Burzum - Fallen review
| Band: | Burzum |
| Album: | Fallen |
| Style: | Black metal |
| Release date: | March 07, 2011 |
| A review by: | Troy Killjoy |
01. Fra Verdenstreet
02. Jeg Faller
03. Valen
04. Vanvidd
05. Enhver Til Sitt
06. Budstikken
07. Til Hel Og Tilbake Igjen
The notorious Count is back with yet another addition to the black metal scene with his first English-titled album, Fallen. And while Varg's post-prison releases are a big deal just for the fact that a murderer's name is attached to the music, the material presented isn't exactly anything stunning. There is definitely something stellar about this album though: the cover art, William Adolphe Bouguereau's very own "Douleur d'amour". Unfortunately, the music doesn't reflect the beauty of the painting.
See, back in the early '90s Burzum was a household name in the Norwegian black metal scene. Then that whole murder/self-defense/prison term thing happened and some years later we had Belus and Fallen released within a year of each other.
So what of the music? Essentially you're in for the typical Vikernes menu. Lo-fi appeteasers, a dissonant garden salad, a grim and frostbitten blue-rare steak, and a... goat for dessert? I don't know, I feel out of touch with the black metal scene when listening to this, much like Varg is showing himself to be out of touch. Especially with those... clean "vocals"? And choruses? He's like Captain Jack Sparrow. The world around him is shrinking, yet his seclusion has led him to believe he's still a master at what he does. Although I'd venture so far as to suggest the captain is a bit of a master at what he does...
15 years in prison did a noticeable number on the Count. The noted perfectionist has all but let his music become somewhat of a shadow of its former self, kind of like a sterile version of Det som engang var with its subtle ambiance to accompany the traditional black metal sound. That being said, Varg is in a no-win situation here. Burzum fans will compare this to his previous works - widely regarded as black metal masterpieces - and black metal fans will compare this with the likes of Wolves In The Throne Room. In either case Fallen will fall to both past and present, although even on its own terms there isn't anything this release can provide that hasn't been provided already.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 7 |
| Songwriting: | 5 |
| Originality: | 4 |
| Production: | 7 |
 | Written on 13.11.2011 by I'm total pro; that's what I'm here for. |
Comments
Comments: 71
Visited by: 523 users
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306  |
Written by [user id=105265] on 13.11.2011 at 22:45 ! Lame. I figured it'd be Vallen or something. Wallen. Christopher Walken.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374  |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 13.11.2011 at 22:48 You just got Scandinavia'd
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 13.11.2011 at 22:55 This is why North America is failing. We only know English, and maybe some French (eastern Canada) or Spanish (southern US).
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 13.11.2011 at 22:56 You just know this album isn't relevant at all if the first 4 comments are about languages.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Crème fraiche Posts: 703  |
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| Crème fraiche Posts: 703 |
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Crème fraiche on 13.11.2011 at 23:06 His alias: Count Grishnakh.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 13.11.2011 at 23:06 Damn! Ninja'd.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Crème fraiche Posts: 703 |
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| Butters49 Posts: 208  |
I disagree with your review, sir
---- "Sataaaaaaaaan. Yeah yeah!" -King Diamond
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| Carl Berg Carl Berg Posts: 589  |
Fallen is not such a horrible album, I particularly like the title track and Til Hel Og Tilbake Igjen (too hell and back again). Otherwise it's true, it doesn't live up to it's past standards. But do we really need to keep on comparing? Also, well written review dude!
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| Marcus Doit Like Bernie Posts: 642  |
After reading this I decided to listen to Fallen again. While I actually like Jeg Faller and the clean singing in it (don't let the Trve Kvlt police read that), lie you said, the album as a whole is pretty bland. Sure compared to his older stuff it's bad, but, on it's own at least, it's nothing more, or less, than an average, albeit well produced, mid-tempo bm album.
