Customer Reviews

Belus

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Interesting how things change. 'Burzum' (meaning 'the darkness') has released an album dedicated to Belus, the Indo-European deity of light. Far from being contradictory, however, Varg's opposition to Judeo-Christianity hasn't wavered a bit - just his conception of where he stands in relation to it. Originally he thought of himself as a force of darkness, but now he sees Judeo-Christianity itself as the darkness, and so opposes it with a force of light.

The music itself is both dark and bright, sunlight and shadow. On one track the guitars form a cold pre-dawn mist, on another they dance like a rainbow on a waterfall.

'Belus' Død' is a powerful and older piece, dating back to the time of 'Filosofem', and indeed its opening riff was also used in a less powerful way on 'Dauði Baldrs'. Now, played on guitar, it sounds truly overwhelming. On the other hand, 'Sverddans' ('Sword Dance') features music Varg wrote when he was sixteen, sounding like raw death metal à la Darkthrone's 'Goatlord', and this doesn't fit in very well with the other pieces.

More recent compositions like 'Glemselens Elv' ('The River of Forgetfulness'), 'Keliohesten' ('The Horse of Kelio') and 'Morgenrøde' ('Dawn') are strong, hypnotic, shimmering and deeply beautiful.

The lyrics, now translated into English and other languages on the Burzum website, are excellent.

While 'Belus' isn't as good as Varg's masterpiece 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss', it stands alongside his other albums and is musically perhaps most similar to 'Filosofem'. It's good to see Varg out in the 'world' again, continuing his artistic mission and offending so many repressed, politically correct idiots by his mere existence. 'Belus' is an album I will listen to many times in the future.

Welcome back...

Belus 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." according to Varg Vikernes. The entire album tells the story of Belus through words and music.

Comparisons to previous Burzum albums are inevitable I suppose, but not really all that relevant. Artists are people and evolve over time. The most you can hope for is for an artist to stay true to what made them great in the first place, and I believe Belus shows that Varg has remained very true. He has progressed immensely as an instrumentalist and vocalist, and matured as a songwriter. If the goal of an artist is self-expression than I think Varg succeeds tremendously. I experience very strong, subtle, diverse emotions listening to Burzum, and not just the one-dimensional moods of most metal music.

Belus is a long-form work. The goal here is not to blast you with impressive feats of virtuosity or complexity; the goal is to tell a tale with words and music. This is a very meditative album and may take several listens to get the meaning of. I recommend reading the lyrics as well, which can be found in many languages at [...].

The production is much cleaner than previous albums in many ways, but also somewhat muted sounding. It almost sounds muddy to me at times, but closer listening reveals many many layers going on. The vocals are very different from previous Burzum vocals. Much more controlled, but also much quieter in the mix. I really really loved Varg's old vocal style, but the new style does work better for storytelling. It is still a strong, harsh voice, but much less like a soul experiencing total anguish. There is even a good amount of sub bass on this album!

Here's a run through of the songs:

1. The Intrigues of Leuke (Introduction)

A simple intro...just the sound of a hammer beating metal, implying the secretive work of Leuke, who kills Belus.

2. The Death of Belus

This song begins with a familiar melody from Daudi Baldrs. Great catchy riffs that set the tone for everything to come. Leuke murders Belus. A great sense of danger and adventure. Be sure to read the lyrics!

3. The River of Forgetfulness

An excellent song describing the funeral(?) of Belus. This song gets stuck in my head for days! Such a mixture of majesty and sorrow in this song. The lyrics are very meaningful as Belus begins the journey to the underworld, while promising to return.

4. The Descent of Kaimadalthas

This song ups the intensity quite a bit. The tale of Belus's travels in the land of the dead. A great sense of adventure. The spoken parts are very evocative.

5. Sword Dance

The battle between Belus and the winter spirit. This is battle music! Winter spirit, you shall die! This is the most intense song of the album because it is the battle between summer and winter!

