Burzum - Belus (March 2010)

[Jim Necroslaughter]

The coming album is called "Den Hvite Guden" (The White God) and is a musical and lyrical description of the the White God (alias Apollon, Baldr, Belenus, Belus, Bragi, Byelobog, Jarilo, et cetera) and the annual events of his life.

You can expect to see "The White God" around March-April (anno 2010), when he traditionally returns from the hidden world of shadows.

Respectfully,
Varg Vikernes
(14.11.2009)

- Notice that it will center around Apollo as opposed to Dionysus (or Hades).  The first "white" metal album (so to speak)?

[HessianObscura]

I can add that just like on the other metal albums (with the exception of "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss") "Den Hvite Guden" features some very old Burzum tracks. "Filosofem" featured the "Burzum" track, from 1991, and "Den Hvite Guden" will feature the "Uruk-Hai" track, from 1988-1989, although the title and the lyrics have been changed to fit the new concept. It will also feature the original "Dauđi Baldrs" metal track, from 1993. In a sense this album too will not be "new material", but just a collection of previously unpublished tracks; some new, some old. If some think my composing skills have disappeared altogether, then at least there will be some gems for them too.

We wait.

[nothingnowhere]

I've been waiting for this news for a while and it's great to finally hear. This could be another case for a revival of metal. Let's hope it pulls through.

[41|>5]

Finally!

[tumours for TV stars]

Vikernes makes some interesting comments at the official website regarding the new album, it's reassuring to hear him speak about its ideal listening conditions for example. He seems to have kept the original spirit - "to stimulate the fantasy of mortals".

[Stars Down To Earth]

http://www.burzum.com/eng/library/a_burzum_story10.shtml

"White God" is such a terrible title, I can't tell if the racist double entendre is intentional or not.

That being said, it is almost relieving to see an article from Varg. One of the few musicians in the "scene" worth respecting. Although I was similarly impressed by the interview with Beherit  (even if a little crude).

[Cargést]

"The White God" is one of the epithets of Baldr.  It's not racist (and even if it is, fuck you!)

[Conservationist]

Accuracy.

[Jim Necroslaughter]

oh noes!  that isn't the actual album cover, is it?  I sure hope Varg changes it - seems subtly homoerotic.

[Cargést]

Somebody commented on that picture, saying "I love how just his thumb is in the other guy's pocket".

[beyond_godlike]

This album is going to make so much money;  I can't imagine how Varg will spend it. $50 bucks says a track from this album will make it on to MTV.

[Arctic Sun]

This album is going to make so much money;  I can't imagine how Varg will spend it.

Assuming the album does sell relatively well, I wonder how the following snippet from a recent interview will come into play:

I have zero in income and will never be able to repay what I owe [for alleged church burnings]. The only way out is bankruptcy. Then I can perhaps earn my own money in five years.

[Weltmacht]

The direction that this thread has taken is an example of one of the reasons that I stopped regularly posting. Who cares about the specifics of a domain name argument that has been going on for eight years? There was a falling out and now there are two sites that serve different purposes. It's water under the bridge.

Back to the original discussion about the new album, what is everybody looking for in this? Vikernes has said that it will include some old, old tracks, including a metal version of one of the electronic songs. I think this would be a pretty good fit since several of them sound like they were written with standard metal instrumentation in mind. I'd like to see it continue in the ambient vein of Hvis Lyset Tar Oss and Filosofem since I found that more engaging than the earlier stuff. I also hope that the vocals are done in the Filosofem style since something tells me that he might not be capable of the shrieks heard on the earliest records anymore.

Any other thoughts/hopes/fears about it?

[Jim Necroslaughter]

Any other thoughts/hopes/fears about it?

What I find most interesting is that album will be about/was inspired by Apollo.  Whereas the traditional "patron Gods" of metal have been Dionysus and/or Hades - I suppose you could mention Thor and Odin as well.  Broadly speaking, metal has been about death, darkness, war, storms.  Apollo does NOT represent these things.  Apollo is the god of order and light.  Perhaps this will be metal "post-nihilism."

[Weltmacht]

I thought that was kind of interesting as well. I guess it's because he equates Apollo with Baldr, about whom he has already written one album (which is what makes me wonder if there will be more than remake of a song from Daudi Baldrs). Since he said he was looking for something pan-Indo-European, I'm surprised that he didn't instead pick Zeus (and his variants like Jupiter, Dyaus Pitar, and Tiwaz/Tyr), who is definitely the oldest god in the entire pantheon. If he can stick to the tentative release schedule of April, we should hopefully be able to hear at least a preview sometime in the near future.