Record of Week 07 ‘10 (Burzum - Belus)
Record of Week 07 ‘10
Burzum - Belus (2010)
The last time Varg Vikernes fucked me was back in 1996. He gave it to me hard with Filosofem. He cuddled me even harder with his synth ambience. When he was convicted of murder, Varg promised me we’d keep in touch. But fuck me he did not. Now, nearly fifteen years later, my asshole is once again gaping like a black hole: sucking that Burzum dick deep into my intestines.
If you didn’t catch my drift, you’re wondering, “Does Belus suck or slay? Get off that homo tip, Zed, and be literal. Please.” I’ll never get off that homo tip, but worry not, friend, rejoice: Belus be killer.
Belus isn’t as ferocious, noisy or ambitious as Vikernes’ previous output. There is occasional singing. There is even some spoken word. The recording is hi-fi enough where bass notes can be distinguished. Belus is a beast: no synth, no ambience, non-stop black metal head banging. There’s no reliance on novelty or gimmicks. But you still can, and should, enjoy Burzum in 2010 because he’s really fucking good at writing kick-ass songs.
Did prison make Vikernes’ go soft? His inspiration for Belus comes, “from the wind and weather, from deep forests and running water, from the sky and the sunset, from misty mountains and from yellow leaves falling from age old trees.” Not sure about soft, but the man is either druid as fuck or on some hippie level shit. Regardless, let’s not forget, Belus will be heard as “noise” and “screaming music” to ninety nine percent of the population. And hey, Odin damn it, these songs, mannn. There are eight minute plus jammers that’ll knock you into a hypnotic trance. Not too far removed from the atmosphere contemporaries Wolves In The Throne Room instill. Oh mannnnn, some dude definitely has his nuts in a bundle about that WITTR reference.
And so what if Vikernes is questionably NS/WP? He can hate the shit out of my Jewish ancestors and myself, because, motherfuck, Belus’ lyrics are Norwegian and about Belus, an “ancient European solar deity of light and innocence.” Sounds good to me. Let’s be adults; we can separate art from the artist, yah? And, as an adult man who waited ~fifteen years for a good ass reaming, it feels good not to be disappointed.
