until January 1996, however. It was released through Misanthropy Records and Vikernes's own record label, Cymophane Productions . A music video was made for the song "Dunkelheit" and received airtime on both MTV and VH1 . The album is noted for its experimental sound when compared to most other second wave black metal. Vikernes considers Filosofem an "anti-trend album." Varg Vikernes recorded
9409-403: Was to rent films, play them in the apartment, and withdraw money from Vikernes' credit card. On 16 May 1994, Vikernes was sentenced to 21 years in prison (Norway's maximum penalty) for the murder of Euronymous, the arson of three churches, the attempted arson of a fourth church, and for the theft and storage of 150 kg of explosives. Though Vikernes only confessed to the theft and storage of
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