Jump to content

Varg Vikernes Released

Psygnosis

By Psygnosis
in Off Topic

Recommended Posts

David Grand Master

David

Posted
Posted

Whilst everyone is entitled to their opinion, I usually get my reviews from certain sources, and that isn't one of them.

 

The album has been a regular player on my ipod all week, and although it's not the best album Vikernes has ever done, it's a very good return to the fold.

 

Hopefully it won't be the last.

 

Also, Vikernes has taken part in an interview with metal-rules.com;

 

Good day to you Mr. Vikernes in wintery Norway! How is it going there, presumably there is a lot of snow all around?

 

Good day to you too. Things are fine in Norway. There is a lot of snow, but that's how it should be. It used to be like this when I was a kid, and I am happy to see true Winter return. For some reason nobody is talking about global warming anymore...

 

Thank you in advance for answering all of our questions. Several members of the Metal-Rules.com staff from Canada and Finland contributed to this interview and we look forward to reading your answers. We are also eager to hear the new Burzum album as 11 years is a long, long wait! Here we go...

 

After an 11-year break from releasing new music, how did you start creating the material, songs and, and in general, the concept for the new album, "Belus"? Did you find it a major challenge to come up with vicious and excellent sounding tunes and riffs satisfying your mind?

 

You know, I have been active all the time, to some degree anyway, so I never needed to return to anything, and the music of "Belus" is made prior to, during and after my incarceration.

 

With an international fan base, I'm sure there will be a few fans may be just a little unhappy that the album's lyrics are entirely in Norwegian. Is there a reason why you didn't use any English on the album?

 

Yes, there is a reason; American imperialism. The Romans demanded that everybody talked Latin, and the morally bankrupt USA tries and wants to be the new Roman Empire, and their Latin is American ("English"). I know I have an international fan base, and that's why you can find a French, a Russian, an Italian and possibly other translations of the lyrics as well on the burzum.org website.

 

How do you think the new album will be taken by Burzum fans, keeping in mind it's been 11 long years since your previous album, "Hli

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 227
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Moderators
Chest Rockwell Grand Master

Chest Rockwell

Posted
  • Moderators
Posted

Definitely. You don't even need to go to another medium to find something comparable. There's music that I like that could quite easily be described as silly.

 

But I don't think it's as simple as "you either like a type of music or you don't". You definitely cultivate a taste for things, especially when you really get into a genre. E.g. to continue with rock and metal as an example - back when I was listening to Sabbath/ACDC/Metallica and a buddy of mine lent me Vulgar Display of Power it was just noise to my ears. fast forward a couple years and I could actually understand what the singer in At the Gates was saying when was singing. As I continued to develop an ear for heavier stuff, I listened to a bunch of death metal and black metal. And for me, although I found something I liked in pretty much any sub genre of rock/metal that you care to name, black metal never really stuck for me.

 

So no, I don't think "you either like a type of music or you don't". And to that end, I wonder if you would care to attempt to distill for me in words what the appeal to black metal is? I know it's tough, but it's not like being asked by someone who only listens to Cliff Richard and says "oh it's all noise that stuff".

Link to comment
Share on other sites
David Grand Master

David

Posted
Posted
And to that end, I wonder if you would care to attempt to distill for me in words what the appeal to black metal is? I know it's tough, but it's not like being asked by someone who only listens to Cliff Richard and says "oh it's all noise that stuff".

It is tough to put into words.

 

I can be listening to a Mayhem album for example, and my girlfriend will complain that it's just "noise". Obviously it doesn't sound that way to me, so i'm not entirely sure what the factor is that allows me to hear it differently from her.

 

Whatever the case, I usually enjoy my more heavy albums on headphones, because even a guy who listens to a nasty racist murderer has to do exactly what his better half tells him ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Loki Grand Master

Loki

Posted
Posted

Atonal or experimental music is always something that requires experience of the genre to appreciate otherwise it will ressemble "noise". Scott Walker's albums are often incredibly challenging to listen to for non-aficionados, but they are hugely artistic.

 

From the sounds of that review, Varg's album's main issue is not being "noise", it's being boring.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Moderators
Chest Rockwell Grand Master

Chest Rockwell

Posted
  • Moderators
Posted

I'm not talking about noise, dammit, I'm talking about black metal being silly! Stick to the topic.

 

I quite like the whole vibe and imagery of that dark scandinavian mythology.. but when a leatherclad dude in white face paint sings about it in broken english it is silly and camp to my ears. It's not dark or sinister, it's a joke. The synths aren't ambient, they're cheesy.

 

What is it y'all like about black metal?? Do you like the lyrics? Do they speak to you? create a vivid picture? Or is the voice merely an instrument in the sonic tableau that you enjoy? What do you like about the music? Do you like the raw sound of the really lo fi production stuff, do you like the ambience? Explain it to me, please...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
David Grand Master

David

Posted
Posted
I quite like the whole vibe and imagery of that dark scandinavian mythology.. but when a leatherclad dude in white face paint sings about it in broken english it is silly and camp to my ears. It's not dark or sinister, it's a joke. The synths aren't ambient, they're cheesy.

Although i'm a fan of the music, i'm certainly not a fan of the whole corpsepaint/leather scene, and would agree that it is rather silly.

 

What is it y'all like about black metal?? Do you like the lyrics? Do they speak to you? create a vivid picture? Or is the voice merely an instrument in the sonic tableau that you enjoy? What do you like about the music? Do you like the raw sound of the really lo fi production stuff, do you like the ambience? Explain it to me, please...

It's tough to explain Rockwell, it really is.

 

Each album is different, and has a different effect on you, and will be listened to in a different mood and setting.

 

For example, the new Burzum album isn't one I would proceed to put on my stereo at 2pm on a Saturday while i'm playing Xbox. It's definately an evening album to listened to whilst chilling out with a beer and your headphones on.

 

Whilst Mayhem will be blasted at full volume on a Friday night during a gathering of friends.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Loki Grand Master

Loki

Posted
Posted

Just to clarify, I think Black Metal is the drizzling shits. I was merely making a point about some music being more challenging sonically.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Loki Grand Master

Loki

Posted
Posted

Too fucking right. Besides the awful music, you've got the hideously unfashionable attire, the poor hygiene and the bad social skills to contend with. It's a minefield.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...