BURZUM: "Daudi Baldrs" review
RPadamsee
I have now obtained the proper release version of 'Daudi Baldrs'. The CD
format comes in a digipack rather than a A5 digi-book like Filosofem did.
However, the presentation is as immaculate as ever, and an attravtive
booklet documenting the tale of Balder is included. The texts are mainly in
Norwegian (presumably Bergensk dialect), though some French and German ones
are also included. Of those languages I only read German fluently, so I
cannot comment on the main story (unless someone who reads Norwegian would
care to send a translation to this newsgroup? =) ). There are also some
texts on Loki (who obviously features in the story) and also on the
"indo-european" origin of the swastika (which shouldn't come as a surprise
given Varg's current thinking). Interestingly too, the album is credited to
"Varg Kvisling Larsson Vikarnes". A man of many names (I believe this
latest one is an amalgamation of his nom de guerre and 'nom de plume').
The other notable thing is that I got this copy at the "Chart" section of
HMV records, so it seems it should sell okay too.
Rainer
(rpad...@aol.com)
RPadamsee
BURZUM
"Balder’s Død"
(Note: at the time of writing it is seems that the album may be titled
"Daudi Baldrs" for the final release. However, since the review is based on
a promotional copy entitled "Balder’s Død", I will continue to refer to the
album as such for the moment)
Reviewed by Rainer Padamsee
Rating: 90%
‘Balder’s Død’ is the sixth album in Varg Vikernes’ infamous Burzum
project. Already responsible for some of the most haunting music within the
genre, any album bearing the Burzum name has a great deal to live up to.
On all his previous works Vikernes has experimented with synth pieces to
some degree, these developing into piercing, albeit sparse, atmospheric
soundscapes on the "Hvis lyset tar oss" and "Filosofem" albums. Whilst
these served as excellent interludes between the storms of guitar based
material, ‘Balder’s Død’ sees his first completely ambient synth album.
This was probably not entirely by choice, given that (pointless) prison
regulations prevented him having a guitar in his cell. Hence ‘Balder’s Død’
was recorded entirely using keyboards and computer (in the form of a
4-track Portasynth module) during his stay at Bergen prison. There are also
rumours of the album having been recorded onto a Walkman (!), but the sound
quality is in fact fairly good.
In Scream magazine (no.28) Varg said he used "only one guitar and synths"
on the recording, but ‘Balder’s Dod’ is purely synth. The album was
originally intended as a ‘Hlidskjolf’ (meaning ‘throne of Odin’) release
but has now been obviously released as a Burzum album, presumably for
commercial reasons.
The album opens with "Daudi Baldrs", a surprisingly more grandiose opener
than I had awaited. The melodies are simple but catching and the
synthesised drums and crashing cymbals give it an unexpected dynamism.
"Hermordr a Helferd" is more in the vein of the previous Burzum
pseudo-ambient efforts. A simple synth line repeats over a piano melody -
the result is repetitive but surprisingly effective. Another good piece, if
a little short and underdeveloped.
"Balferd Baldrs" takes a more mournful perspective and in many respects is
more haunting than the previous two songs. The main melody is in fact taken
from the song "Jesus’ Tod" (from the "Filosofem" album). The song
exemplifies the way in which Vikernes can use even limited equipment to
craft an experience for mortals to dream. Haunting, but always fascinating.
"I Heimr Heljar" is a short, dramatic - almost bombastic - number, quite
in contrast to the more sparse soundscapes.
"Illa Tidandi" sees the return of the "Filosofem" parallel. The repetitive
piano melody is basically that from "Gebrechlichkeit .i." and
"Gebrechlichkeit .ii." from that aforementioned album. Just as in Filosofem
too, this, the fifth track, is the longest and most repetitive.
