Search - Burzum :: Hudhskjalf

Wow...

Matt Pullen | USA, Maryland | 09/01/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well, this certainly isn't a bad way for Varg to end his twelve-year relationship with his Burzum project. From the start of his career, he made love to the music in a more aggressive manner with raw and dominating black metal. Comparing the start of his career to the time set of this album, Varg has slowed down and decided to nurture the music in a less impressionable manner and in more of an abstruse sense, rather than go to war with it in an enterprising and militant battery. For starters, the production is completely serene unlike all of his other releases. Although there are only keyboards at work, it's not as scruffy and sloven sounding as Daudi Baldrs.



Although the melodies are somewhat repetitive and show minimalism, they are very captivating and sometimes soporific. However, just because some tracks may induce the will to play this before sleep, don't think that this album is subdued into the realm of firmness and stability. Some tracks are very dark in atmosphere with some creepy effects and sounds (Tuistos Herz and Ansuzgardaraiwo are good examples of the dismal and swarthy sound I'm referring to). It's quite obvious that this wasn't an album that was made from skill, per say...but rather it was made from pure, raw, and uncontaminated emotion which had probably been dwelling in Varg for some time. It's impossible to lend your ears a brief listen to this album to be able to fully appreciate it; you have to sit and really listen to catch the twists, turns, and complexities.



This is the kind of ambient material suitable for a dark and rainy day, for when you can light a candle in the dark and brood until you lose yourself in the passion and intensity. If you're looking for some super, awe-filled piano shredding ambience, you shouldn't expect it from this. This is more or less for the cognitive musician who is able to think abstractly and not go ape over how grim or necro something is. If you can appreciate ambience and true passion, then this should be right up your alley."

Fantastic ambient music

mysanthropyk_overlord | USA | 04/03/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In all honesty, I'm a huge fan of Burzum's metal work, but the Count's ambient synth music is simply incredible as well. It makes perfect atmospheric music; not something I listen to as stand-alone entertainment, but it's great for atmosphere and helps me during times of deep thought, creative writing, and even composing my own music (even though I'm writing dark-metal). The story line to this album is interesting even though I'm not an Odinist, and the music is perfect to bring images into the listener's mind while envisioning the tale that Grishnackh tells through his keyboards. Highly recommended to anyone who can get past Varg's "image" and concentrate on the important part - his musical genius."