Taking Sides: Mayhem v. Burzum

however, musically, i reckon burzum is the one to go with. early mayhem (& burzum) is pleasingly crude, but later burzum albums like _filosofem_ and _hvis lyset tar oss_ are excellent and surprisingly developed.

_filosofem_ relies on ultra-fuzzed guitars for the most part, with blurring chords maintained as drones with chord variations creating subtle melodies. there are depressive little keyboard bits in the background on occasion, and one really long synth piece in a kind of 70s tangerine dream style (which is for some reason popular with black metal people - witness fenriz' of darkthrone's neptune towers project).

_hvis lyset tar oss_ is a transit between the faster/rawer earlier material and _filosofem_, with fast, heavily repetitive riffs that veer into a kind of bastard minimalism.

if you're looking for a good entry into black metal with no discernible dubious political/religious baggage, i recommend weakling's _dead as dreams_ on tumult, which seems to have a heavy burzum influence, musically.

A classic insight.

Though Varg Vikernes is a total asshole -- apparently was asleep when they were talking about Quisling that day in Norwegian history -- I also have to go with Burzum.

Calling Mayhem Gayhem, excellent. Well, actually, I find it a bit distasteful, given that Mr Vikernes cited Mr Euronymous' homosexuality and sexual deviance as an excuse for killing him.

The correct answer to this question is Darkthrone. Alternate answers which count include, but are not limited to; Emperor, Arcturus, Clandestine Blaze, Red Harvest, Dodheimsgard, Beherit, Immortal, Noctuary, and, because they're the answer to every question which involves Norway, Turbonegro.

-
Alan

(20.4.98) We arrived at the gates of Trondheim prison by noon-time.
Admission was granted easily and we've made our way
from the guard post to, what appears to be, an interrogation cell.
Sterile and white. It is like a hospital lobby room. It and
myself, with the inevitable company of Hans... the smug officer who
will over-see this interview, await Varg's entrance. Soon it
comes.

IT: Hello friend! Good to see you! And nice is your outfit!
VARG: Greetings, friend. They give only the best styles for me to make my selections from in this fashion house!

(We all, aside from Hans, laugh.)

IT: Well, having only a short time to conduct this interview, I say we start.
VARG: As long as you don't mind me munching on some prunes whilst we
talk...

IT: No problem... if you'd have told me they give you such foul
snacks, I could have brought you some peanuts. Maybe next
time, eh?
VARG: Huh? Oh! No, I eat these with purpose. I've been having some
problems with bowel movements and I was told this
fruit can ease my suffering a bit. They seem to be keeping my
intestines in order....

(Varg offers a prune to It and myself, then sits the small bag on the
table next to his chair.)

IT: So, the new BURZUM album has been received with mixed thoughts by
the black metal community at large. Have you received any feedback that you'd like to speak out about?
VARG: Well, that album was beyond anything that the general black
metal audience could comprehend. You see, the average "elite black metal" record buyer is actually some fat assed, greasy fingered American looser without the ability to meet females of his own species... or perhaps some feeble spined, thin haired, prepubescent Scandinavian dimwit with an over zealous interest in Dungeons and Dragons imagery. The opinions of these kinds of lower level primates do not interest me.

IT: I thought your new LP sounded like a bad tape recording of an
ATARI 2600 game machine being played through Mr. Microphone while submerged in monkey semen.
VARG: True! To be honest, all of BURZUM's past works have that similar sound. That is why I have abandoned, totally, all forms of audible sound.. music, if you like... as a way of expressing my ideas.

IT: And what is that you'd put your efforts into now?
VARG: The designation of the placement of items... furniture, drapes,
colors of paint to be used, wallpaper... inside the home. Creative inner-home decoration. It is a true art that, until being here, I did not realize I possessed.

IT: You plan to be an interior decorator?
VARG: Laugh if you will... but the re-creation of historic Nordic
room layout styles and ancient home decoration is a dying art that must be upheld.

IT: Um... on an art-related topic, something I have always wondered
about the cover of BURZUM's "Filosofem" LP.. was that...?
VARG: Ha ha ha! Yes it was... inspired by the fourth LED ZEPPELIN
album cover! That was a point in my life, my freedom having just been taken from me, that I was thinking in strange ways. That entire first year in Oslo... I would sit in my cell and fantasize about what it must have been like to be Jimmy Page... the adoration and lust of all those sticky thighed highschool girls... tight skirts pulled up over their... er, um... and um...well, it just came through in my work as well.

IT: So you dig LED ZEPPELIN?
VARG: Well... yes. As for your question... the man in the ZEPPELIN
cover is Yrgnoth Sloob, the "Stick Hauler" of Nordic mytholody. For BURZUM's cover, in a way of tribute, I selected a picture of Helga Hob, "The Horn Blower". As the ledgends tell, these two were both very silly... but very sexual people. How this related to blackmetal, I forget now.

(A second prison guard enters the room and discretely delivers a
verbal message to Hans. He visually surveys the occupants of
the room, then leaves.)

HANS: Vikernes, you have a phone call... long distance from the United States. Some guy named Lou... something about a half
gallon of rubber cement and a chicken?
VARG: I'll speak with this person later... privately.

(The interview continues...)

IT: Do you think, were things different then they are now, that BURZUM would have ever opened for VONDUR? Seeing as how both bands were and shall never be full musical units... just given some hypothetical leeway for discussion's sake...
VARG: I think I would rather rip out my teeth with telephone repair
tools! VONDUR is not, nor ever was, true!

(An uneasy silence falls over the room. Varg and It share a hateful glare. Hans does not look up from his newspaper, but has a loud sip of coffee. The slurping sound breaks the foul, silent air and the interview continues.)

IT: And you think nazi Euro-Pop is true?
VARG: Have you come all this way to insult me?! I was sent here because I was true enough to act on my hatred for the weak! From what I have gathered by my correspondence with those still involved in the blackmetal scene, you have skipped town...jumped ship... given up the unholy fight!

