BURZUM „Belus”

Music: Black Metal
Country: Norway
Cool Songs: Belus Doed, Kaimadalthas' Nedstigning, Sverddans
Web site: http://www.burzum.org/

Much hype surrounds the new BURZUM album Belus. Said recording is Varg “Count Grishnackh” Vikernes first recording in over ten years. It is also his debut album since leaving the concrete walls of his prison confinement. Additionally, Belus marks a return to the type of hypnotic black metal made by the notorious do-it-all-yourself musician before his incarceration. Belus harkens back to the second wave of black metal that Varg helped father. This time, though, the Count stripped down the instrumentation and production.

This recording is his most organic, relying on guitar, vocals, bass and drums (or drum machine). The snowy production of Hvis Lyset Tar Oss does not blanket the album. Nor are the melting ice sickle keyboard sounds of “Filosofem” apparent. In fact, Belus does not appear to contain any keyboards whatsoever.

Even without these defining characteristics, Belus brings us back to the BURZUM of the early nineties. The tool most apparent for Vargs new epoch with BURZUM is the guitar. While much of classic BURZUM is divided in part into black metal and instrumental interludes, the only instrumental on Belus is the introduction track Leukes Renkespill (Introduksjon). This is not musical, though, merely noises that bring to mind the clanking sound that of shaking up a spray paint can.

Belus Doed, the first proper track, presents eerie, high-octave guitar harmonies placed on top of double-picked churning riffage. Kaimadalthas' Nedstigning and Sverddans pick up the pace in a venomous, speed metal fashion, complete with constant battering drums. Although repeated until the point of redundancy, guitar harmonies such as the one found on Keliohesten are sure to cycle through the mind with the efficacy of a brain washing experiment.

Without the murky production overlaying all his instrumentation, the instruments come through more clearly. Where he would have once used keyboards for a background foundation, Varg uses his bass for added atmosphere on tracks such as Morgenroede and Glemselens Elv. His haunting, remote shrieks and clean narrations conjures more atmosphere with a sense of the fantastic and primal.

Much credit goes to BURZUM for writing the script for the second wave of black metal and NSBM. His vehicle is one, though, that bands have used sparingly, never achieving a duplicate sound. For all he has done, though, the early recordings by Norwegians acts such as EMPEROR, MAYHEM, DARKTHRONE, and ENSLAVED created much better albums. Varg Vikernes music has its own charm, though, which he triumphantly recaptured on Belus, even without the keys and necro production of his past efforts. Belus is the album we have all been waiting for!

note: 7.5/10

Tracklist

1. Leukes Renkespill (Introduksjon)
2. Belus' Doed
3. Glemselens Elv
4. Kaimadalthas' Nedstigning
5. Sverddans
6. Keliohesten
7. Morgenroede
8. Belus' Tilbakekomst (Konklusjon)
Total playing time 52:16

Line-up

Varg “Count Grishnackh” Vikernes-all instruments