It goes without saying that the original early 90's Burzum releases remain among the most potent and influential black metal albums ever recorded. While the criminal exploits of sole member Varg Vikernes have always threatened to overshadow the music itself (just read Lords Of Chaos for the whole sordid saga), the impact that these records had on underground metal (and beyond) is still being felt. Ferocious, sometimes experimental, Burzum's early discography includes works that are undeniable masterpieces of black metal profanity steeped in Scandinavian mythology; regardless of how one feels about the notorious character behind this music, several of these albums are required listening for anyone who is truly interested in the sonic black arts. All of these albums were reissued a while back through the Candlelight sub-label Byelobog, retaining their original form with no added bonus tracks or any other extraneous material, each disc housed in jewel case packaging enclosed in a printed slipcase; we now have all of these in stock, some at lower prices than before, and all are highly recommended to those truly interested in the evolution of Norwegian black metal and the malevolent aesthetics of genuinely sociopathic art.

Burzum's second album continued with the primitive, ear-scraping abrasiveness that we were assaulted with on the debut, but here Vikernes begins to explore the more deliberately hypnotic riffscapes that would subsequently be perfected on Hvis Lyset Tar Oss and Filosofem. 1993's Det Som Engang Var (translated from the Norwegian as "for what once was") continues to explore a romanticized revolt against modernity through raw, intensely atmospheric black metal, and musically, it's pretty brutal. Though the beginning of Det Som is shrouded in the dark, minimal ambience of "Den Onde Kysten", that quickly dissolves into the vicious black metal of "Key To The Gate", erupting into violent thrash, swinging between haphazard blasting and dissonant guitars and slower, more doom-laden riffing. One of the interesting developments here is the addition of melodic leads that are vaguely reminiscent of medieval music, something that would be explored even more with later Burzum records, and Vikernes' frantic, strep-throat vocals feel even more deranged than before. The sound is definitely heavier, with moments of lumbering, morbid Frostian crush, and the riffs sometimes shift between that signature trancelike buzz and catchier, more traditional metallic riffing. That droning, swirling tremolo riffing and mesmeric blasting tempos drive all of this stuff though. A couple of songs ("Han Som Reiste", "Svarte Troner") are kosmische-influenced synthesizer pieces comprised of pulsating bass notes, swaths of mysterious industrial drift, and looping melodies that draw from medieval music, which of course points towards the exclusively electronic sound of his prison-era albums. All of this is enshrouded in that signature Burzumic atmosphere, harsh and haunting, strewn with moments of brutal heaviness and otherworldly avant-garde ambience.