IT: Ha! Little do they know! I have only regrouped... I'm out in the
hills grinding my ax, so to speak. I'm preparing for the final war!
VARG: And what would this be?

IT: My newest, and most foul creation... the blackest, most blackened
elite and eternally pitch-dark blackest of all ultra-black blackmetal...
VARG: Which is?

IT: TRUE!
VARG: Huh? The name of the band is TRUE? I don't believe it...

IT: I am It and only I am truly true.
VARG: Get out of here...

(Both rise and face each other, like some ancient warring tyrants..perched at the brink of battle. Hans, however, has other plans.)

HANS: Sit down, both of you! If you're going to act like children,
I'll have to separate you...

(Varg takes his seat, but It remains standing. Hans offers a
solution.)

HANS: If you have just got to carry on like this... I guess I could
turn a blind eye to an arm wrestling match. But keep it short.

(It and Varg take the traditional arm wrestling position and I serve
as referee. Putting my own hand over the two clasped hands of these once great blackmetal warlords, I must fight back tears of
pride. Even in such a lost age... an age of perfumed porcelain, plush pink apolstery, plastic plates, and pathetic personal primping apparatus... these two warriors would engage in battle..)

IT: Bow before me, dog... for the glory of all that which is true and
elite...
VARG: As the gods of my forefathers look down upon me and smile, I
shall know victory...

IT: ...and elite and black truest elite and....
VARG: ...for the fallen warriors and those that shall sign praises to
Odin up on high....

This is where the transcript ends. We can only guess as to what Varg,
It, Og, and Hans bore witness to on that day. The winner? Who won the title of undisputedly truest black elite?

We may never know.

"What's your band's name?"

"We're called Bloo..."

"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR NAME IS"

Someone must photoshop Varg with a raised eyebrow.

-quite fearful of the metal kids screeching "poseur"...or not-
Alan

in closing, what does it matter what side someone takes? it is a dead issue. the time for taking sides ended in august of 1993, probably before many of you even knew of the existance of mayhem or burzum. grow up.

paul ledney to thread!

This sentence is marvellous, it's like something out of Robert Howard.

i needed a giggle today and you just delivered.

I'm always murdering people because they get on my tits... WOOOPS! did I say that out loud?

mayhem, i have no intrest in, after euronymous dead. weakling.

neither band can of course compare to Byzantum, we who are now truest vanguard of black metal. the nightspirit can not approve of the old scene, whose tiome ahs passed. the time is now for CANADIAN WEREWOLF TRUE PITCH BLACK METAL!

http://www.angelfire.com/moon2/byzantum

-- Geir Hongro (geirhon...), September 19th, 2003 5:39 PM. (GeirHong)

HOLY MOLY

-- Geir Hongro (geirhon...), October 9th, 2004.

Of course, you would expect less of me?

Dear Vargy,
How's life in that horrible prison? Are you eating enough? I sent another tin of prunes for you. I know it must be terrible, but I'm sure you can take it like the evil little warrior you are.
Thank you for sending the rough mix of the new song. I listened to it with Nana Inge after dinner last night. I think it starts strong, but the ending really needs work. You call that evil? No spawn of my loins would release such weak sounding slop to the public. I know things are hard for you there, but at least try and focus on your music.
Your uncle Martin was in town last week. He sends his best wishes.
Hail Satan,

Mom

http://www.synrecords.com/synaesthesia/

There is much that can and should be said about this book. Initially I intended to unveil all the lies in this book in a thorough and systematic review, but when I had written twelve pages and still had only gone through 80 pages of the 400-page book I gave up. There are better things to do in life than diving into such a pool of mud.

I dare say the vast majority of all the statements made in this book are either misinterpretations; taken out of context; misunderstandings; malicious lies made by enemies; a result of ignorance; extreme exaggerations; and/or third-hand information at best. This includes the statements attributed to me!

The authors could have avoided this easily before they ever published this book, but they chose not to. Why? If they had done something as simple as to ask me about the different rumors and accusation I would have been able to make it clear that the information they had received was not true. Had they done some proper research that would have lead to the same conclusion. They didn't because the result would have been a far less intriguing book, containing fewer amazing stories and causing less confusion. Now why would the authors want that to happen? They want to sell books and most likely they have their own political or religious agenda too - like we all have.

When I use the term "confusion" I am thinking about the impression I got from reading this book. There are so many contradictions in this book it can confuse just about anybody. The information provided to us in the book doesn't make sense! We don't get the information we need for it to make sense. The whole book is littered with contradictions and of course to me it makes sense, because I know what is true and what is not, but to any other reader it must be very confusion.

Further it is clear to me that the authors are very selective when it comes to their use of sources for the book. They never interview people who can easily invalidate or undermine their own spectacular theories and further ignore all facts that would have made it clear to the reader that they are way of track! A good example is their speculations regarding the motivations for burning churches. Why do they discuss pyromania as a possible motivation? What on Earth makes these two amateur-writers believe they have seen something the psychiatrists didn't see? If pyromania had been a motivation I can assure you the psychiatrists would have told the media, and media would have told us! The truth is that they ruled pyromania out completely as a motivation after talking to the suspected arsonists. Moynihan's and Søderlind's speculations are so silly it's like comparing the motivations of a war veteran to those of a serial killer just because both of them have killed several people!

Indeed there is another point in context with their use of sources; where are the people supporting my claims and my version of what happened? Why do the authors let all my worst enemies give their side of the story while not a single friend of mine is interviewed, why do they let my enemies viciously lie about me like that without even giving me the opportunity to defend myself? Including some edited answers from me that are taken out of context in the book is not enough. That doesn't make up for letting Aarseth's friends and all kinds of people I have never even heard about spread deceit like that. The lies are so tendentious and absurd it shock me, yet not as much as the fact that the authors let them air much statements without even questioning their veracity, or indeed asking for my side of the story. When 90% of all the statements made about me in the book are blatant lies that makes the whole book pretty worthless.

