Burzum - Filosofem

Misanthropy / Cymophane

Does the extreme side of metal get much more listenable? I mean this is fairly laid back for the aforementioned extreme tag. The Lo-Fi quality gives it the edge that's needed but when you get down to the core of it it's rather delightful. It's easy to get into by extreme metal standards. Not overly complex but enough to keep the average listener enthralled. Harsh but relatively admirable. It packs a lot of charm.

The atmosphere within Filosofem conjures up blizzards and sandstorms alike. Rough and grainy to a level that I dont think I've heard elsewhere. The harsh recordings give the music an almost never-ending quality. It's as if there's no beginning and no end to the sonic sounds. Horizon-like. You can catch the essence of the melody trapped in the ether. Ghost-like. Haunted.

It's as if the music within wasn't meant to be heard by outside forces. The drums are kept to a rather simplistic level which only adds to the ease of accessibility. A lot of metal releases suffer from over technical musicianship. This release is enhanced by an awareness that less is more. The ambient tracks are rather indulgent and that’s where the 'less is more' ethos goes out the window.

Say what you will about Burzum's creator but talent is talent. Abilities exist outside of ones reputation. Separating the art from the artist has to be done, unfortunately, in a lot more cases than you would like to expect. We're human after all.

January 31st, 1996.