Search - Burzum :: Filosofem

Mesmerizing Art

Old T.B. | Cheyenne, Wy USA | 10/01/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This lo-fi production blends buzzsaw guitars and barking vocals with dark ambient instrumental pieces. Yes, the twenty-five minute piece is repetitive, but it works. I'm not sure I can explain adequately, but I find this album a mesmerizing piece of art. It has faults, but, all in all, it works."

"To stimulate the fantasies of mortals...to make them dream.

Andreas Faust | Tasmanian Autonomous Zone | 01/24/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"'Filosofem' seems always to have been the most popular Burzum release, and while lacking the utter perfection of 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss' (see my review of that), it is still a fantastic piece of work, epic and full of anguish. The guitar sound is crisper and more defined than other Burzum releases, yet still has a beautiful coldness, all washing and swathe-like. Folk art by Theodor Kittelsen illustrates the sleeve, and while Kittelsen seems to be a favourite with Norwegian musicians from Wongraven to When, rarely has any music matched the atmosphere of his drawings as it does here.



"Suddenly, life has new meaning..." It's hard not to feel a chill down the spine as Varg sings that line...or during the entirety of 'Beholding the Daughters of the Firmament', where a poem by Tolkien is changed to mirror the dreadful cold of winter and ancient night. Yes, this is a quintessential Burzumic release..."