In one of the new chapters in the new edition they start out by talking about some mythical interpretations I have made regarding the possible Extra Terrestrial origin of life on Earth. Then suddenly they go on about "Nazi UFO's" and secret "Nazi" bases inside the "Hollow Earth". Now what on Earth has that got to do with my theories regarding the origin of life on Earth? As if that isn't enough they go on by interviewing a Dr. Michael Rothstein, a Jew by the way, in general terms on the subject of UFOs and the link to National Socialism. Again I can point at their odd choice of sources; why do they give a Jew the opportunity to air his thoughts on this subject to begin with? Of all the people in Scandinavia why do Moynihan and Søderlind want you to sit down and listen to what this Jew has to say about this subject? Do they expect this Jew to have anything positive or indeed insightful to say regarding our mythology? Indeed he doesn't even talk about my theories, but instead the authors and him build some smoke screen trying to get the reader's attention away from what I was talking about. I was talking about mythology, not "Nazi UFOs"! Besides; what has that got to do with "The Bloody Rise Of The Satanic Metal Underground" anyway? Why do they mix theories about "Nazi UFOs" - supposedly built by the Third Reich and flown by "Nazi"s from secret bases in the Antarctica - and my interpretations of Norse mythology? It is as irrelevant as it would be to talk about The Church of Satan as a source of inspiration in context with the Black Metal underground of 1991 and 1992.

But of course, they do that too! I am even accused of having read La Vey's "Satanic Bible". They even interview people about these guys and their philosophies as if they played a role in the so-called "Rise Of The Metal Underground". Now tell me; do they know if I have read books by these men or not? They could have asked me, of course, but instead they just assume I and everybody else have. Well, just like I have never listened to Venom I have never read "The Satanic Bible" or any other books by La Vey. I have read a booklet by Crowley once, unfortunately, but that's all. It was a load of crap, and I find it immensely suspicious that the authors "forget" to tell or fail to find out that Aarseth, I and everybody else in the Norwegian Black Metal scene in 1991 and 1992 despised both Crowley and La Vey and everything they stood for! We didn't even need to read their books to realize that they were a waste of time, and our views on this were never a secret - indeed everybody in the metal underground knew our views on this! DSP - Mayhem's own record label - even used pictures of La Vey with a line over his face (a prohibition sign over his face) on at least one of the records they released to express their contempt for him (I think it was my own "Aske" EP by the way). Why? Because Aarseth too thought La Vey was nothing but an American capitalist pig! I am insulted by the fact that they list some American clown like La Vey, or some pervert mental case like Crowley, as an influence to anything I have ever done or said!

The authors of this book on the other hand even interviewed La Vey about his allegedly influence on our movement and the people involved. Why? It must be because Moynihan or Søderlind wanted the metal underground to have been inspired by La Vey! Perhaps Moynihan is a member of The Church of Satan and wanted to give it some credit and influence on a growing movement? In any case it is all lie-propaganda and I am sure the authors of this book knew that perfectly well!

I mentioned Venom and the fact that I never listened to their music. In fact the only person in the whole Black Metal scene in Norway who had listened to Venom was Aarseth (although he still claimed he liked them a lot I - luckily - never heard him play any of their records). Everybody else in the scene either hated Venom or didn't even know who they were. As an example I can tell that the first time I even heard about them was in 1991! So contrary to what the authors claim, with the possible exception of Aarseth, not a single soul took Venom seriously, not a single soul was influenced by Venom, not a single soul even liked Venom - and that includes Hellhammer of Mayhem too (Necrobutcher wasn't a part of the scene at the time, as he had a break from playing music). Still they keep nagging about Venom throughout the book, and list them as some sort of origin to the whole movement and the ideas it was built upon. The fact that I wore a Venom T-shirt in court does not change this fact. I wore it because it had the text "Black Metal", and for no other reasons.

I could go on and on exemplifying how ludicrous this book and the theories of the authors really are, but I have better things to do. The authors have done such a bad job I don't know if I shall laugh or weep really. They build the book on absurd and stupid assumptions, they give credit to all the wrong people (like Venom and The Church of Satan as mentioned), they interview all kinds of completely (to me) unknown people who obviously have no insight into or even good knowledge about the subjects discussed and the authors don't understand one bit what Black Metal was about on 1991 and 1992. After reading this book I am left with a feeling of pity. I pity the writers for making such fools of themselves. I pity them for their ignorance. I pity them because I know how embarrassed they will be when they and everybody else realize how worthless this book really is.

Alas, this book serves only one single purpose and that is to create a myth around my name and to mystify me. If that was their objective they have indeed succeeded with their work. Well, the book seems to have served one other purpose too. The authors have managed to fill the heads of a generation of metal fans with lies. What could have been a righteous revolt has been made into some pathetic, embarrassing, brain-dead, impotent and traditional poser-culture best exemplified by bands like Dimmu Borgir - and indeed Venom! In the start of the book they ridicule me for my allegedly paranoid conspiracy theories, claiming it is ludicrous to believe the Jews run many important establishments in Norway when there are so few of them in Norway. Well, why would we need many Jews in Norway for them to pull the strings in our society when we have people like Søderlind, with a Jewish philosophy of life, who are more than willing to carry out their work for them? He is even a member of the ultra-Jewish International Humanist and Ethical Union in Norway, which even has a Jewish leader, so he is working for them whether he likes it or not - whether he understands it or not. All Church of Satan members, all members of the International Humanist and Ethical Union, all O.T.O. members, all Freemasons, all Christians, all Communists and so forth are all working for the Jews. They can ridicule me for my so-called paranoid conspiracy theories as much as they want, but it sounds pretty dumb when the people who ridicule me for this are themselves actively working for Jews and for Jewish ideologies and philosophies, like Søderlind is - and possibly Moynihan as well.

