Reviews for Burzum - Filosofem:
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Your Review:

great album too but the sound (witch is very vary bad)get in the way.But all the songs are great , jesus tod is the best

Review by: Sad spirit



I miss varg's tortured vocals...
This a cd is good though, guitar sounds very powerful.
Lost the athmosphere from previuos stuff though.

Review by: -hammerheart-



It's a joke this whole cd is. Kristiaan is only famous with his burzum because of all his chruch burnings. This isn't real black metal look at song 5 of this cd it is 25 minutes long the same melody. It's also a ashole because he murdered the father of the black metal.

Review by: blub



Black metal???????
This is stupid.
Don't buy buzum.
Burn Burzum
Kristiaan Vikerness Murded Euronymous.
Why???
Because it is a loser.

Review by: Pelgrim



Varg wasant a looser, on the oposite , he was a man of attitude, black metal is not just music.......... he took his balives at serious and took care of what was in the way...............
its a shame that euronymus was kill becose he was vAry important for black metal and played in one of the gratest bands aver, MAYHEM but thats life......burzum triumph.....

Review by: Sad Spirit



This album has to be a pinical acheivement for Varg, The atmosphere of wandering a forest plays its part. It is also where he began to create moody melodys

Review by: Raveshnal



Filosfem is another masterpiece from the great Varg. Hear Hear Sad Spirit...Varg is and was WAY more talented than Euronymous could ever hope to be, a shame that he did die, but Varg had his reasons.

Review by: carcass_alex



Great album, groundbreaking stuff to be found here. Spellbounding melodies that moves a true northern soul to its core. You never know what to expect out of burzum but so far he never produced nothing but milestones for the black metal scene. So lets cut loose those "burzum killed euronymos" crybabies from black metal scene(go join a churchchoir for all i care). Euronymos was a communist, fag and surely suicidal so burzum may have done him a favor=).
stop wining cause if you ask for evil i´ll sure as hell get evil, so out judeo-christiansouls cause the heatens out to reap YOU!!!

Review by: hellhamerrr



The best album together with "Burzum-Aske" and "Hvis lyset tar oss"!!! The sound is killing!....And the best: All songs are over 7 minutes!!...."Dunkelheit","Gebrechlichkeit I+II" and "Jesus' Tod" are the best songs ever!!!!!......and the video for "Dunkelheit" has a perfect atmosphere......BUY OR DIE!

Review by: Eidolon



his reasons?? dont be an idiot!! the album is good though, and it is not black metal, but that doesnt mean its not good!!! but vargs reasons and his murder of the forfather, one of the people most vital to our circle. beware the goat with a thousand young, euronymous was one of us.... NEVER FORGET!!!!

Review by: theexorcist



this album by far is the best. i came upon Burzum by "accident" about 4 years ago. this is the greatest i have ever heard.

Review by: SleepyVampiress



One of us?!?!?! Euronymous was a very talented person who created one of the best Black Metal bands ever to exist, and you are nothing, you are just another person who listens to the music and thinks your part of a elite group, I dont see you changing the black metal image or making a statment that could change the life of this planet...why? because you are nothing, just another weak minded follower who looks up at the stars dreaming to be a metal legend............Anyways this has got to be one of Varg's greatest albums (After Hlidskjalf), and whats wrong with the 25 minute song? Burzum isnt something little teenagers who like to jump up in down in their bedroom playing air guitar should listen to, Burzum plays a very strong atmospheric melody which can be bought out during meditation periods or whatever, if you are looking for another headbanger band, fuck off and go elsewhere, What Varg has created is a genius, such a shame most people dont have the brain capacity to see it......

Review by: Count Sigurd



Positive aspects of this album: the guitar sound is incredibly powerful, a thick wall of distortion that fills up your head. The first three songs are cool, not too long (about 7 minutes each) and have slightly interesting riffs in them with lots of repetition but it doesn't get too boring since the songs aren't too long. The lyrics are kind of interesting.
Negetive aspects: the vocals have been changed from his normal intense insane screams to a walkie talkie type distortion used by some industrial bands. I hate the new vocals, his screams were one of my favorite things about Burzum. The last three songs are incredibly boring and repetitious, to a degree where I wonder if he just recorded one riff and let it repete over and over again while he took a nap. The fourth song has no drums, just some guitar static playing indecipherable riffs (?) and some vocals, it drones on forever. Next is his synth track which is almost exaclty the same as the one on Hvis but very slightly different and much worse since it goes on for 25 minutes. I think the lines on Tomhet were more interesting than the ones used in this track, which doesn't say much for this song. The last song is the fourth song but without the vocals, its just the same exact song repeted. The stars I gave this album only exist because of the first three cool songs, the last three are trash to me. I suggest finding someone on the net who has this album and ask to trade a copy of an album for the first three songs, in other words, the album is not worth buying since only 20 minutes of the music is good.