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| Boxcar Willy yr a kook Posts: 9155  |
Go back to jail.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Marcus on 14.11.2011 at 00:48 Exactly. I mean it's nice to see he didn't hop on the "hipster" black metal bandwagon and create some overly atmospheric shoegaze-influenced black metal (even though personally I'd probably end up loving it) and that he chose to do what he wants. Which is trying to recapture the magic of music he was responsible for 20 years ago.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Carl Berg on 14.11.2011 at 00:25 Well, the comparisons were made but I also mentioned what I thought of it on its own.  And thanks!
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Boxcar Willy on 14.11.2011 at 02:17 To be honest I seriously think prison changed him for the worse. He doesn't seem to have the same inner angst bottled up to unleash in the recording studio.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| psykometal A staff guy... Elite Posts: 6101  |
Honestly I liked the album, I enjoyed the clean vocals. I am choosing not to compare this (or Bellus) to his older work because the man has been in prison for 15 years and he hasn't written BM in that long either. He also had that brief period in prison when he renounced all things BM and wrote the 2 ambient albums. Also I haven't seen any interviews with him about his mentality on BM or if he even intended to write BM the way he used to or if he has had some sort of epiphony and has decided to "evolve" his writing process and his ideals on what he wants his music to sound like. It feels to me that the latter is the case and these new albums are maybe supposed to be some kind of new face to Varg Vikernes; the man has had nothing but time in the past decade to think about his musical ideology and philosophy.
---- ~Zep, Database and Forum Moderation~ 
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| Marcus Doit Like Bernie Posts: 642 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 14.11.2011 at 03:11 I spose it's nice, but I also can't believe he didn't really try to do anything different either. Granted, I'm sure he wants to recapture that old magic but I wouldn't be surprised if he starts to drift away from his bm formula and does something, god forbid, creative. However I also won't be surprised if he releases the same albums over and over again and I eat my words.
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| eponymous Posts: 54  |
Written by Marcus on 14.11.2011 at 04:21 You mean original. Making music is creative, even if it's unoriginal music. And now if people would just stop using 'modern' when they mean 'contemporary', I could go to sleep 
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| Marcus Doit Like Bernie Posts: 642 |
Written by eponymous on 14.11.2011 at 05:19 No, I mean creative. I can easily make music without having to get creative. In this connotation the two go pretty much hand in hand. Now if people would stop correcting me over word usage I could sleep at night... jk.
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| Eidwlon Posts: 13  |
Pity, the cover art was really drawing my attention to this album. I thought that it might actually make the music something good, artistic, aesthetic. I don't think I'll try it after all, thanks for the convincing review.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Eidwlon on 14.11.2011 at 08:35 No problem, although if you haven't heard his previous releases (early '90s) I'd highly recommend them.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| M C Vice ex-polydactyl Posts: 3407  |
The Count of Monte Cristo became a genius after doing 14 years in prison. I guess it didn't work for Count Grishnakh.
---- "Another day, another Doug." "I'll fight you on one condition. That you lower your nipples." " 'Tis a lie! Thy backside is whole and ungobbled, thou ungrateful whelp!"
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| Daniell _爱情_ Elite Posts: 6100  |
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by M C Vice on 14.11.2011 at 09:07 Something tells me Varg will still have a nice little book written about his adventures though.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Daniell on 14.11.2011 at 09:41 I just don't want him to read something where I call him a murderer lest he decides to fly over here and defend himself in person against my review.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| qlacs "The Quaker" Posts: 1547  |
Written by M C Vice on 14.11.2011 at 09:07 This made my day  Nice review by the way, although I've never really cared for Burzum.
---- 
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| AnGina-- Dark Phoenix Posts: 3555  |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 13.11.2011 at 22:48  I love this review though, it gave me such a good impression of an album, I'm not even going to bother to give it a try. If the title would be Christopher Walken, then, I'd buy it!
---- You think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it. Molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was a man. But it was nothing to me but blinding.
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| RockeRoy Posts: 641  |
Havn't heard it yet, and i ain't gonna... but i bet the reviewer has right in his low raiting.. funny that you thought it was an English titled album when all the lyrics is in norwegian:)
---- You found god? If nobody claims him in thirty days, he's yours Walk with me in hell
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