The infamous Bergen Black Metal band BURZUM's history is embroiled in myth and with the now jailed Count Grishnackh the band has developed a true underground following. In the early days the group, established in 1987, was titled KALASHNIKOV, after the Russian assault rifle, but being steeped in Tolkien lore, a revised title of URUK-HAI, after the Sauron high Orcs, was adopted. Subsequently both his personal title Grishnakh and BURZUM ('Darkness') were also lifted from Orc titles and languages. URUK-HAI was known to include drummer Erik Olivier Lancelot (a.k.a. AiwarikiaR), a subsequent member of ULVER.

Band mentor Count Grishnackh, born Kristian Vikernes, had legally changed his name to Varg ("Wolf") Vikernes. The band split in 1989 with band mentor Count Grisnackh formed SATANEL with IMMORTAL members Demonaz and Abbath. Grisnackh also dabbled in a Death Metal side project OLD FUNERAL. SATANEL disintegrated in 1991 with Grisnackh resurrecting URUK-HAI under the new name of BURZUM.

A first set of purely instrumental rehearsal recordings, comprising 'Lost Wisdom', 'Spell Of Destruction' and 'Channeling The Power Of Souls Into A New God' plus an unaccredited outro with a cassette sleeve being noticeably adorned by a concentration camp photograph, were conducted on 17th May 1991. This humble debut, executed with just guitar and drums, nevertheless provided a monumentally dark harbinger of what was to come.

Often travelling the seven hour plus journey from the West Coast of Bergen to Oslo, Count Grishnackh often stayed for extended periods in the capitol with members of MAYHEM. This connection solidified itself into a working relationship with MAYHEM frontman Euronymous (real name Øystein Aarseth), who offered to press up BURZUM's first album on his custom imprint Deathlike Silence Productions. Although a true one man industry, the DSP label did manage to produce two track promotional cassettes upfront of the album release. A more comprehensive, twelve track demo cassette surfaced later in 1992.

'Burzum' saw release in March 1992, having been recorded at Bergen's Grieghallen Studios with both "Mr. Pytten" (a.k.a. Eirik Hundvin) and Euronymous receiving production credits, the latter also donating a solo to the song 'War' The original vinyl release was divided into "Side Hate" and "Side Winter". A mis-print on the original pressing had 'Ea, Lord Of The Depths' mistakenly listed as 'Ea, Lord Of The Deeps'. Although released through Deathlike Silence Productions the manufacturing had, according to Varg Vikernes, been financed out of his own pocket by way of a loan to Euronymous. When the album sold out of its first pressing and the money had not been returned by the MAYHEM leader, the seeds of resentment were sewn.

'Burzum' was a remarkably mature piece of work, in particular so when compared to the full band product also spewing out of Norway at the time. Varg's lone genius constructed songs of complex, atonal structures and accentuated riffing, often switching schizophrenically between blast beats and drawn out dirge like manipulations. Defying genre onomatopoeia, Burzum's stark minimalism only served to enhance the spirit of its crafting. Never the most proficient of musicians, Vikernes had somehow enabled a rare passion unattainable by most acts of his ilk. As black metal endured its birth pangs, BURZUM was already looking toward the future of the genre by placing emphasis on atmospherics. The destiny of much of the 'Burzum' set would be to witness endless cover renditions from besotted devotees.

Essentially still a solo project, BURZUM did feature EMPEROR guitarist Samoth on bass on the 'Aske' ("ashes") mini-album released in 1992. Poignantly the record sleeve for 'Aske' depicted a photograph of the burned out ruin of Fantoft Stave Church. This historic building, one of only 32 remaining in Norway at that time, was torched on June 6th 1992, being the first of many. BURZUM's fourth album, 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss' ('If The Light Takes Us') was recorded in September 1992.

In January 1993 Grischnackh gave an interview in the 'Helvete' record store owned by Euronymous, in which he alleges the machinations of the burgeoning 'Black Circle Movement', were greatly exaggerated, apparently in order to gain exposure for the shop and Deathlike Silence Productions. The journalist reported his findings to the police, who promptly had the interviewee jailed. Upon his release, Grishnackh was further angered by Euronymous when he learned that whilst he had been incarcerated for a publicity stunt, the 'Helvete' premises had been closed.

Grishnackh, by his own bravado in printed interviews, was implicated in a number of church burnings along with other members of the Norwegian Black Metal scene. Count Grishnackh had then murdered his apparent rival Euronymous on August 10th 1993 by stabbing him to death. He had driven from Bergen with Mayhem guitar player Snorre Ruch (a.k.a. 'Blackthorn') as a companion, arriving in Oslo in the early hours of the morning. According to the account of Vikernes, an argument rapidly escalated into violence in which Euronymous was stabbed in his apartment then chased outside, all the time with Vikernes stabbing in the back. The death blow came when Vikernes stabbed Euronymous through the forehead, the body falling downstairs. Vacating the scene, Vikernes disposed of his bloodied clothes in a lake then journeyed home. His prepared alibis broke down and on August 19th he was arrested. Before his arrest Grisnackh, when asked by Kerrang! magazine journalist Kee Barrett to comment on Euronymous's death, offered to "dance and piss on his grave". This quote was later denied by Vikernes. Charged with first-degree murder, as well as additional arson charges in relation to Åsane church, Skjold church in Vindafjord and Holmenkollen chapel plus possession of stolen explosives, Grishnackh was given a life sentence of 21 years.

