«Filosofem» is the fourth Burzum album and it came out on 31 January 1996 through Misanthropy Records and Cymophane Productions. It was recorded in March 1993 at Breidablik studio, with Varg Vikernes and Pytten producing, and it was the last one before Vikernes was imprisoned in 1994. The record was released two years after it was recorded.
“`Country: Norway
Style: Black Metal
For fans of: Mayhem, Darkthrone, Bathory
The sound is deliberately murky and dirty, as if it were coming from another room. The guitars hum, the drums are simple and mechanical, and Vikernes’ voice sounds far away. On the long tracks of the second half dark ambient takes over, with synths building an endless, haunting landscape.
«Dunkelheit» opens the album and became its best-known track, with a video that played on music channels of the time. «Jesus’ Tod», «Erblicket die Töchter des Firmaments» and the two parts of «Gebrechlichkeit» also stand out, while «Rundgang um die transzendentale Säule der Singularität» fills the whole second half.
«Filosofem» matters because it pulled black metal toward a slower, more atmospheric direction, away from the speed of the early releases. Vikernes himself has called it an «anti-trend» album, and indeed it follows none of the rules of its time.
Despite its extreme character, the album came with a video for «Dunkelheit» that played on TV channels, something rare for a sound like this. The mix, which deliberately left the guitar blurry, became a reference point for many later atmospheric black metal bands.
The album remains one of the most influential records of the Norwegian sound, with a reach that goes beyond the scene it came from. More on the Wikipedia page on «Filosofem».
See also
Øystein «Euronymous» Aarseth: The Rise and Fall of the Mayhem Founder · Bathory’s «Blood Fire Death»: the Album That Opened the Door to Viking Metal.
