Genre : Black Metal
Label : Byelobog Productions
Origin : Norway
Rating : 9.6 / 10
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"From the Depths of Darkness" is a special - more on this in a moment - compilation album of legendary black metal one man band Burzum, "fronted" and maintained by the Original Black Metal Pope Varg Vikernes. By the way, "burzum" means "darkness" in a particular fictional language that has been developed by J. R. R. Tolkien to be used in his fantasy contributions. This compilation disc is more than an everyday average compilation release, and the reason behind this is none other than Varg Vikernes took the time and effort to re-record every single track he re-delivers on this release.
The majority of the songs are coming to you from the 1992 LP "Burzum" and the 1993 release "Det som engang var", and the creator does not at all want you to regard these new variants as the "proper" ones. These are new renditions of songs that already have been recorded, making it a special occasion by which the artist covers himself. It is nothing like a series of "simple" remasters though, and "more" would be an inappropriate term, as well. Here is why : the original vintage tracks, of course, are still sounding with that lightweight skeletal vibe, which in my opinion is a key element of the charisma of the genre, while, their new variants have intentionally been beefed up in radical - also sober - fashion to state their timeless verdicts once again, now with recent days production standards. Guys, let's talk about Burzum when it's ripped like fucking Rambo.
It doesn't take more than a few seconds to be mesmerized and steamrolled by this stoically demonic sonic entity if and when you decide that you are ready to accept it in the exact form it reigns in, signifying your willingness to actually hear it out. How. Appropriate. This compilation behaves in a very respectable manner, because it offers the rule book right away, and the first two sentences translate to :
"Oh hi! In a second, you will be mindfucked, and now is the time to chicken out, IF."
Varg Vikernes' music never ever lacked profound magic, as this man has exceptional talent of creating organic connections between separate sonic entities and making you the witness of their lush rendezvous. This music is very peaceful with the fact that it knows no peace other than the act of embracing the complete lack of it, and it would be a plain mistake, in my opinion, to regard ANYTHING from this body of work as negativistic. It sounds more like "honest" to me, and "honest" is the only kind of music or art worth listening to-, or checking out. Varg Vikernes doubtless has exceptionally deep access/connection to the "mere meaning" of darkness, which enables him to present the endless qualities and "patterns" of it with fluent inventiveness and sonic exigency.
Vikernes, think what you want about the dudette, but have zero doubt about the following, is a top of the food chain hookhunter with such awareness of the intent of menace that it commands the character of darkness to be consent to share more about itself than its mere obtrusive nature of void.
This is robust music, now with robust production form, too - but keep in mind that the skeleton variants of the vintage originals are superb fun, too - and, if you give it the serious ears with the courtesy of listening to the content, then "simply disliking" anything on this spin, "simply does not make sense", in my opinion. It is too crystal clear in its intents and shapes to tolerate such a rudimentary and cheap behavior-pattern to relate to it with. Disliking it is not enough, because it has no effect on it. So you will have to come up with some more relevant counter-attack to puzzle Varg Vikernes.
But, notice this : the music of Burzum does not at all seek to cause fear-, not even discomfort in you. It is the praising of another kind of beauty on the opposite side of what meta-perception can immediately recognize and embrace as consensus-beauty, but the beneficiary thing is that once the spirit attempts to accept and attempts to understand the sonic language of Burzum, - which is clear like a bitchslap, trust me - then the spirit necessarily becomes more finely calibrated to handle the shape of things to come. Fear has infinite faces, but every each one of them screams for peace.
Rating : 9.6 / 10
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