'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss' was finally released in May 1994 via Misanthropy, the record was enclosed in a traditional monochrome line drawing, this time 'Fattigmannen' (The Pauper) rendered by traditional Norwegian landscape/naïve/folk artist Theodor Kittelsen. Four lengthy songs were intended by Varg to take the listener on a journey, inducing trance with the subtle shifts of 'Det Som En Gang Var', bludgeoning with the ferocious 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss' and 'In I Slottet Fra Droemmen' before lulling back into the real world with the soothing keyboard ambience of 'Tomhet' (Emptiness). BURZUM returned in 1996 with 'Filosofem', again issued through Misanthropy.

Grisnackh once more provoked headlines in early 1997 when a T-shirt he had designed whilst in jail for BURZUM caused outrage and was banned. Featuring the SS death's head logo on the chest and the slogan 'Support your local Einsatzkommando' Grisnackh proved his controversial philosophies could still make an impression from the prison cell.

Grisnackh completed work on the 'Dauði Baldrs' (Death of Balder) album in 1997, the music, being a conceptual piece based around the Norse God Balder, son of Odin and Frigga, the deity of innocence and light, recorded on the keyboards he was allowed to keep in his cell.

Somewhat disturbingly the album cover featured Viking warriors, one in a cloak bearing the distinctive insignia of the Scandinavian SS division 'Wiking' and another cradling both a baby and sword.

Grisnackh's anti-hero status was partly revealed when his mother, Lena Bore, was jailed for helping to finance an attempt by the right wing organization Einsatzgrupe to spring her son from jail. The intended destination for BURZUM's leader was apparently South Africa.

The 'Hliðskjálf' record was assembled in the confines of his prison cell, on just his computer and a keyboard, and released to the world in April 1999. Titled after the throne of Norse god Odin, the album would include lyrics, although was purely instrumental in composition, Grishnackh's desire being that listeners be transported on a journey, navigated by the combination of music and prose.

A BURZUM tribute album, 'Visions', was released in 2002 on the Cymophane label featuring the likes of STARCHAMBER, EWIGKEIT, NOKTURNAL MORTEM and SCHIZOID. As the myth of BURZUM showed little sign of abating it was further perpetuated during 2003 as the Dead Ringer label granted both 'Dauði Baldrs' and 'Hliðskjálf' albums their first US release. Further publications, such as 'Vargsmal', followed.

The Count made front page headlines once more on 25th October 2003 when, aided by accomplices, he spectacularly broke out of prison. Vikernes had only recently been transferred to the low security Tønsberg jail but had expressed fears for his personal safety. Norwegian newspapers reported that he held a family at gunpoint in order to hijack their car and was then pursued by several Police cars until brought to a halt. Apparently as part of his escape kit Vikernes was in possession of a gas mask, knives, camouflage clothing, a portable Global Positioning System satellite navigator, maps, a compass, a mobile telephone, a headset and a laptop computer. His lawyer, John Christian Elden, claimed his intention was to flee Norway and join the French Foreign Legion. In April of 2004 Vikernes learnt that his attempt to flee had added a further fourteen months to his sentence.

That same year the band would have their classic cut 'Ea, Lord Of The Deeps' chosen as a pioneering piece of music for a compilation assembled by DARKTHRONE drummer Fenriz, released through Peaceville Records and entitled 'Fenriz Presents The Best Of Old School Black Metal'. In April the Back On Black collectors label re-issued 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss', 'Det Som En Gang Var', 'Burzum / Aske', 'Filosofem', 'Dauði Baldrs' and 'Hliðskjálf' on limited edition, heavyweight vinyl.

In February 2006 Candlelight Records prepared a new artist page for BURZUM, apparently in anticipation of Vikernes' release from prison. However, his parole hearing in June did not go in favour of Vikernes, due in part to a retroactively enforced change in legislation, the Norwegian government having increased parole hearings in 21 year sentences from 12 years to 14. His parole applications were denied four times, the last being in September 2008, before his eventual release in May 2009. Once a free man, he moved into a new home in Bø, a municipality in the county of Telemark. Vikernes had purchased the farm sometime during 2008 for his French wife and son.

In other news, it was reported that Jackson Rathbone, the teen heartthrob from the hit vampire movie 'Twilight', had apparently agreed to play Vikernes in the upcoming movie 'Lords Of Chaos' based on Michael Moynihan and Didrik Soderlind's book of the same name. Vikernes had earlier distanced himself from the film, stating "the vast majority of all the statements made in this book are either misinterpretations; taken out of context; misunderstandings; malicious lies made by enemies; a result of ignorance; extreme exaggerations; and/or third-hand information at best".

In early July Vikernes reported that he was well under way with a new BURZUM album, having written nine new songs for consideration of several labels.

Garry Sharpe-Young