6. The Horse of Kelio

The aftermath of the battle. The spirit of winter has been defeated, but the feeling of intensity lingers as the world recovers.

7. Dawn

The first Sunday of spring. A strong feeling of reverence and power, and yet sorrow perhaps for what has happened. This song amazes me with it's complexity and subtlety of emotions.

8. The Return of Belus (Conclusion)

This is an instrumental song that invites reflection on the tale of Belus. It is very long and meditative and completes the mood of the album very well. I think of cycles of the seasons, the promise of spring is also the promise of autumn. Opposites dancing around each other for eternity.

It is entirely possible I have just butchered the tale of Belus due to my ignorance of the story. I knew nothing of it before this album, but now I am much more interested in learning the rest. This album has come to be very meaningful to me as spring is now arriving and world comes alive. As I walk down my street I look into the giant oak trees and see that little bit of mistletoe and think of Belus....

i think people are hyping this album up a bit too much, i have found a time and place to enjoy this album but all in all its just another decent black metal album with the all too like muffled guitars and drumkit sounding like its under 1000 pounds of blankets, for some reason i was kinda excited to hear what varg had come up with over the years and perhaps i was expecting more, i see some people breaking the songs down as if there sum intricate piece of music but the riffs and drums on this album are really just pretty basic and typical metal riffs..ill end my rant here.

It has been eleven years since the release of the last Burzum album, the electronic Hlidskjalf, and fourteen since the last "metal" Burzum album, the incredible Filosofem. Now, Belus is available, and my world is better for it.

At the risk of lapsing into superlatives, Belus is an amazing piece of music, full of drive and power, with no weak tracks. Productionwise, Belus is one of the cleanest sounding Burzum albums, though production is the last thing on my mind regarding Burzum music. I believe that "Glemselens Elv" and "Morgenroede" are two of the most majestic sounding songs in the Burzum catalog. Some of Varg Vikernes' vocals on Belus will flash fans back to the early albums, but there are some changes, as well. For example, "Glemselens Elv" has some chantlike vocals, "Kaimadalthas' Nedstigning" and "Morgenroede" have spoken parts, and "Sverddans" has a deeper, more gutteral style. Regardless of any variations from past albums, this music is unquestionably, inimitably Burzum. Mr. Vikernes has lost none of his musical genius.

I will admit that I would have liked the addition of one or two ambient pieces, but that is my preference, not a complaint. Also, if one downloads Belus, you get some unwelcome breaks in the music. Still, I am glad I downloaded it; I'll just have to purchase an import copy later on.

It may be early to write this, but I'll do it: I think that Belus ranks among the best of Varg Vikernes' work, with Filosofem and Hvis Lyset Tar Oss. Most highly recommended. Essential.

I've read a lot of so-so reviews but I find this album to be no disappointment. Another emotional, dark, trance-inducing, hauntingly beautiful journey from the mind and heart of a very unusual individual. Thanks Varg.

Master Vikernes did it again. This album is a masterpiece and a great evolution, different voice, great music and cool lyrics. To resume... Is perfect

ACTUALLY, LIVED UP IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. I FIGURED AFTER ALL THIS TIME. THE BURZUM SOUND MIGHT CHANGE AND I MAY NOT CARE FOR IT. HOW WRONG I WAS. WHENVER I HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS IN LIFE THEY ARE ALWAYS LET DOWN.ONE EXPECTION THE NEW BURZUM CD.

BELUS HAS THE SOUND I LOVE. THE IMPENDING DOOM AND EVERTHING COMING TO AN END FEELING. THIS IS REALLY A GREAT CD. I WILL NOT COMPARE TO PREVIOUS BURZUM CDS AS THAT WAS A DIFFERENT TIME.WHILE I GET BORED SO EASY WHEN IT COMES TO MUSIC.

