Varg Vikernes has been especially active since his release from prison in 2009: This Spring he’s unleashing Fallen, Burzum’s second post-incarceration collection, and eighth album overall. (It’s the first to have a proper North American release.) Because of his much-discussed politics, Vikernes will always have detractors, but it’s difficult to criticize his music. Fallen showcases excellently well-paced, idiosyncratic, mature, raw but refined black metal: He pushes his voice in new directions, uses more progressive song structures and melodies (on “Jeg Faller” he layers his voice like a Heathen youth crew); the guitar sound’s beautiful, the ambient pieces full of expressive textures and real emotion (closer “Til Hel og tilbake igjen” is like old Japanese psych folk crew Ghost haunting the Norwegian countryside). It’s maybe even better than Belus, Haunting The Chapel’s No. 10 album of last year, though I need more listens before I start making those sorts of claims. In a statement about Fallen‘s sound from earlier this month, Vikernes said:
Musically Fallen is a cross between Belus and something new, inspired more by the debut album and Det Som Engang Var than by Hvis Lyset Tar Oss or Filosofem. The sound is more dynamic. We mastered the album as if it was classical music and I was more experimental than I was on Belus in all respects. Lyrically it is similar to the debut album, in the way that it is more personal and focuses on existential issues. But the mythological undertone known from Belus is still there. I have also included some ambient tracks, a short introduction and a longer conclusion.
The guy’s always good at describing his own work, so I asked him for additional background on standout track “Vanvidd.” Read Varg’s explanation before you listen:
“Vanvidd” translates as “madness,’ or better “lunacy,” and is a song in praise of all those who have the guts to stand out and break from conformity — and who are seen as lunatics and losers by the vulgar masses for doing so. These “lunatics” are also, in some sense, fallen individuals. In addition to that I want to say that lunacy is not (always) a bad thing. Most innovative men in history were lunatics … like Leonardo da Vinci, Alexander the Great, Richard the Lionheart, to name a few.
Fallen:
01 “Fra Verdenstreet”
02 “Jeg Faller”
03 “Valen”
04 “Vanvidd”
05 “Enhver til Sitt”
06 “Budstikken”
07 “Til Hel Og Tilbake Igjen”
Fallen is out 4/5 via Byelobog (and Candlelight in North America). The cover, featuring a painting by William Adolphe Bouguereau, is obviously different than Burzum’s previous art design. Vikernes said of it:
[T]he cover is part of a painting called Elegy. I used it in this context because the album deals with the concept of falling, not least in a metaphysical sense. By definition, ‘elegy’ means a mournful, melancholy, or plaintive poem. It is a funeral song or a lament for the dead. It is a poem written in elegiac meter or a sad or mournful musical composition.
If you want additional information on Burzum, along with my thoughts on his beliefs, I spoke with Varg at length last year.
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Nice. I totally agree with your assessment of this album, though I am prepared to say I like it better than Belus…it blew my mind immediately.
Double take: I have never liked Burzum, always thought Vang was racist and the music grating. I also don’t like this one. Your thoughts?
My thoughts are that we don’t care what you think.
Our numbers are growing.
3:40 – 4:50ish is why I’m starting to love black metal. It’s that “gasping for air” vocal in black metal that is so cool and scary.
ugh. why does stereogum keep promoting this bigoted asshole? the less we see about burzum, the better.
He finally lives up to his name and howl like a wolf at 3:57!
Varg”s mind is genious!
I really didn’t like belus, i tried to listen to it and was bored out of my mind. this album, on the other hand, holy crap. Just great, and i like the new direction with the cover art too. Very cool varg.
A few days ago I listened to “Belus” at least and it just blew me away. I’m sure that the new one will also be great. Varg is one of the best composers in the whole history of extreme metal genre, his riffs are so simple and yet are so mesmerizing!
If ever an artist deserved to have their album illegally downloaded…
Beauty and Fragility of a pale, nude Woman…
It’s so hard as a Converge-loving leftist to see this music for JUST the music. But I felt like the drive of this song was tiring… I guess in pop terms, I would say it has no hook for me. The main guitar melody reminded me of Flamenco, it is based around a scale that feels different for Black Metal. I like the intent here and I see somewhat where he was going, maybe repeated listens will give me a clearer idea.
“It’s so hard as a Converge-loving leftist to see this music for JUST the music. ”
As a Converge-loving leftist I really don’t think most people gives a fuck what you think about this or about black metal in general. Your opinion is meaningless.
Now go work on your gauges so you can look more like a Bantu tribesman.