In many ways "Illa Tidandi" highlights the problem with much of the
ambient/synth genre. When you feel reflective and in a suitable state of
mind, a song like "Illa Tidandi" is the vehicle for a sublime journey into
one’s subconscious and across the boundaries of imagination; if one is not
in a suitably introspective state of mind then the song becomes nothing
more than a repetitive piano melody. In this sense it is hard to pass
judgement on an album that depends so much on how you perceive it at that
given moment. Whether an ambient soundscape sweeps you away with it is as
much dependant upon your frame of mind as on the quality of the music.
‘Balder’s Død’ has the advantage of being a Burzum album. A deeper
complexity and subliminal quality is something we expect of a Burzum album,
so we are willing to search and ‘explore’ the power of the ambient
melodies. And ambient soundscapes are such that if we search for some
quality within them, their inherent simplicity ensures that we can usually
interpret as having found that quality (whether it is there or not). The
point is that were the composer someone other than Vikernes, we may not
bother to make the ‘search’ in the first place.
Imagery also plays an important part in music like this. A repetitive
piano melody played by your next door neighbour is a repetitive piano
melody. A repetitive piano melody played by neo-pagan warrior and one
time Satanic Terrorist leader Count Grishnackh, is an aural landscape.
The very nature of ambient music like this means that if we intentionally
search for the ‘magic’ locked away in the melodies we will invariably find
them. Furthermore, if we follow this line of thought, it is clear that if
you approach the music with the intent to dislike it (or at least not to
‘explore’ it) then all you will hear is the ‘boring’ melodies. Now, this
argument could be levelled at all forms of music; the point is that ambient
music like this amplifies the mental state, it doesn’t win you over with
great riffs or explosive drumming. In conclusion, one might say ambient
music like this can be as good, or bad, as you want it to be. You have to
be in a frame of mind to actively explore the musical depths and hidden
connotations of each note - the music is either absolutely engaging or not
at all. I would say the impact a song like "Illa Tidandi" has is 30% the
music, and 70% the way you mentally interpret.
The album finishes on a high with "Moti Ragnarokum", a beautiful melodic
piece that builds up momentum and interlaces piano melodies around a good
composition. As with the rest of ‘Balder’s Død’, it has the unique
‘out-worldly’ feel to it (if you let it).
Overall the album is tangibly Norse in feel, and the idea of it serving as
a soundtrack chronicling the life (and death) of Balder, gives it an extra
dimension. The compositions are not all as piercing and ethereal as
"Tomhet" was, but on the whole they are certainly more complex and
developed than the Count’s previous synth efforts. And the conditions under
which it was recorded make it all the more incredible; a testament to
Vikernes’ genius.
People will call it a fitting epitaph, if not the swansong, to the mighty
Burzum name (as they did Filosofem), but I am in no doubt that Burzum will
rise again.
Rainer (rpad...@aol.com)
(for more Burzum info see Miika's page at
http://www.lut.fi/%7Emega/muzac/Burzum/)
Miika Kuusinen
rpad...@aol.com (RPadamsee) writes:
> I have now obtained the proper release version of 'Daudi Baldrs'. The CD
> format comes in a digipack rather than a A5 digi-book like Filosofem did.
> However, the presentation is as immaculate as ever, and an attravtive
> booklet documenting the tale of Balder is included. The texts are mainly in
> Norwegian (presumably Bergensk dialect), though some French and German ones
> are also included. Of those languages I only read German fluently, so I
> cannot comment on the main story (unless someone who reads Norwegian would
> care to send a translation to this newsgroup? =) ). There are also some
> texts on Loki (who obviously features in the story) and also on the
> "indo-european" origin of the swastika (which shouldn't come as a surprise
> given Varg's current thinking). Interestingly too, the album is credited to
> "Varg Kvisling Larsson Vikarnes". A man of many names (I believe this
> latest one is an amalgamation of his nom de guerre and 'nom de plume').
I don't have a translation but the story of the death of Balder is
available at my Burzum site http://www.lut.fi/~mega/muzac/Burzum/index.html
It was directly taken from one history book dealing with Vikings etc.
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