Burzum

Kristian Vikernes began music at the age of 15 in a band named first Kalashnikov , then Uruk-Hai around 1988. In 1989, he joined the Death Metal Old Funeral band with whom he recorded the ep Devoured Carcass in 1991 and founded Satanel with Abbat, which will soon be reunited with Immortal. Yet he left these two formations in the same year to create his own music and became official under the name Burzum (meaning "darkness" in The Lord of the Rings) by taking the pseudonym of Count Grishnackh. From the outset, Burzum does not directly seek violence and musical extremism (in opposition to Mayhem in particular) but focuses more on the heinous and unhealthy atmospheres especially thanks to the tortuous riffs and rages of its creator. Two demos that lay the foundation for what Burzum would later be were born in 1991, then Varg Vikernes heard about Euronymous and his group Mayhem who, in Oslo, participated in the emergence of the Norwegian Black-Metal scene. In 1992, Burzum's first eponymous album was released on the go. Recorded with makeshift instruments, the result is of medium sound quality, a trademark of the Norwegian Black-Metal scene of the time. Burzum recaptures some demo titles and Euronymous even makes an appearance on War solo and Dungeons Of Darkness . The following year marked a turning point: Kristian became Varg (loup in Swedish) in order to affirm the refusal of his Christian name. Musically, she sees the release of the ep Aske, whose cover bears witness to the ruins of Fantoft. This building is in fact one of the eight churches that Varg and Euronymous burned in the Inner Black Circle, an anti-Christian terrorist organization that aimed to carry out actions against people deemed unfaithful and to which Mayhem, Darkthrone, Thorns, Immortal or Emperor have been affiliated, among others. The release of Aske just preceded that of Burzum's second album: Det Som Engang Var. At the same time Varg Vikernes assassinated Euronymous in his building of 23 stab wounds, aided by an accomplice: Snorre of the Thorns group. They were both arrested shortly after, and Burzum's leader was sentenced to 21 years in prison. The case makes a lot of talk about her in the Norwegian media and then in Europe and helps fuel the legend of the Inner Black Circle and the resulting Black-Metal scene. However, this case does not mark the end of Burzum since before being imprisoned Varg recorded two albums: Hvis Lyset Tar Oss in 1994 and Filosofem in 1996. The latter will be a landmark in the history of Black-Metal and explores more of the atmospheric tracks opened by Hvis Lyset Tar Oss by being even more lancinating and repetitive than his predecessor. Vikernes will also have participated in the writing of the bass parts of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas of Mayhem and the lyrics of Transilvanian Hunger and Panzerfaust of Darkthrone. Once in prison, he only has a synth to compose and abandon the Black-Metal to compose two records of Ambient: Dauði Baldrs , focused on a medieval universe, came out in 1997 while Hliðskjálf explored the glacial and magical regions two years later in 1999. Varg Vikernes finally decided to dissolve the project the following year, in 2000. In May 2009, after 16 years behind bars, Varg Vikernes received a remission of sentence and was released from prison earlier than expected. Eleven years after Hliðskjálf , Burzum released a new album, Belus , which aims to return to the sources, followed in 2011 by The Fallen .