Burzum was a Norwegian music project founded by Varg Vikernes in 1991. Although Burzum never played live performances, it became a part of the early Norwegian black metal scene and is considered one of the most influential acts in black metal’s history. He has also released four dark ambient and neofolk albums. The word "burzum" means "darkness" in the black speech, a fictional language crafted by Lord of the Rings writer J. R. R. Tolkien. Burzum's lyrics and imagery are often inspired by fantasy and Norse mythology, and do not feature the political views Vikernes is known for.
Bathory was a Swedish extreme metal band formed in Vällingby, Sweden, in March 1983. Named after Hungarian countess Elizabeth Báthory, they are considered pioneers of black metal and Viking metal, and one of the most influential acts in heavy metal as a whole. Lords of Chaos described Bathory's first four albums as "the blueprint for Scandinavian black metal." Acts influenced by their early records include Mayhem, Burzum, Darkthrone, Gorgoroth, Satyricon, Emperor, Dark Funeral, Marduk and Dimmu Borgir.
Dark Side of the Spoon is the seventh studio album by American industrial metal band Ministry, released on June 8, 1999 by Warner Bros. Records. "Bad Blood" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2000.
Louis Cachet, better known as Varg Vikernes, is a Norwegian musician, writer and convicted felon. In 1991, he founded the one-man music project Burzum, which became one of the most influential black metal acts. In 1994, he was convicted of murder and arson, and subsequently served 15 years in prison.
Burzum is the debut studio album by the Norwegian black metal solo project of the same name. 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.
Hvis lyset tar oss is the third studio album by Norwegian black metal solo project Burzum. It was recorded in September 1992, but was not released until April 1994, whereupon it was released through Misanthropy Records and 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 May 1986 by Noise Records. Pleasure to Kill is widely considered a thrash metal classic, as well as a landmark album in the history of thrash metal along with Master of Puppets by Metallica, Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? by Megadeth, Reign in Blood by Slayer, Eternal Devastation by Destruction and Darkness Descends by Dark Angel, all released in 1986. The album played a considerable role in the development of many extreme metal subgenres, and death metal bands such as Cannibal Corpse cite the album as an influence. The lyrical themes follow those found on their first album Endless Pain, containing descriptions of macabre scenes of death and horror. Just like that album and Terrible Certainty, Kreator were a three-piece band during the recording of Pleasure to Kill; on some early pressings, guitarist Michael Wulf, who was briefly a member of Kreator, was erroneously credited as a band member in the liner notes.
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' 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 album by the Norwegian solo act Burzum. Unlike Burzum's previous work, which was mostly black metal, this is a dark 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.
Eirik Hundvin, also known as Pytten, is a producer and recording engineer for many classic black metal albums, mainly by Norwegian bands, nearly all of which were recorded in the Grieg Hall in Bergen.
Xasthur is the project of American musician Scott "Malefic" Conner. Conner formed Xasthur in 1995 and released eight studio albums of black metal by 2010, when he announced the end of the project. However, he revived it in 2015 to focus on acoustic neofolk music, releasing a ninth album, Subject to Change, in 2016.
A Gate Through Bloodstained Mirrors is a 2001 demo by the American black metal one-man-band Xasthur. Reviews of that release, first published by Profane Productions as a limited CD-R edition of 150 copies, proved to be positive, comparing the material to old Graveland and Burzum. With the increasing cult status of Xasthur, the demo was reissued by Total Holocaust Records, featuring a different mix and track list. This edition was also published as a double-12" vinyl release by Debemur Morti Productions (2004) and finally by Hydra Head Records. The record is rumored to have influenced at least one suicide.
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.
Fallen is the eighth studio album by the Norwegian artist Burzum, released on 7 March 2011 through Byelobog Productions.
Here and Now is the seventh studio album by Canadian rock band Nickelback, and is their last to be released on Roadrunner Records. The album was released on November 21, 2011. It is the follow-up to their multi-platinum selling Dark Horse in 2008. On September 26, the band officially released two singles, "When We Stand Together" and "Bottoms Up". Both songs were made available for download on September 27, 2011. The first track of the record, "This Means War", was released on November 10, 2011 as the third single. The album's cover features Vancouver's Gastown Steam Clock. The clock is set at 11:21, the date the album was released.
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.
