Hvis Lyset Tar Oss [Import]

Burzum | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 1, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Phantom Sound & Vision
• ASIN: B00006BNDI
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #249,056 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Det Som en Gang Var

2. Hvis Lyset Tar Oss

3. Inn I Slottet Fra Droemmen

4. Comhet

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive Black Metal, May 31, 2004

By 

combeferre (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hvis Lyset Tar Oss (Audio CD)

This album is commonly (and, in my opinion, justly) cited as Black Metal's defining moment. However, considering the kind of music that passes for black metal these days, I can imagine this assertion causing no end of confusion among fans of today's "symphonic black metal" bands. Most likely such fans, upon listening to Hvis Lyset Tar Oss, will be left scratching their oh-so-evil little heads and asking themselves, "Where are the gothic melodies? Where are the tempo changes? Where is the evil satanic imagery? And why do none of these songs have choruses that I can sing along and play air-guitar to?"

The fact is that this album is called "definitive" for the very reason that it strips away all of these preconceived aesthetic notions of what black metal *should* be, and focuses instead on the basic compositional and ideological foundations underlying the original Black Metal movement. This extremely purified approach looks back way beyond the birth of the Corpse-Paint-And-Satan movement, to a time when music was experienced as a direct expression of emmotion, before such developments as formalised musical theory, stylistic divisions, "scenes" and mass-media started teaching us how music ought to sound. That Burzum manages to communicate such a universal message within the confines of such a limited genre as Norwegian Black Metal (and whlie espousing a particularly elitist philosophy - see any interview with him) is the true measure of his talent. This album is by no means only for the "hardcore" or the "true BlackMetalers" or any such rubbish; on the contrary, I would say that Burzum is readily accessible to anyone willing to step out of his comfort zone and accept it on its own terms. To these people, I give this CD the highest possible recommendation. Just don't expect to "get" it right away, as it may take a while to figure out where Varg is coming from before you can start to see where he's taking you.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive moment of Black Metal, still., October 7, 2002

By 

Jaime Leon (Hayward, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hvis Lyset Tar Oss (Audio CD)

With this album, Burzum ups the ante with this strikingly epic album of emotional atmosphere. Not concerned with time, these songs slowly develop and guide you through the stages of fear, mortality, and eventual death. These riffs are fairly simple, but its in its composition and frighteninly painful vocals that no band in the black metal scene has matched. The album title translates to "When the light takes us", a take on the christian religion ( or light ) assimilating the norse traditions. 8 yrs later, this album is still at the top of black metal, and with the way black metal is plunging these days, will likely continue to be.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cold Brilliance, January 9, 2005

By 

Nicholas Alla Koholick "anonymousnick2001" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hvis Lyset Tar Oss (Audio CD)

For the record, Varg Vikernes is a fool. I can't stand him or his beliefs. Luckily, it's his music under examination on here, and not him. He's locked away in a safe place now, and no matter how many times he tells his mother he plans to flee, he can't do it anymore.

This album gets five stars. One for each track, and one for the cover. "Det Som Engang Var" is a 15-minute work of artistic genius. A majestic epic of melody and wonder, with riffs that can only be described as grim. And the the tortured screams over top? Oh, God...what an effective way of scaring someone off to church to confess! Varg was a unique vocalist, to say the least, who has been imitated to no end to this day. No one will ever match his voice's power or the immense pinnacle of this track. The title track and "Inn I Slottet Fra Droemmen" are minimalist semi-epics, working off a framework of repeating a few riffs or tones at high speed for droning periods to create a hypnotic effect, much akin to minimalist classical music, i.e. Philip Glass. "Tomhet" is an epic electronic track which mixes the sweep of "Det Som..." and the simpkistic hypnotism of the second and third tracks.

The album cover is one of the most geniunely chilling pieces of art to ever adorn an album cover. A lonely path curves around a bend where a corpse lays. The crows once pecking at its decaying flesh are scattered. A closer look proves the ingenuity of the cover. The crows are flying away from something, seemingly from some...creature or whatnot which has appeared. The view is from the eyes of what has arrived and spooked the crows. That is art right there. It sums up the mood of the album so exactly it's quite ridiculous.

How could one man conceive such a concept and a work of music? I suppose now the world may never know. Regardless of his political/philosophical silliness, arson, and cold murder. The man sure could create art...