Throughout the book the arsonists are accused of actually strengthening Christianity in Norway. This is said over and over again, seemingly in an attempt to make the arsonists look like idiots. In the book they also state that 88% of the Norwegian population are members of the state church. Yeah, maybe that was correct in 1995 when they wrote this book, but in November in 2003 we could read in the newspapers in Norway that for the first time in history a majority of the Norwegian population is actually not members of the state church! Today only 49% are members of the state church in Norway! I won't take credit for being the reason for that, although I would like to think I have contributed to this development, but I will adamantly claim that their theory Christianity has been strengthened in Norway because of the church arsons is obviously proven wrong.

"In all wars the truth is the first victim". They have imprisoned me, at times silenced me through different means and I can in fact thank my perception that I am even still alive. I can respect anybody who wants to fight me and what I stand for in a honorable way, but I have no respect for people who spread lies behind my back and attempt to soil my memory like Moynihan and Søderlind have done with this book - all while I have been in prison and already down on one knee, engaged in fights elsewhere. I might be unable to properly defend myself against such spineless and dishonorable attacks today, but nothing lasts forever. I might even receive some help ex machina and I am confident the tide will turn in favor of the truth.

The pig-system has tried to strangle me and destroy me as an influence on others for more than ten years now. They understand that it was a mistake to sentence me to 21 years in prison for something any normal man would get 8 or 10 years for. And this is not just something I am making up. I read this in a Norwegian newspaper in 2003, a town paper in Bergen, in an article written by law students under the title "Kong Salomo og Jørgen Hattemaker" (that translates as "King Salomon and George Hatter", meaning "there's a difference between a king and a cat"). Even regular law students in Norway have opened their eyes to this fact. Normal people have a sense of justice, and although they don't necessarily agree with me in any way they know it was not right to give me 21 years in prison.

So what can the pig-system do? Like Nietzsche said: "It is not the human considerations of the Christians, but the impotence of their human considerations that prevent them from burning the rest of us at the stake". For that sole reason they cannot overtly get rid of me. All they can do is to destroy my name and make sure nobody with a right mind will ever listen to me or take me serious. That is where people like Søderlind and Moynihan, and the media, becomes useful to them. They have tried to have me declared insane two times, but all the four psychiatrists I spoke to said that I showed no signs of insanity whatsoever. The psychiatrists whom I spoke to in late 1993, even described me as "unusually cultured and polite", "very (or "highly") intelligent and knowledgeable on many areas", "very (or "highly") patient", "in complete control of his emotions" and so forth. With such good reports it is hard for them to attack my name using the truth, so they turn to lies. The same applies to the arrests made in context with the Aarseth case in 1993. They all know that I have no fault whatsoever for the others to end up with sentences. When the police arrested me I said nothing. I didn't even tell them my name. Had the others done the same they would have gone free all of them, and me too. Of course the people involved know this and they are embarrassed by this fact. In 1995 to this book was completed some of them hated me and wanted to get back at me for killing Aarseth, and they did that by spreading lies.

The authors of this book or their sources claim I left a bloody fingerprint by the crime scene, they claim I was no match for the experienced investigators, they claim I boasted to a girl in Oslo about Bård Eithun's murder, and so forth. It is all lies, and had the authors done their job better, they would have known. In fact it puzzles me that they don't know, or perhaps they just don't care and prefer the lies? In 1996 the chief investigator was interviewed in "VG", to my knowledge the largest newspaper in Norway, in context with another case, a murder of a girl called Birgitte Tengs (see photo). In this interview he was hailed as the best tactical investigator in Norway, and in this interview they say that he had outwitted all the criminals he had interviewed with one single exception. That exception is also named in this interview, and that was "Varg Vikernes". The bloody fingerprints was a desperate attempt by the investigators to make all the others involved convinced that I had done it, and it was only when the guys like Bård Eithun, Tomas Haugen (Samoth) and the others were convinced that I had for no apparent reason killed Aarseth that they began to give testimony against me - and in the process against each other. This was a very intelligent move by the police, but it was a scam! There were no fingerprints. They had the fingerprints of the guy who founded the body, but they never had mine. In court the fingerprints were never mentioned, neither by the prosecutor nor by my councilor. Had they been real, had the police really had my fingerprints in blood, I am pretty sure that would have been an issue during the trial!

Although the investigator obviously succeeded in outwitting the authors of this book too, he never succeeded with me - as he stated in that "VG" interview - and the claim that I left my fingerprints in blood at the crime scene is obviously proven wrong.

As for me boasting and bragging about different crimes to all the guys in the scene, as claimed over and over again in the book, that too is a lie. When I was preparing for the lawsuit against me by the Oslo municipal lawyer and the insurance company I used a new councilor and his comment after reading through all the police interviews was that he had never before read such an amount of bullshit in his life. Not a single witness had actually heard from me that I had admitted to any crimes. They had "assumed" that I had, based either on my "smile" or my "silence" when they brought up the subject, or something like that. They assumed that I was responsible because it was the general consensus that I was responsible for these crimes. Now tell me, is that "boasting" and "bragging"? I think not. Because of this the prosecutor used only one single witness in each case. The others were useless as all their information was second-hand or third-hand information based on different peoples' assumptions. Bård Eithun was the sole reason I was convicted for burning Holmenkollen chapel - because he was there himself and said I was too. Tomas Haugen (Samoth) was the sole reason I was convicted for burning down Skjold church - because he was there himself and said I was too. Jørn-Inge Tunsberg was the sole reason I was convicted for burning down Åsane church - because he was there himself and said I was too. None of the other witnesses were even brought into court - and of course the prosecutor never needed anything more that this. There was no other evidence suggestion I was guilty. Snorre Ruch and Andreas Nagel was the sole reason I was convicted for the killing of Aarseth. There were no other evidence. A signed contract suggested I had either sent a contract or handed it to him personally a day or two before he died, but that would never have convicted me in any case. Like I said there were no fingerprints, and no other technical proof either. I was found guilty and sentenced to 21 years in prison solely because the testimony of these witnesses.