Review by: beelzephon



Every second of this album is worth buying. One of the best releases ever. Even better than "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss". 10/10

Review by: Punisher



Varg is a bastard since he killed euronymous. Fukking nazi.
This album is not very cool, but it has 2 great songs on it (jesu dod and dunkelheit) but the rest is crapy.
He sung this with a broken microphone, that's cool.
hail Mayhem

Review by: euronydead



Actually i like the new vocals even more than the old screams - they remind me of cold winds whispering through foggy and icy mountains of Niflheim... Ops, getting too romantic. My personal favourites are "Jesus' Tod" and especially "Erblicket die Tochter des Firmament" - perhaps the most atmospheric songs existent. "Filosofem", in my opinion, is the one of the best albums ever and Varg is a genious.

Review by: Humanophage



this sucks.
the album cover is way too wonderful for this shit.

Review by: forgotten



One of the best albums I've ever heard. Two first tracks are my favourites. They are so different but they both are THE BEST TRACKS IN BLACK METAL for me. Nothing more to say....,just sit your armchair and listen to this masterpiece

Review by: jarek



Jesus tod and Dunkelheit rules. Only Rundgang um die transzendentale Säule der Singularität is boring. I love that album!

Review by: volk



Best Black Metal Guitar Sound....Always.....

Review by: Beyto



Kristiaan Vikernes is still a great musician. Yes, he murdered Euronimous and yes, he burned some churches. I also think it was some stupid things to do, but he still knows how to play his instruments! Filosofem is a much some dirty and ugly-sounding album, and I doubt that people will hate it? I love this one, and "Rundtgåing av den transcendentale egenhetens støtte" is not bad just because "it's the same melody for 25 minutes". The album is not named "Filosofem" for nothing, this track is ment to be a track where you relaxe and gets in the right mood... Just like "Tomhet" from "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss". So Kristiaan "Burzum" Vikerness... You're still a great talented musician!

9 out of 10

Review by: Demonheart



Best Black Metal Guitar sound..Ý think vocals from him prison cell with a phone.....27 min ambient song..best of this album..ETERNÝTY.!

Review by: Beyto



i like the album very much but i miss old varg vocals his new style of vocals isn't so good as the old vocals but the rest is so good

Review by: sir.antichrist



this shit just kill anything and anyone...first 3 tracks are something like the MOST!! beatiful songs ever written in musical history(since medieval time)...and if you cant get it ,i'm just happy cos you aint worth!FUCK OFF.about the other 3 songs i just can say that i still need time to understand'em,but if idid it right with the last song of"Hvis lyset tar oss" iwill do it again with these songs.i know no other music able to make me TRIP like this...varg has been forgiven with the writing of this stuff...pure fucking...GENIOUS!!

Review by: the fog



Tis album is to be listened. Varg's best album. 3rd track is incredibly dark. Yet I could not manage to listen that album "in the middle of the night in the middle of a forest". If it does not takes you into the mood, well what can I say. I think then you need to ask yourself "what about listening tecno instead". Because the music probably rejects you.

Review by: burzumhan



I´ve could not had said it better Count Sigurd.. I fully agree with you..

Review by: Bödeln



Easily one of the best BM albums of all time (i spose its considered BM) but although some people say its more poppy or rock and softer can get fucked. It's just ona different level. More atmospheric i think other than the basement which was the three previous albums, this is out int he forest and DUnkelheit is probably his best song...ever....and that is an acheivement....the best Burzum song. he should be proud!

Review by: Mansonite



i'm not the greatest fan of black metal though i appreciate a bit of it quite well, this album was great all the way through, and if you'e into atmospheric ambient, it's even better, track 2 and 5 are my favorites, i got into burzum though mainly because of the ambient stuff varg started creating later in his years of burzum.

Review by: Ahmisa



Excellent album, there are only two bad things, the vocals should have less effects, they seem too damn artificial like this, it's not really a bad thing, but I think it would sound better if they were like in Hvis Lyset Tar Oss album. The song with 25 min lenght is too big, well, I think 7-8 minutes would sound great...but the same boring stuff keeps repeating on and on and on...for 25 min.
The great thing about this one is the song Jesus Tod, that in my opinion is the best black metal song ever.

My rate -> 9.6 out of 10.

Review by: Vampyric



First of all, I think Varg is a stupid motherfucker, since he has not the fucking right to go against freedom of choice. He murdered one person, it doesn't matter if that person is from the black metal world or not, if that person wears pink socks or if that same person is homosexual or not.. first of all he was a PERSON, with his own convictions and beliefs, no matter how stupid they were.
Aside that, I saw too many people saying the 25 min lenght song is shit, that's not right.
I think that to hear such kind of music people have to reach a certain level of maturity first, music's not only about guitars, fucking screams and shit alike, there are other types of music good as well. If you tell you don't like, well, that's right, I have to accept it..but saying the music is pure crap...well, that I can't accept at all.
The only bad thing in this same song is the exagerated lenght, as I said in my previous review... it's a cool one, but it could have been better if it was 8-9 min lenght.
BURZUM kicks ass no matter what... one of the greatest black metal bands ever.


