Customer Reviews

Det Som Engang Var

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a black metal masterpiece from Burzum, quite possibly Count Grishnackh's best work, but Hvis Lyset Tar Oss and Filosofem are just as good. Varg Vikernes is an absolute muscial genius, what he does outside of that is under serious question. But that's besides the point, Det Som Engang Var expresses so much beauty hidden inside the obvious anguish and anger by Varg himself. He's a very talented guitarist and almost sings with it, his emotions are let out just as effectively on the 6-string as with his loud-shriek, pain-filled vocals.

The fact that Count Grishnackh does the production and all the instruments are further proof of his musical mastery of the genre. If he kept his anger in check and not do outrageous things like burn down churhes and kill someone he could have been BIG. Music this angry, beautiful and most importantly, well-done would not go unnoticed. This is just an amazing album, I can't praise this enough. Bathory, Mayhem, Emperor and Darkthrone are all excellent black metal bands, but Burzum is quite possibly the most important band in black metal history.

The Burzum/Ask EP is far less musically and conceptually advanced in comparison to this album. I own both and have for a while, but Det Som Engang Var, tops the debut. There is no gauge for the mastery of the mood, that is what primarily sticks out between the two albums. In the debut Varg uses very low quality musicianship, i love it still however, and he does a lot of switching between minor and major chord systems; this produces a noticeable shift in moods, and in fact he uses more major than minor which is dissapointing to say the least. However, in Det... he has almost completely mastered the sustenance of the mood. There is much less major chord usage, and far more minor chord, not only usage but progressions taking the music out of the previous album's minimilistic properties somewhat. Burzum still remains minimilist to the definition of the term on this album, but the drums are more varied, the guitar takes on beautiful mourning melodies, and as usual the vocals are the epitome of torture. This album is a much better listen, and retains more sophisticated atmospheric elements. I do not discredit Burzum's debut however, that is an essential for any BM fan.

Burzum is a now infamous old black metal band, headed by the equally legendary Varg Vikernes.
This early album contains pieces of music similar to the black metal of the day, every instrument radiating a sort of hatred and evil the first bands tried to capture. However there are many pieces similar to Burzum's later work, ambient and artistic.
The vocals are inadible screams. The guitars slowly change and morph riffs into deeper and darker sounds than they originally were. This creates a very atmospheric work of music, different than the more brutal bands like darkthrone or marduk, but the climate alone on this cd gives it a place in black metal music history.

Varg's metal albums excel not through technical complexity, but rather through the arrangement and combination of atmospheres and haeðenfyr. On this release, actual "songs"--musical arrangements with refrains, full arangements, and lyrics--are not in the majorty; the ambient/noise/instrumental pieces are very dark and obscure, while the heavy metal tracks possess a distinct floating/drone quality. Individuals seeking wild guitar solos and fancy drum limes are advised to search elsewhere (Yngwie Malsteem, Morbid Angel, etc.). Each track is an essential piece of the whole; I strongly suggest that this album be listened in its entirety without interruption. Unlike many other albums, it is not composed of several songs that can be appreciated independently and placed on mix cds to be listened to while driving to the local gas station to buy cheap beer.

Sometimes i wanna say CDs like battles in the north, de mysteriis dom sathanas, in the nightside eclipse, the shadowthrone, are 'timeless'. But i'd be lying. The only CD i could honestly say that about is Det Som Engang Var. Almost all of this is because of the delivery, mostly the singing. There has never been a CD with more, kind of an atmospheric attitude. Its a genius CD, every song. Varg Vikernes cemented a legacy with CDs like this. There's just something about his writings that is never going to be recreated.

And that's exactly what Varg sounds like on this historic Burzum recording. I read some reviews stating that the sound isn't up to snuff on this CD ... ??? The sound on this is perfect for the amazing songs Varg wrote on here. Lost Wisdom (to me) may be the greatest Black Metal song of all time. It is one of the most beautifully morbid songs I've ever heard. The instrumentals on here are so cold and haunting, that they make some Mayhem tunes sound happy in comparison. Not ripping on Mayhem, they are Gods also, but this Burzum recording is historic, as far as I'm concerned. Like Bathory, Varg's one man Hellish creation will always be copied, but never duplicated. Don't pass up this slice of Black Metal history. Hail Burzum!

The frightening image of the blackest gate is the perfect image for this album. This Burzum album makes me want to bang on corpses and go to battle with Varg, orcs and demons against the Christian peoples. "Naar Himmeln klarner" is my absolute favorite song on this album. The classics "Key to the Gate" , "Lost Wisdom", and "En ring til aa herske" are also on this album. The last song, "Svarte troner" (means 'black throne')is quite possibly the most scary song ever: Distortion, demonic growls and atmospheric beats create a black surrounding and it collapses on you. Free Varg!

While the first Burzum album was somewhat unsteady and later albums drifted farther from the black metal mould, "Det Som Engang Var" hits directly with tightly sculpted riffs and a dynamic sense of rhythm. Raspy, soaring vocals mesh with obscure melodic lines in contrapuntal strum and percussion reduced to ultimate simplicity for the sake of maintaining atmosphere. As in later Burzum works, on this album the tension between ambient sound textures and more metallish songwriting is apparent, but does not obscure the greatness and immediate enigma this band presents.

I believe Varg once described 'Det Som Engang Var' as the "heaviest and wierdest" Burzum album. The sound is overtly 'rock' on some tracks, a direction he later moved away from. The vocals, too, are somewhat different to the other albums, at least on the first couple of songs.

'Den Onde Kysten' is a tribute to all who drowned in viking. It is sad and cold, evoking spirits who would like to be able to warm themselves by the fire, but who never again can. Every so often we should take time to remember the dead...especially our direct ancestors.

'Key to the Gate' has a simple and beautiful guitar lead, and the song could be interpreted as an expression of alienation from the baseness and vulgarity of the modern world. It is only a step from there to the aristocratic world view, and Burzum's continued popularity gives me hope for the future in that regard.

'En Ring til aa Herske' is equally powerful, and demonstrates Varg's talent for creative use of melody, something many overlook due to his reputation as a 'monotonous' composer.

'Lost Wisdom' is also very catchy, maybe even too catchy! Its lyrics treat of worlds and realities beyond this one, which are denied by the "blind church" (and also in our own time by the "blind watchmaker" school of materialists).

The last proper piece, 'Snu Mikrocosmos Tegn' looks forward to the next (and greatest) album 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss' in its trancelike intensity.

While not Burzum's best album, 'Det Som Engang Var' is interesting and stimulating, and deserves its place in Norwegian musical history.

Those of you looking for some very dark music should look here. Det Som Engang Var is just about the darkest you can get. Upon listening to this the first impression one gets is that of someone pouring their soul into a recording. I don't approve of murder, church burning or rascist neo-nazism, but I'm reviewing the man's music, not his life or beliefs.

The music is very simple but also atmospheric. Much of the music is actually surprisingly slow. There is some speed in places much it is played at a mid-paced tempo. There is a dark feeling about the whole album. One of my favourite tracks is in fact Han Som Reiste, a very ambient keyboard piece that, despite its crude sound and simplicity (it sounds like a midi file), sends shivers down my spine every time.

The vocals are very harsh. Mostly non-rythmic screaming, they take a very brash, harsh and emotional tone that is hard to ignore. While many extreme metal vocals are easily passed off by many as noise, I think that for many people (even though they wouldn't admit it) these may catch their ears much more.

I would say that this album is well recommended for anyone with an open mind looking to find some dark, haunting and emotional extreme-metal-based music. This isn't for everyone, even those into extreme metal, but it is something different, even compared to other black metal I've heard.