Review Summary: Burzum goes to the orchestra.
Found Wisdom: Symphonic Tribute to Burzum is an album no one asked for, but is evidently the record we all need in our lives. Orsartag has done an incredible job reinterpreting various-era Burzum tracks from the band’s broad catalogue of music, putting his own symphonic spin on it. The risk you run converting one of black metal’s most sinister and iconic sounds is, of course, it coming off as gimmicky. Thankfully, Orsartag has the talent worthy enough to make these renditions entirely their own beast.
Found Wisdom: Symphonic Tribute to Burzum collects thirteen tracks from Burzum’s discography and, depending on which song you’re listening to, gives the track an entirely new lease of life. Tracks “Key to the Gate”, “Det Som En Gang Var”, “Drunkelheit” and “Ea, Lord of the Depths” are expertly purged of their seething bile, and the acrid presentation is extracted to reveal benign melodies under a cushion-soft production. The album can be so grand at times it’s to the point of absurdity – colossal orchestral compositions that explode on impact, sounding more like a video game score for The Legend of Zelda (“Key to the Gate” being a perfect example). Indeed, you have to take a step back sometimes, finding it hard to believe these tracks came from the black metal crypt.
The only downside to
Found Wisdom: Symphonic Tribute to Burzum is it opts to redefine tracks from Burzum’s ambient eras, most notably
Dauði Baldrs, then the far more interesting conversions made from the black metal eras. The ambient renditions are still great, don’t get me wrong, but there’s far less impact to the changes being made, they just feel like they’ve been transferred from a cheap synth to an orchestral sound, with a lot of the original presentation feeling unaltered; whereas with a song like “Det Som En Gang Var”, there’s so much energy and engagement coming from the translation, it sounds like you're listening to a score from a big Hollywood movie. Still, if nothing else, what Orsartag has managed to convey here is just how bloody good Burzum’s melodies are. It’s easy to overlook that aspect with all the lo-fi distortion, shrill screams, and ferocious blast beats, but I think one of the main reasons Burzum is hands down, bar none, my favourite black metal band is because Varg had a keen ear for melody and atmosphere, in spite of his abrasive proclivities. The results here display the pedigree of Burzum’s compositional and melodic work, especially from the seminal four albums from ’92-‘96. Hopefully this album gets some decent traction and Orsartag considers doing a follow-up to this with more of the black metal tracks in mind.
If you’re a fan of Burzum’s work, this is an essential listen for you.
Found Wisdom: Symphonic Tribute to Burzum is filled with gorgeous orchestral instrumentation, epic crescendos and poignant atmosphere, but serves it up in a way fans are sure to appreciate. Orsartag has done a sterling job retaining the core integrity of the source material whilst simultaneously making his versions extremely different and exciting in the process. Definitely one to check out.
