Warthur
The latest Burzum album seems to represent a clean break from the band’s past, heralding a change in musical style as radical as the one Bathory underwent between Under the Sign of the Black Mark and Blood Fire Death. It seems to be Varg Vikernes’ attempt at viking metal - appropriately enough, considering that the lyrics consist of a recitation of an ancient Icelandic poem - but bless him, the man just isn’t very good at it. The songs are somewhat too simplistic, over-long, and over-repetitive - and bear in mind this is from someone who really likes the 25 minute ambient track on Filosofem - and in general it’s not only not the sort of thing I expect from Burzum, but it also just isn’t very good judged on its own terms in isolation from everything else Varg has done in his career.
