Zer0

Sometimes beauty can be found in very dark places. Black metal is probably one of the darkest forms of musical expression and a lot of the times is viewed in a very negative light or even overshadowed because of non-musical events, in particular the Norwegian scene in the early-90s. But if you take a look at the artwork on the cover of this album, featuring the drawing “Fattigmannen” by 19th Century Artist Theodor Kittelsen, it is morbidly dark and embraces death yet is somewhat beautiful and even peaceful to look at. The music itself has that same feeling, a strange and eerie mixture of light and darkness as well as a great sense of isolation. It gives you that great sense that death is an escape from all the ugliness of this world and that you will be at peace with yourself forever.

Hvis Lyset Tar Oss is an album that proves to the untrained ear that there is more to black metal than blood-curdling screams, warp-speed tremolo-picked guitars and blastbeats. It is hugely progressive and ambitious, exploring sonic textures and emotions that no other black metal musician would even attempt at the time. It completely tore down the restrictions of the genre and took its own form as an expression of dark art. Allowing ambient yet dark instrumental passages to sit seamlessly alongside full-on black metal assaults. Despite this it still has a sense of being closed off and isolated from the rest of the world, not surprising considering Varg Vikernes’ somewhat nationalist political views. The eerie and cold intro of the first track ‘Det Som En Gang Var’ (What Once Was) sets the tone for the rest of the album very nicely, with its almost seamless intertwining of majestic synths and distorted guitars before pummelling drums and fist-pumping guitar riffs shatter the calm just before the three-minute mark. This epic fourteen and a half minute track keeps the listener in a trance with its sweeping, repetitive synth melodies over layers of harsh guitars creating a sense of detachment and isolation that engulfs the listener. Varg’s vocals seem to have a feeling of sadness and anger, perhaps completely disillusioned with the modern world and all its forces. The title track ‘Hvis Lyset Tar Oss’ (If The Light Takes Us) is harsher and more aggressive. The guitars have more presence, have a darkly menacing bite to them and create a more sinister and uncomfortable atmosphere overall. But despite the dense and harsh sound if you dig further down in the music you can pick out the long melodies flowing underneath, as if their purpose is to secretly burrow into your mind and brainwash you in the process.

‘Inn I Slottet Fra Drømmen’ (Into The Castle From The Dream) steps up the aggression even more. Relying on intensity rather than atmosphere during the first half of the song to create a feeling of dread and suffering. The tone and tempo starts to shift around the halfway mark as if the song has a will of its own. The more atmospheric ending to the song lets the listener catch their breath and take in the epic and sweeping feel of the music. In stark contrast to the previous two tracks yet complementing them greatly is the fourteen minute dark ambient piece ‘Tromhet’ (Emptiness). The layers of drones and repetitive synths create an almost peaceful twilight feeling, yet with this comes a sense of isolation and perhaps a feeling of destiny. Coming after the uncomfortable and sometimes intense sounds of the previous three tracks this track makes you feel like you are releasing your soul and leaving this world behind. Like the album cover itself and indeed the album title Hvis Lyset Tar Oss (If The Light Takes Us), this track give you a sense of finding peace and tranquillity in death and being alone forever.

Another strong characteristic about this album is that it really sounds like it could have been recorded at any point over the past twenty or so years. It could fit in with today’s underground music no problem although I think one of the main goals of Burzum was not to fit in anywhere at any time. Varg’s lo-fi D.I.Y. approach to making music makes it feel timeless and completely non-conforming to any sort of musical trend. But long may this album live, provide another world for its listeners to escape into during its forty-four minute duration and embrace the sense of isolation it gives, and not Varg’s ideals.

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