BURZUM IS THE EXEPTION.(ALSO ASPHYX, PESTILENCE,EYEHATEGOD).THE SOUND ON THIS CD REMINDS ME OF AN AFTERNOON VERY VERY DARK CLOUDS, TORNADO WARNINGS ON TV, AND YOU ASK YOURSELF, "COULD THIS BE MY LAST DAY ON EARTH."(ALIVE)

S

Every review I read seems to lack any objectivity and concentrates more on "Varg is a madman so his album must be terrible" type lines of thought. I'll do my best to not follow that, nor praise the man as some sort of cult hero.

The first time I listened to the album I wasn't at all impressed. To the contrary I didn't like it at all. I've now gone through a few times and it's growing on me. This is exactly what happened with Filsofem (arguably the blueprint for the black metal genre for a good decade upon its release) however I don't think Belus will ever achieve the status of Filosofem. Like previous Burzum work, there isn't a single song that stands out as the album is considered to be a piece in and of itself. I now find myself somewhat spellbound listening to the album and my dog is happy that she gets to go on some absurdly long walks so I can listen to Belus the whole way through.

Musically, there isn't much growth or evidence of new talent found in the work. Varg plays his way and if you're not a fan you simply won't enjoy any of it. Guitars are thin sounding and concentrate on arpeggiated chord structures more than fancy single note lines, the bass isn't terribly bassy and the drumming is simple and subdued. What is presented is to be consumed as a whole, not to be over analyzed on any single instrument. It is not meant to be an exhibition of skill (let's admit it, the guy isn't exactly a genius on guitar or any other instrument), it is meant to be a statement and a force of will.

So, the good:

Burzum returns to form after a prolonged absence

Belus "captures the moment" - hard to explain, but listen to it while you're just out walking around and let it sink in as opposed to listening with an overly critical ear

When it's at its best, Belus is very hypnotic and beautiful

the bad:

Burzum returns to form after a prolonged absence (depends on if you're a fan or not I suppose)

Standard crummy black metal production value

aimless at times

It's no Filosofem, and I was really hoping that this album would hit me with an iron gauntlet and present itself as the greatest thing since (insert great thing here)

Whatever you preconceived notions you have about the man, his art is a statement that is hard to ignore.

varg's in his rock star comfort zone with Belus and he plays it safe. we dont see him 'going the extra mile' to make that album a logical black metal successor to the mighty Filosofem.

i keep hearing many tunes off previous albums played with different speed and note spacing on Belus. track 2 is (as another reviewer also mentioned) has a daudi baldrs melody but most notably the closing track that sounds very much like a downtuned 'det som engang var'.

the album intro has got be one of the most retarded intros i've ever heard; it sounds like a bouncing ping pong ball that goes on for 35 seconds before the guitars wash in from the second track. absolutely no connection to be found between that 'intro' and the following track. i also dont get how the intro helps establishing Baldr's concept. if this was an attempt to 'convey'

the sound of a hammer falling, it's beyond lame.

soundwise, the production and varg's vocals are the album's strong points. it's a shame that underneath, a lot of substance is missing, a lot of familiar tunes are heard and the whole venture reeks of compromise. a word i thought was antipodal to everything Varg. he even compromised on the original album name for fear of more racism-based attacks on him. but i'm in no way rating his attitude: people change and that's a fact. i was only expecting his music to mature after the prison years but on Belus i only hear rehashing nostalgia and conformity.

this is not even in the same league with Filosofem, Det som engang var or Hvis Lyset Tar Oss, burzum's unholy trinity.

i can't say enough about how great this album is and how talented ov a musician VARG is!!!! when listening to this album you have to remember he hasent touched any instrument besides a keyboard in almost 16 years, and yet he makes what i consider his best musik yet!!!! every song on this album is amazing, as always he creates an atmosphere only he is capable ov creating and once the album starts its very clear that BURZUM is back and this is a huge middle finger to everyone in the black metal scene and everyone else in general. this is his masterpiece and any fan ov black metal will love this!!! so stop reading this review and go buy it already!!!!!!!!!!!