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Review Summary: Arguably the best Burzum album Burzum always has been, and always will be, a band surrounded by controversy because of it's founder and lone member Count Grishnack. But regardless of Vikerness' murder of Euronymous, and his endless ideological views related to race, culture, society, and religion Burzum will surely go down as one of the greatest Black Metal bands in history, and this album sounds like their best effort to me.
Burzum do on this cd what almost no other black metal band achieves. A perfect balance of keyboards and guitars, especially on Det Som Engang Var. The 14 minute masterpiece (arguably Vikerness' best) uses synths in such a simplistic and almost boring fashion that you almost begin to recognize them as part of the "sound". And that is the brilliance of the keyboards, they blend with the guitars and vocals, creating an extremely organic sound. They also happen to be playing some of the most melancholic melodies I have ever heard, all while keeping the inherent simplicity and repetitiveness of Burzum. Here is were almost all other bands falter that try to replicate Burzum's use of synth. Either they overdo it and thereby make the synths the primary instrument, or they produce the guitars so horribly that the synths clash with the guitars instead of blending with them.
On the point of guitars, Vikerness also retains his basic power chord and tremelo style guitar lines that he used on the self titled and Det Som Engang Var. The emphasis is on quality over quantity, which is a point many black metal bands do not understand, using the simple structures of Burzum, while forgetting that what makes this cd work is the fact that the riffs are all brilliant. All of the songs flow seamlessly, and the riffs are repetitive to the point that you can't help but think that the music is simply a gateway into one's own visions and thoughts, and that the music simply acts as a catalyst, presenting possibilities and ideas to the mind.
The production remains similar to the previous full lengths, and Varg continues his high pitched and tortured vocal style. Drumming is good and simple, with fairly good production. Guitars are hazy and misty at times, but never overly harsh in the sense that they are equalized too trebly. The guitars have a good midrange sound, and this helps with the synth blend. The synths also get their own song, a song entitled "Tomhet" (emptiness) that gradually builds around a solitary synth theme, building layers over time. The song is beautiful and at the same time melancholic, and listening to this you will probably understand what I mean by the music being a "catalyst" for ones own imagination.
All in all, this is the way that it is done. Copied by hundreds of bands, but never imitated at the same level. You have not heard the full potential of black metal if you have not heard Hvis Lyset Tar Oss.
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Album Rating: 4.5
Pretty good review, though there wasn't all that much about Varg's incredibly unique vocals.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Is this the only album where every review was given a perfect 5? Great album. Tomhet is the song to relax to.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
For an album like this, I would've thought there would be more content in the review, but it's good.
Maybe I should review the album to break the streak. =DThis Message Edited On 10.26.07
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
This is a great album beginning to end but it does tend to get grating towards the end.
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No it doesn't.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Excellent review. I'm still looking for this album!
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No, it really doesn't get grating.
Sorry.
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Finally someone reviews it who knows what they're talking about.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
you can go ahead and take the "arguably" out of the summary.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Ok review, pretty short IMO.
Classic album. Fucking classic.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
All my reviews are pretty short, I just try to hit the main points of the album and give an idea of the overall atmosphere and sound.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Ya you did pretty good in getting your point of view on the album across, I guess I'm just a really big fan of longer reviews. I was actually going to review this next but you did a good job with it.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
You guys should check out Horde and Antestor. early Oslo Black Metal. Dont let the christian tag bother you, they have some excellent work that needs to go noticed here.
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I am a new member on Sputnik,and i had a question that i wanted to post on the forums but somehow i am unable to ,so i decided to put it up here so it can get some attention.I usually listen to Lamb of God,Opeth,Poison the Well and similar stuff but a few months ago i got this oppurtunity to listen to Burzum's Filosofem-and honestly i simply just blew me away.I have to admit i had never heard music so radical, affecting and gripping.Since then I have checked out other Black metal classics like Darkthrone's Transilvanian Hunger and Gorgoroth's new album.But i have also come to learn that most of the black metal musicians are white supremacists,racists,nazis and murderers-or at least support all of the above.I am Indian(not the american kind,but from the country in Asia),and probably one of the 10 people in my country who listen to Black metal,But i cannot shrug off the feeling that these artists that i appreciate so much might not appreciate my being a fan and might consider me scum that needs to be wiped from the face of the earth.I cannot come in terms with this and everytime i put the Burzum cd in,i feel uncomfortable.I was hoping if you guys can help me on this and tell me if black metal is meant only for white people and if i would be better off to avoid this music.
Please answer.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
I'm not exactly sure of a lot of their beliefs because they don't express it in their music or to the media, but as far as I know Varg was the only one that was known for having such extreme views.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
^ I'm pretty sure he is a racist, though. On his site, he has a chart of what he thinks is the average IQ of a bunch of different types of people. But yea, he does get accused of a lot of other things that he's not, such as a satanist.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
I think there's no such thing as music "designed for one race". From what I know Darkthrone are not racists at all, they are actually very laid back guys, check out youtube and watch some interviews to see what i mean. Gorgoroth are only anti-christian, as is most black metal. Varg may be racist, but give him credit for keeping it out of his music.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
Dethklok ate at the restaurant Burzums in their most recent episode.This Message Edited On 11.08.07
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LOL I GET IT
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
After reading Varg Vikernes' personal recount on his murder of Euronymous, i will not purchase his music whatsoever.
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