I can add that all these witnesses were young (from 18 to 22 years old), they had no experience with dealing with the law, they were mislead by the media and the police into believing I had brutally murdered Aarseth to take his place or something like that. The police told them - and this is information I have from them directly - that the police first and foremost wanted to get me. Bård Eithun even suggested in 1998 (when a judge interviewed him in court) the police had told him to give testimony against me to get back at me for killing Aarseth.

In court in 1998 not a single witness testified against me. Two of them showed up and told the court they had given false testimony against me in the trial of 1994, one of them showed up and refused to say anything, and the final two witnesses didn't even show up. Still they managed to find me guilty of all charges and sentence me to pay 33 million Norwegian Kroners and an annual 12% interest.

Instead of pointing at the fact that I was found guilt of these crimes and sentenced to 21 years in prison based solely on dubious testimony from Aarseth's friends the authors of this book try to ridicule me and make me look like an idiot. I hold no grudge against the witnesses today, because I understand that it is not easy for an 18 or 22 year-old with no previous experience with the law to know how to relate to them. When the best investigator aided by a massive media coverage - a bloody campaign by the media to get me convicted - it is not easy to resist. At the time they wrongly believed I had no understandable motivation for killing Aarseth at all. The media or the police surely never told them I had defended my life. Why would they protect me in any way when they had been manipulated and fooled into believing I had murdered their friend? It was not until years after they - or some of them anyway - found out and realized that Aarseth actually planned to torture me to death. Had they known that back then perhaps things would have been different, but they didn't, and I cannot blame them for that. I forgive them, because I understand them. I have been there too, naked in a cell, with no mattress or even a carpet, with the light on 24/7 and police officers telling me I am charged with first-degree murder. I was prepared for that and knew how to act (simply shut up and get some sleep, and wait until the cops have to let you go on lack of evidence - perhaps after a week, a month or even a year, but eventually they have to let you go). I say that because I don't want anybody to give these guys any heat because of their failures in 1993 and 1994. Forgive and forget.

To the authors of this book I can only say it's embarrassing to see how you regurgitate the lies of the police and media. Perhaps now you understand how I can call people like you unknowing (?) or ignorant minions of the Jews?

Another point in this book review would be that the Black Metal scene I was a part of was born in late 1991 and died in early 1993. That is like a one and a half years period in the lives of the people involved. It all happened at least eleven years ago. From 1993 Black Metal became something else, something created by the stereotypes and lies of the media and made into the gutless and commercialized scene we see today. It became something that had little if anything to do with the Black Metal scene I was a part of. The reason for that was not my interview with that newspaper in January 1993, but the fact that the media didn't want to listen to my explanation to this horribly bad interview or to what any of us had to say. Everything became distorted beyond recognition by the journalists and ended up like the messy crap presented to us in "Lords Of Chaos".

I can only say I am puzzled by the fact that things we said or did when we were teenagers could have such repercussions to a music scene. We were like twenty people in all back then, all contributing in some way to the end result in 1993, and look at Black Metal today! Nothing is left of what once was. In Oslo we see Fenris of Darkthrone as the only one left, sitting in a pub drinking beer and longing for the days when it was something original and special. The others have left or have followed the stream into the commercialized and trendy Black Metal scene of today.

Like I said the authors of this worthless book haven't even managed to figure out what Black Metal was all about - why it came to be to start with. Although not really related to this book I will tell you.

It began as a result of the fact that Death Metal had become commercialized and trendy. All the bands in 1991 sounded and looked alike. They even recorded their albums in the same sound studios. There was no originality or artistic integrity left whatsoever. We called it "Tampa production" and "Swedish production". The bands were even political correct.

We had arrived at this conclusion before Dead committed suicide, but indeed his suicide did accelerate the process. Darkthrone were the first to revolt against Death Metal, although it was rather half-hearted. They recorded their album in mid 1991 and released it in February 1992 on Peaceville - a large and commercial label in England. As part of their revolt they had satanic lyrics, however that was not something new. Darkthrone had always has satanic lyrics, even on their Death Metal album. The second band out was Burzum. The debut album was recorded in January 1992 and was released on DSP in March the same year. It was printed in less than 1000 copies, yet we were amazed by the fact that it sold out very quickly. People loved this new and original underground phenomenon. The production on the album was thin, the sound bad, the vocal shrieking and it sounded like a rotten garage band - the exact opposite of the streamlined and commercial Death Metal bands! Even the structure of the songs was different though, as the traditional verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-verse-chorus structure was completely abandoned. Instead Black Metal told a story musically as well, much like classical music or film music really. Darkthrone and Burzum were not alone though. In Bergen the guys in Amputation and Old Funeral formed a new band in 1991, called Immortal. Since Darkthrone had a satanic concept and Burzum an occult or mystic concept they needed to come up with something else. That was the quintessence of the revolt; originality! We had to create something new and original, or else it would be rip-off and "not true" to the new spirit. Immortal released their first album in September 1992, with an icy concept focusing on the spectacular winter-nature of Norway. Enslaved too joined the revolt, and yet again we saw a new concept; they focused on the Norse heritage. For a while they wandered in the dark, not knowing what to do, before they came up with this solution. Since Darkthrone and Burzum (named Black Metal by Aarseth and DSP) had become known as Black Metal the other bands felt a need to show individuality on that front as well. Because of that Immortal claimed to play Holocaust Metal and Enslaved Viking Metal. The extreme focus on originality and individuality dictated that you could not copy - or as we said "rip-off" - others in any way. When Thou Shalt Suffer joined in and changed their name to Emperor the spirit had begun to weaken, although only slightly. By the end of 1992 it became "trendy to be anti-trend". This revolt was destined to fail, as it obviously would be impossible for all the bands to be unique in all ways. When Enslaved and Emperor released their split-LP in January 1993 (or perhaps in December 1992) it had become a trend. Only because of the media did the different bands become known under the Black Metal label. Immortal even tried to protest when they were called a Black Metal band, but eventually they gave up too. The spirit had died. There was no longer a revolt in Black Metal. It became commercialized and streamlined just like Death Metal had been some years earlier.

