| Fallen | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 7 March 2011 | |||
| Genre | Black metal [1] Neo-Folk | |||
| Length | 47:41 | |||
| Label | Byelobog Productions | |||
| Burzum chronology | ||||
| ||||
Fallen is the eighth studio album by the Norwegian artist Burzum, released on 7 March 2011 through Byelobog Productions.
The cover art is taken from the painting Elegy (1899) by French painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau.
Fallen was recorded and mixed during two weeks in Grieghallen studios, using a Spector bass with alembic electronics on a Vox AC50 amp from 1965, a Ludwig drum kit (with a 26-inch kick) from 1975, a Neumann M149 microphone and stereo Schoeps CMTS 501 U microphones for vocals, an OBH Nordica Harmony 6487, a custom Stig instrument and a Peavey 23 guitar on a Peavey 6505 (120 Watt) amp. [2]
According to Varg Vikernes himself, "Musically Fallen is like 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. Lyricwise 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". [2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| About.com |    [3] |
| AllMusic | [1] |
| The Boston Phoenix | [4] |
About.com critic Dave Schalek wrote: "Though Fallen is harsh, the viciousness of classic Burzum prior to Vikernes’ incarceration is absent." Schalek also concluded that the record "is probably best viewed as a lateral move from Burzum, and not much more." [3] AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadavia thought that the album's "combination of staying the course and failing to impress when risks are taken ultimately gives it something of a leftover taste and suggests that Varg might want to invest a little more time in conjuring Burzum's next opus." [1] Janssen McCormick of The Boston Phoenix described the album "a feral bookend to another enthralling Burzum album as forward-looking, but far more mature, than Vikernes's pre-incarceration output." [4]
All tracks are written by Varg Vikernes
| No. | Title | Translation (by Varg Vikernes) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fra verdenstreet" | From the World Tree | 1:03 |
| 2. | "Jeg faller" | I Am Falling | 7:50 |
| 3. | "Valen" | Fallen | 9:21 |
| 4. | "Vanvidd" | Madness | 7:05 |
| 5. | "Enhver til sitt" | Each Man to His Own | 6:16 |
| 6. | "Budstikken" | The Message | 10:09 |
| 7. | "Til Hel og tilbake igjen" | To Hel and Back Again | 5:57 |
| Total length: | 47:41 | ||
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [5] | 10 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [6] | 27 |
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, a shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, raw (lo-fi) recording, unconventional song structures, and an emphasis on atmosphere. Artists often appear in corpse paint and adopt pseudonyms.
Burzum was a Norwegian music project founded by Varg Vikernes in 1991. Although Burzum never played live performances, it became a staple of the early Norwegian black metal scene and is considered one of the most influential acts in black metal's history. Vikernes has also released five dark ambient and neofolk albums. The word "burzum" means "darkness" in the Black Speech, a fictional language crafted by The Lord of the Rings writer J. R. R. Tolkien. Burzum's lyrics and imagery are often inspired by fantasy and Norse mythology.
Louis Cachet, better known as Varg Vikernes, is a Norwegian musician and author best known for his early black metal albums and later crimes. His first five records, released under the name Burzum from 1992 to 1996, made him one of the most influential figures in the early Norwegian black metal scene. He was convicted of murder and arson in 1994 and sentenced to 21 years in prison, being released after serving 15 years.
Mayhem is a Norwegian black metal band formed in Langhus in 1984. They were one of the founders of the Norwegian black metal scene and their music has strongly influenced the black metal genre. Mayhem's early career was highly controversial, primarily due to their notorious live performances, the 1991 suicide of vocalist Per Yngve Ohlin ("Dead") and the 1993 murder of guitarist Øystein Aarseth ("Euronymous") by former member Varg Vikernes of Burzum.
The early Norwegian black metal scene of the 1990s is credited with creating the modern black metal genre and produced some of the most acclaimed and influential artists in extreme metal. It attracted massive media attention when it was revealed that its members had been responsible for two murders, a suicide, and a wave of church burnings in Norway.
