A Blackened Ambient Masterpiece - "Hliðskjálf" Review (89%)
The internationally recognized sign of a band having reached a legendary status is the accumulation of naysayers and pessimists wishing to besmirch everything said band does. Until that point, no one really cared and few opinions were aired, but then, as if by magic, every man and his dog has an opinion on the work, and too often it seems based upon little time spent actually listening to their music.
Welcome, friends, to my review of Burzum's second prison album - after the surprisingly good and underrated Daudi Baldrs - the equally underrated, albeit for different reason, Hliðskjálf.
In case you were not aware, Varg Vikernes, not content with having released four masterpieces of black metal that are regarded by all as classics - the self-titled debut Burzum, Det Som Engang Var, Hvis Lyset tar Oss and Filosofem - and becoming an instant black metal celebrity and the 'face' of black metal for the 'murder' of Euronymous, the mastermind behind Burzum also released two ambient albums - one black metal, one blackened ambient to be more precise - while in prison.
DAS RITE, not even prison can stop Varg Vikernes from defacing the 'light' of Christianity, modernity and rotten civilization.
And Hliðskjálf gets the job done like no other album ever did.
A Blackened Ambient Masterpiece
Of course, as hinted at above, not everyone was happy with Burzum's decision to go ambient, and this album and its predecessor, despite both being superior to the pop inspired Filosofem, nonetheless received their fair share or criticism from those expecting Hvis Lyset tar Oss part 2.
However, as I always suspected would be the case, the result is a majestic, ethereal and fantastic experience that should improve the band's standing among those who judge black metal by its deep narrative atmosphere, rather than the poser fanbase who only look at the most superficial elements of recordings - and thus who flame Hliðskjálf while worshiping derivative nu metal turds like Behemoth's latest embarrassment.
Burzum has evolved from raw black metal to an atmospheric style of classical music that reflects both powerful concepts and designs. While contemporary audiences have come to expect simpering emotion from ambient music of such nature, notably thanks to video game music shit bands like Cummoning, Burzum's Hliðskjálf forays into a modern interpretation of early music mixed with the cultural lineage, deepening atmospheres and a sense of gravitas that is missing from all music except black metal.
It does not 'sound' black metal on the surface, but it has the spirit that black metal and early music share in common: a clear-eyed look at reality and embrace of its violence, chaos and darkness... and through that embrace, also understanding its beauties and triumphs.
Each progressive listen has unearthed new pieces of the puzzle born from the patchwork of convalescing sounds that help keep the album moving at a solid pace, at least until the most straight-laced of the eight tracks, closer 'Der weinende Hadnur'.
Ambient music by its very nature is meditative, laid-back and without guarantee of significant diversity or construct. But that's not the case with Hliðskjálf. Underneath the lush skin of melodic layers comprising Burzum's music is once again found, as on the band's 'pure' black metal releases, the resulting masterpiece produced by a highly refined musical thinker crafting distinctive works that speak the uniqueness and complexity of a situation or mood.
Expect nothing short of greatness from Burzum, and settle for nothing other than Burzum from black metal.
Hliðskjálf score: 89/100.
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