In 1991 the guys in Darkthrone were 17 to 19 years old, I was 18 years old, the guys in Immortal were 17 and 20 years old, the guys in Enslaved were 14 (!) and 17, the guys in the later-to-be Emperor were 17. Hellhammer and Aarseth were around 22. Necrobutcher was not a part of the scene from 1990 to 1993, because he was busy elsewhere and had a break from playing music. Darkthrone and Mayhem lived in or near Oslo, Immortal and I (Burzum) lived in or near Bergen, Enslaved lived north of Haugesund and the guys in Emperor lived outside Notodden. We rarely met each other or spoke to each other, but we had some sort of contact - mostly by mail. To credit Aarseth or any other persons as the "planners" of this scene is in other word rather far fetched.

The other aspect of this scene is of course the ideological. The revolt in that respect was simply "to be the exact opposite of everybody else". When the trendy Death Metal bands sang "coca-cola burns the woods" we would sing "burn down everything" - or like the Burzum lyric (Spell Of Destruction) "The world's tragedy is served at my feast" or something like that. The Rock'n'Roll concept of "make love not war" was replaced by "make war not love", and so forth - again seen in Burzum in the "War" lyric: "We must never give up war". The authors of "Lords Of Chaos" have seen the "evil for the sake of evil" in this period, but they fail to understand why we focused on that. It was a revolt, not primarily against the society we lived in or Christianity or even our parents - as could have been expected from teenagers. More important than anything we revolted against the trendy Death Metal bands and the commercialized Death Metal scene!

So in short Black Metal was all about originality and not sounding or being like anybody else. Like I said it was destined to fail in staying pure and true to these ideas, as new people joined and began to rip off the other bands. The clone bands, be that Dimmu Borgir or whatever, came as a huge wave in 1993, when the media "exposed" the "satanic underground", and the original idea of Black Metal was lost forever.

The crimes committed in 1992 were a result of the same driving force. Some even argued against burning churches because it was no longer original - or perhaps used that as an excuse not to participate, I don't know. If there was a deeper meaning to any of the crimes I will not tell here and now, but of course people don't do things without a reason.

The spirit of Black Metal was all about individualism, artistic integrity, originality, strength of character, contempt for the followers and finally creativity. It is clear to all of us that some of the people involved in the 1991 and 1992 Norwegian Black Metal scene were indeed nothing but followers, but in any case that is the true spirit of Black Metal.

And you tell me: how much of that spirit is left in the Black Metal scene we see today? How much of this spirit did the authors of "Lords Of Chaos" actually unveil in their book? Even on this fundamental point these authors have failed miserably in unveiling the truth.

To sum it all up: don't buy this book.

Thank you for your attention.

Varg Vikernes
Ringerike Fengsel, Norway
28th of June 2004

that book was awful yes, it barely scartch surface of scene and true meanings of blackness. but varg you are such whiner!

well too bad you rot in gaol while Byzantum plot our coming world dominance ushering in the arrival of Nightspirit! maybe if you quiet your baby squeals we will spare you!

I thought it was just a slight adaptation of what you said.

Well, I'm stealing it anyway!

http://ruthlessreviews.com/pics4/bm/bm11.jpg

Regarding trendiness. I find it is trendy now to be anti-trendy for sure. Also, sadly, it is trendy to be trendy to be ani-trendy. This is most regrettable development. For clear example, one need only look at black metal message boards, where people wish each other Merry Xmas! Even if this is so-called irony, I blacken their names each in my heart.

Of course Euro was gay and deserve to die. Also he jilt Varg, in whom he had relationship, it was lovers argument that went horribly wrong. As spurned lover was Varg. They argue over cover art, so I am to hear from true sources. Euro desire to depict pig vomiting blood, Varg think this is too trendy.

About Varg and his opinions, who cares? Just like like satanism....it has nothing to do with the music. Music is music.

PS Byzantum rules

Didn't one of their fans once get knocked out by a flying pigs head at a gig a few years back?

mayhem played in sweden?

(Incidentally, nobody ever gave 'The Dowager Grisnacht(mrsv@metalmommas.com)' or 'PeopleFunnyBoy (asanisimasa2005@yahoo.com)' much deserved ROFL credit for their respective 'Dear Vargy' and 'Varg Pitchfork Review' jokes upthread).

i like the rawness of the 'live in leipzig' record as well

and that 'de mysteriis dom sathanas' record has 'from the dark past' which is classic

i never really got into burzum

so, i'll side with mayhem

http://www.geocities.com/les_girlettes/boymaz00.JPG

Indeed, one more death in the wheel of meat that is existence, what of it?
Of course Euro was gay and deserve to die. Also he jilt Varg, in whom he had relationship, it was lovers argument that went horribly wrong. As spurned lover was Varg. They argue over cover art, so I am to hear from true sources. Euro desire to depict pig vomiting blood, Varg think this is too trendy.

Great post.

Why is it all you people do is complain bunch of bickering women non sense!

My verdict: Varg Vikernes is responsible for black metal to became trendy, something that I strongly detest!

-- mortifer, Sunday, September 30, 2001 8:00 PM (6 years ago)

xD

I wish Vikernes talked like a pro wrestler about himself: "What the Count thinks is that Norweigan culture has a purity to it that needs to be preserved, and that's all the Count has to say about that!" And a punch line by which to indicate that he's finished with his thought, like "Black metal....brother!" or maybe "Soul power!"