Hliðskjálf is the sixth studio album by Norwegian solo artist Burzum. This album was the second to be recorded by Varg Vikernes while he was imprisoned for murder and arson and also Burzum's second ambient album. Dauði Baldrs and Hliðskjálf were created with synthesized instruments as he was not allowed any other instruments while being imprisoned. For this album, Vikernes was allowed to have the keyboard and recording device for only one week. The first pressing of its vinyl format release was pressed on a shiny burnished color reminiscent of gold.
Burzum is the debut studio album by the Norwegian black metal solo project Burzum. It was released in March 1992, through Euronymous's label Deathlike Silence Productions. Six of the songs were later re-recorded in 2010 and released on the album From the Depths of Darkness, as Varg Vikernes was dissatisfied with some of the original vocals and production.
Aske is an EP by Norwegian black metal solo project Burzum. Though recorded in April and August 1992, after Det som engang var, it was released before that album in March 1993, through Deathlike Silence Productions.
Transilvanian Hunger is the fourth studio album by Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone. It was released 17 February 1994 by Peaceville Records.
Hvis lyset tar oss is the third studio album by Norwegian black metal solo project Burzum. It was recorded in September 1992, but not released until April 1994, through Misanthropy Records and Varg Vikernes' own record label, Cymophane Productions.
Det som engang var is the second studio album by the Norwegian black metal solo project Burzum. It was recorded in April 1992 and released in August 1993 through Burzum's own label, Cymophane Productions.
Pleasure to Kill is the second studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, released in November 1986 by Noise Records.
Filosofem is the fourth studio album by Norwegian black metal solo project Burzum. It was recorded in March 1993 and was the last recording before Varg Vikernes was sentenced to prison in 1994; the album was not released until January 1996, however. It was released through Misanthropy Records and Vikernes's own record label, Cymophane Productions. A music video was made for the song "Dunkelheit" and received airtime on both MTV and VH1.
Dauði Baldrs is the fifth studio album by the Norwegian solo act Burzum. Unlike Burzum's previous work, which was mostly black metal, this is a ambient album. It was recorded using a synthesizer and a normal tape recorder by Varg Vikernes while he was in prison, as he was not allowed to have any other instruments or recording equipment. It was completed in a few months due to his limited access to synthesizers, which was also the case with the following album, Hliðskjálf.
Belus is the seventh full-length album by the Norwegian one-man band Burzum. Released on 8 March 2010 through Byelobog Productions, it is the first Burzum studio album to be recorded after a near 11-year hiatus.
From the Depths of Darkness is a compilation album by one-man musical project Burzum, released on 6 December 2011 through Byelobog Productions. It consists of newly re-recorded tracks from Burzum's first two albums, Burzum (1992) and Det som engang var (1993), along with three new tracks.
Umskiptar is the ninth studio album by the Norwegian one-man band Burzum, released on 21 May 2012 through Byelobog Productions. It has been described by Varg Vikernes as a "return to the roots", with a priority on atmosphere. The album's lyrics are taken from an Old Norse poem entitled Völuspá. The album was leaked two months before its release date, due, according to Vikernes, to a former PR agent of his having "sent promotional copies of the entire album to left wing extremist magazines" without his knowledge or consent.
Sôl austan, Mâni vestan is the tenth studio album by the Norwegian act Burzum. It was announced in February 2013 and released through Byelobog Productions on 27 May 2013.
The Ways of Yore is the eleventh studio album by Norwegian musical project Burzum, released on 2 June 2014 by sole member Varg Vikernes' label Byelobog Productions. The album retains the ambient and medieval music sound Vikernes started with Burzum's previous album, Sôl austan, Mâni vestan, albeit introducing vocals.
Thulêan Mysteries is the twelfth and final studio album by Norwegian musical project Burzum, released on 13 March 2020 through Byelobog Productions. It is a double album, comprising the sporadic and random tracks written and recorded by Varg Vikernes since 2014's The Ways of Yore.
