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After being imprisoned for murdering Mayhem guitarist Euronymous, Varg “Count Grishnackh” Vikernes is now free to take his infamous musical legacy to magnificent new heights. With a back catalogue widely regarded as some of the best albums in black metal, “Belus” proves that Varg’s talents as a songwriter never faded after all these years.
As for the controversy, it’s best to treat Burzum and Varg’s crimes and writings separately. He himself assured that the band stands only for music and not the right-wing extremism of his published views. A recent interview states, “If those who are not like me are able to enjoy my music, that is all fine by me. Be a Christian-born black, gay feminist converted to Judaism for all I care, or worse, a Muslim. Just stay off my lawn.”
“Belus” is an all-Norwegian concept album centered on its eponymous solar deity, whose familiar manifestations include Baldr and Apollo. The introductory track “Leukes Renkespill” chimes in with the hammer and anvil of the Loki, aka Hephaistos, stressing the common ancestry of Indo-European mythologies.
The first real song, “Belus’ Død,” is a sinister march into the past, right back to early ’90s Norway. In fact, it would fit perfectly on his second album “Det Som Engang Var,” though with tremolo harmonies that bring “Filosofem” to mind. On the one hand this is classic Burzum, with simple drumbeats and signature melodies. On the other hand, it’s immediately evident that Varg’s prowess as a guitarist has not only survived prison, but has also taken a quantum leap.
Vocal-wise, Varg’s still got it, though his trademark screams have matured into an echoing shriek that suits the warmer, but still raw-as-hell production — likely due to the use of digital and no longer analog equipment. The use of spoken-word verses is incredibly effective and often introduces new themes within songs. For example, “Kaimadalthas’ Nedstigning” oscillates between an angry blast-beat riff and a chanted refrain before launching into perhaps the most majestic moment on the album when Varg’s guitar work shines brightest.
“Glemselens Elv” may be the most beautiful Burzum song ever written, with a melody guaranteed to make you sway to and fro in a meditative trance. All the while tremolo riffs float above the rhythm in perfect harmony. It clocks in at eleven minutes, one for every year since we’ve gotten a release from this stellar songwriter.
The album’s perfect structure builds with increasing tempo, peaks at “Sverddans” — featuring an old school guitar solo — and then decreases. By the final song, the drums have simply melted away.
A key feature of the early ’90s albums was the presence of ambient tracks, here absent. This is well forgiven by the fact that his prison term gave us two full electronic albums in the form of “Dauði Baldrs” and “Hliðskjálf.”
In short, this is not your typical comeback album. This is the product of a decade-and-a-half of refinement and meditation, and we all knew it would come one day. So here it is, a landmark release that should set the standard for extreme metal in the new decade.
Grade: A
Bangor Daily News