Troll power! Although I once saw him suddenly denouncing all trolls and elves.

Murder over petty bullshit pertaining to a small, insular music scene most people don't care about is so completely emo. Varg is an utter idiot, but the first few Burzum records are pretty monumental.

-- helmut was a krautrocker (helmut was a krautrocker), Tuesday, September 19, 2006 6:57 PM

^^ that

there's also a great name for mersh black metal upthread that I hadn't seen before: "pinkmetal"

Ordo ad Chao is too good not to demand some response from Varg I'd guess

While I don't agree that Varg is an idiot, he has certainly done a ton of extremely retarded shit. Does this take one ounce of shine off Filosofem for me? Absolutely not.

No, it is definite that he has intelligence. However, who brags on the number of amplifiers they are hauling, as if your album is now better for it? I am tired of hearing this discussed, for Filosofem. >_<

Regarding trendiness. I find it is trendy now to be anti-trendy for sure. Also, sadly, it is trendy to be trendy to be ani-trendy. This is most regrettable development. For clear example, one need only look at black metal message boards, where people wish each other Merry Xmas! Even if this is so-called irony, I blacken their names each in my heart.

-- Janne Karlsson, Thursday, December 30, 2004 11:39 PM (3 years ago) Bookmark Link

indeed there is nthing that is not blackened and made bleaker by seriousness.

-- Mr. Vas Djifrens (byzantum), Thursday, December 30, 2004 11:49 PM (3 years ago) Bookmark Link

"I could go on and on exemplifying how ludicrous this book and the theories of the authors really are, but I have better things to do." - Varg

Yeah, like making license plates?

Anyway, I have always liked Mayhem (maybe my 10th or 15th favorite black metal band), never bought Burzum (though I've heard and liked Filosofem). I just never wanted to give that guy any of my money. It's the same reason I own all the Emperor albums except for ITNSE. But now that I know that Varg owes Norway 33 million Kroner, I think I could safely buy some of his records and know that the money was going to build new churches and support the Jews after all.

that Burzum record sales are funding church building is the best thing ever.

For the record, the above is an assumption. But it's a funny idea if it's true!

Please! Vikernes will not be paying even 50 øre, probably.

How could he legally avoid it?

Think: what is to happen if he is not paying it? Go to jail? >_<

Nerrrr, they just take the money out of the royalties from his record sales, before he sees them. HA HA VARG U R Christian Church funder.

Hihi, yes, he is selling so many of "Dauði Baldrs." As I was saying, 50 øre as a top estimate.

"Illa Tiðandi" - uff da, real top ten single. XD

You see what I am meaning, though!

talkative sockpuppet is talkative

Ok!

Also, about the Einsatzgruppen arrested with (and other thing) 100,000kr, attempting collection of Vikernes from prison? Money supposed from his mother "Lene?"

He is not to be paying this, in some way. Sure.

ordo ad chao is the best mayhem record. sets a mood on the first track and remains compelling throughout each and every song. i always used to question the musical competency and integrity of this band, in particular its ability to create consistently focused and well-constructed songs. but this album is brilliant and extremely listenable. something i can't say about any of the others really. well maybe bits and pieces of the others.

What's wrong with De Mysteriis then? Pretty consistent and focused.

i guess i never really took to it so much. but you are right in identifying that era as one where the band were totally inspired and onsong. also 'from the dark past' is an incredible song, both on record and live. i guess my judgment is pretty heavily influenced by the maniac-led phase which never really seemed to stumble on anything really poignant and representative of the potential of the band.

Musically speaking, was Count Grisnakh of Burzum right to murder Euronymous of Mayhem?

wowwwwww that is undoubtedly the greatest first line of any thread ever!!!

it's not like garm battered euronymous to death with a big, novelty-sized styrofoam treble clef

shit not garm. varg

Musically speaking, the world would undoubtedly be better off if Garm would've been incarcerated for the last fifteen years instead of Varg.

this thread was gold

GARM

Mayhem were arrested in Holland for trashing a hotel room. ~$7000 in damage?

http://www.thegauntlet.com/article/530/17274/Members-of-Mayhem-arrested.html

hotel rooms in holland are on average smaller than broom closets, can't actually hold 7k worth of paper currency let alone goods

In TILBURG of all places. Happily Attila wasn't among those taken into custody?

'The suspects remain tied to a compensation of the damage dealt.'

When I go to Roadburn next spring, I'm going to stay in that exact room.

This is one of the best threads on ILM.

The "Dear Vargy" letter had me in tears.

bubblegum pinkmetal.

Euronymous vs. Varg Vikernes?
Fake evil vs. true evil?

if it is fake evil vs. true evil obviously i am going to have to go with true.

but tho i have heard so little mayhem (deathcrush and the live album), they are totally way better than burzum musically i would say. they write real songs that are listenable, rather than epic, moody statements, like all burzum albums.

Black metal=fake evil
Murder and nazi sympathies=true evil

(Hopefully most black metal fans prefer the former)

were the posters really random googlers or just moley?

Musically speaking, was Count Grisnakh of Burzum right to murder Euronymous of Mayhem?

when dirty vicar is on form, he's first rate

Wasn't there a group that insisted a gypsy foretold that Euronymous had plans to kill Varg, making the killing "self-defense". lols

wow, this thread.

Mayhem's first record is pretty good, no?

De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas is the classic, I have a soft spot for Deathcrush but it's a flawed fuggin' thing.

lol

http://www.thatsnotmetal.com/2012/03/news-that-matters-paint-norwegian.html

An airline in Norway, mysteriously named Norwegian Air Shuttle, is holding a vote online for people to choose their favorite popular Norwegian individual of cultural or historical importance. The person who gets the most votes will have their image immortalized on the tails of the airplanes to celebrate the company's 10th anniversary. Here's the company's description of the contest if you'd like more information:

"Her kan du blant annet stemme på en av kandidatene som en lokal nominasjonskomite bestående av: Fabian Stang (ordfører), Hans Edvardsen (Bymiljøetaten) og Lars Emil Hansen (Oslo Museum) har nominert. Komitemedlemmene er håndplukket basert på deres lokalkunnskap og engasjement. Se nedover på siden for flere nominerte kandidater. De fem kandidatene med flest stemmer etter at nominasjonsfasen er over, går videre til det endelige valget. Du kan avgi én stemme hver dag i hele nominasjonsfasen som varer frem til 28. mars kl. 23.59."

