Band:	Burzum
Album:	Burzum
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	March 1992
Guest review by:	NECURATU

01. Feeble Screams From Forests Unknown
02. Ea, Lord Of The Deeps
03. Black Spell Of Destruction
04. Channelling The Power Of Souls Into A New God
05. War
06. The Crying Orc
07. A Lost Forgotten Sad Spirit
08. My Journey To The Stars
09. Dungeons Of Darkness

First, Varg is a good musician. It isn't easy to do everything at least decently: write the lyrics, beat the drums, play the guitar and scream your throat out. Let's take 'em all one by one.

The guitar is cutting sick. A thick, low quality distortion, fast tremolo riffs punching out with a softer guitar running past, all creating quite a balance and symetrical melodic line that doesn't bore you and offers some great moments. Actually, it's damned brilliant in some moments. Bass guitar is a bit absent; still, it has a nice moment on "A Lost Forgotten Sad Spirit" and "War."

Drums are better. I think Varg's a better drummer than a guitarist. Strong beats that really grip you and hold the whole song together. It escalates and increases in tension throughout the whole album until the climax in "My Journey to the Stars" where, I at least, couldn't help but bang, bang, and bang.

The lyrics are complex, majestic at times with a touch of teenage rebellion and philosophy. All in all just thoughts that pass through any person's mind at a certain point but here they are dressed in an interesting fashion. Personally, I could sum them up in the effort to find one's self and meaning.

Voice, well, Varg doesn't really have a voice. He just screams his lyrics. And that might bother some. Still, I find his screams fit to the album's atmosphere. Gloomy and furious.

A final conclusion? The instrumental part is good towards great, the album caps at about 48 minutes and though there isn't too much variation throughout it (excepting some ambiental parts) it does not bore you. The lyrics are interesting and the voice can be horrid to some and perfect to others. Great black metal album.

Highlights: A Lost Forgotten Sad Spirit, War, The Crying Orc, My Journey To The Stars.