The late Øystein Aarseth, or as we all knew him, Euronymous of Mayhem, somehow made it onto the polls. The article I read about this on Gun Shy Assassin was posted two days ago, and at the time of that writing, Aarseth was in a bleak 23rd. At the time of this writing, he made it all the way to 5th place. The progress is staggering, and I want this to happen so bad now that I can taste the goat's blood.

To cast your vote, click http://www.halehelter.no/. The website isn't in English

lol make this happen

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gJTlI22JcCA/T24lDBWYP7I/AAAAAAAAAso/gxSkBysmvvI/s1600/19994.jpg

just click the heart to vote

Hah he's already in first place.

EURONYMOOSE

When it's cold

And when it's dark

Norwegian Air

Will express you

when they refuse to use it, metal press will make a fuss and national mainstream media will catch on and = free publicity.

Although you never know in Norway, they might put him on it, lol.

call me uninformed (which i am), but mayhem Live in Leipzig is way more METAL than what I have heard of Burzum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id9FarV4Rv8

I know barely anything about metal, but have listened to some first wave norwegian black metal stuff out of curiosity. From that standpoint, I think Burzum is better, or at least more accessible. Jesu Tod just rocks so fucking hard... It's not even eerie demonic sounding to me. Filosofem in general is really "cinematic" and I think anyone can appreciate it basically.

http://pitchfork.com/advance/451-esoteric-warfare/

^ new mayhem

mayhem was the shittiest of the early black metal bands in the norwegian scene and even though they have hell hammer they still sucked, BUT they now are a very good example of black metal. varg however has always been the leader in the movement, his albums (even his newer ones) are a shining example of what the true ideology of black metal is and was and should still be today. but now you have poloshed commercial crap like cradle of filth and dimmu borgir, or whatever the fuck they are called have diluted the scene with thier bubblegum pinkmetal. varg is and was a visionary, he is perhaps the best most talented blackmetal musician out there next to ihsahn of course. so therefore i would have to take the side of varg.
― azur gungnir, Wednesday, January 30, 2002 8:00 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Live in Leipzig is so fucking good

Also Esoteric Warfare is pretty good.

heh, this thread

If you can get past the edgy cover photo, Dawn of the Black Hearts actually sounds better than Leipzig--rawer but more bottom end and way less sterile. (Audience recording rather than straight through the soundboard.) That version of Freezing Moon sounds so unbelievably malefic.

Post-Euronymous Mayhem should go away.

To the person who said Burzum must die because of the law of the Talon, or the Satanist Law, is full of shit. If Euro was not accident prone, and a threat to Varg, Then it never would have happened. Varg simply took the opportunity that any of us would take. To rid ourselves of an enemy. I do support Burzum Musically, and I have heard his own mother say that he has dropped all contact with these Neo-Nazi Organizations. So, if its true, more power to him. I do not support racism, but I do support stratification. The Stronger person individually shall overcome. This doesnt just mean physically. How many members are there in Mayhem? How many in Burzum? The point is, is that a man that can create this beautiful haunting music by himself, is talented.

Post-Euronymous Mayhem should go away.

oh, you

Acting entitled about bands we like is sort of an arrogant internet thing and I try to avoid it but this band's early stuff is special to me, I can't help it. I just don't feel any spirit in any of the new stuff. Hellhammer (or whoever does his triggers) after the mid 90s might have the worst drum sound in metal :/

Got tix for DMDS at St Vitus next month. Expecting insanity.

Mayhem is the answer btw, pretty easily

i'm going to ATL in Feb to see that - $12 on Megabus round trip.

was supposed to see this same set at MDF and got drunk and missed it

I do love the way this thread is periodically googled by mentalists.

― DV (dirtyvicar),

registration killed off the random mentalist googler. Same happened to the dmb thread

that aforementioned set ruled btw

If Count is a nazi, so what? real bm means destruction and if you can't cope with that then you're in the wrong place.

― doesitmatter, Sunday, January 12, 2003 1:49 AM (fifteen years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Love this thread so much.

Had no idea a former Bathory member was directing this. Varg might not be happy with this portrayal by the sounds of it.
https://www.blackgate.com/2018/09/26/fantasia-2018-day-22-part-5-lords-of-chaos/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjfyfNAIAcA

holy shit this rules, i wish i had caught this tour

^it was pretty killer. I will say I never was in a more dangerous pit, though, the first time I saw Mayhem and they played "Deathcrush". it outright scared me the viciousness, it wasn't like, malevolent, but people were just jerkin' an berzerkin'

For a movie about metal, Lords of Chaos has zero energy. The Motley Crue biopic was more exciting.

I liked it, mainly for the aesthetics but for a movie that is clearly made by people who love metal it’s surprisingly uncommitted to the story. I watched it last year back to back with Straight Outta Compton which does completely buy into their whole mythos and is a much more entertaining movie for it. Also, that’s a movie about music with crazy/violent personal feuds as background, Lords Of Chaos is the exact opposite.

I mean, kids do stupid/violent things to each other, blow up stuff and try to give the establishment a kick in the balls, all over the world, all the time - that’s not very interesting in itself. In the end, the only thing that made any of these guys worthy of making a movie about is that their music got famous all over the world.

those live boots Peaceville put out last year for Mayhem are fuckin' terrible. idk why I am surprised though. one of them is just Dawn of the Black Hearts show without the brains cover