Review by: Vampyric



I don't have much to add, except for the fact that I find it particularly funny that my favourite song on this album hasn't been mentioned by anyone before. Fuck it! "Beholding The Daughters Of The Firmament" is pure brilliance, if you ask me. In general, I love the metal-tracks (1-3), and I find the other three tracks only interesting as background music...

Review by: Hakkende Harry



"Dunkelheit" simply one of the best atmospheric song of all time,here there's the ginius of burzum....the other excluded "Rundgagng.." are not very interesting.
7/10

Review by: quorthonatwar



For fuck's sake people, this section is for reviews, not ramble about the personal lives of the artist. We have messageboards for this useless crap, you know?

I got hold of this CD some months ago, and it was the hardest Burzum-album to get into for me. The song Dunkelheit is pretty legendary, and well possibly Burzum's most popular/known song.

Jesus' Tod is pretty monotonous, but aggressive nonetheless. After that comes my favourite song from this album: Erblicket Die Töchter Des Firmaments. I think the lyrics are related to the story that came with it in the booklet. The story about the waterghost, "Draugen". The grim atmosphere of this song enchants me every time I listen to it.

The 3 other songs are no normal Burzum-songs, and might repel some old-school fans, but I quite like them.

Overall I love this album, but it still can't tip Hvis Lyset Tar Oss, imo.

Review by: Tediz



First and foremost lets establish the fact that Euronymous was not the Forefather or founder of Black Metal.BATHORY anyone?. Whos wrong?,Whos Right? Who Cares?.Amongst all this pointless arguing someone seemed to forget about the MUSIC.Varg wasnt a great talent and released yet another Brutally cold album. Alot harder to listen to than previous work. This album is very long and much more keyboard based. This kind of music can ony be made by a very cold Tormented person. (And That is not an insult i have great respect for the man.)

Review by: Vladtrovert



I think the 1st 3 songs are excellent but the rest is asolutly bullcrap,total fuckin waste of time.

Review by: testicle omelette stomper



All of you crying "fuckking nazi, Varg is an idiot etc." are weakminded followers because: first of all i have to say that mayhem was a fuckking great black metal band and without euronymus the black metal scene would not be the same but HELLO!!!! the true forefather of black metal is no more euronymus than varg, its Quorton!! after that mayhyem was founded and euronymus devlopped the musical side of black metal. anyway this album is excellent varg is a genius and at least he purposed a extraordinary radical ideology that none of you that rate this album like if it where just another popular disc can rate at all stop critiking and change something!!

Review by: bergelmir



What can I say about this album that hasn't already been said? Perhaps one of the greatest truly BLACK releases. I don't get into much of Varg's personal philosophy, I try to see the music as it is. What he has done is take all the feelings, all the emotion of black metal and condense it down into its very purest of forms. This music doesn't focus of speed, or any individual factor. It assualts you with dark, depressing, gothic emotions. Some of this music is completly synthesized. Taking the message he wanted to convey and simplifying it. Anyone regardless of language, race, or anything else can listen to this music and still pick up the images and feelings. I believe Varg to be a musical genious, overcoming everything to get his message out there. 9/10

Review by: Khendric



Great Dark Black Metal.Very Special.

Review by: fenriz666



Some vicious tracks to start this album off. As the last album released before Varg's emprisonment, its nice to hear some violent tracks in the BM vein. The last 2 tracks are of the ambient nature, alluding to the sound of Burzum albums to come. Great album but the ambient songs lag on forever and get fucking boring. Last 2 releases are a bit better but this is still not an album to miss. 9/10

Review by: shanewick



Burzum- singer is guilty, but he isn´t a Nazi.
Why is this band good?
a) they are from Norway
b) it is norwegian black metal(I like it)
c) they are very good
d) they have a perfect image
e) singer is barking in this album
f) it is dark and gloom

Review by: metaldoberman



this would have to be my favourite black metal album of all time, the very distorted, gritty guitar sound, the almost hypnotizing double bass drumming (on Jesus' Tod) and the haunting keyboard melodies combine to create a cold, dark atmosphere not unlike Darkthrone's Transilvanian Hunger. A must have for anyone who likes their black metal cold and grim.
10/10


Review by: clockworkgremlin



none of you people have anything to do with euronymous' death or the fact that varg killed him so you all should shut up about it and respect the music for what it is and not what happened behind it. who gives a flying fuck?

Review by: fosvart



It can be reasonably inferred that Burzum’s music developed from the being aggressive in nature to becoming ambient even before “Daudi Baldrs”. “Filosofem”, as a part of this transformation is slower than its predecessors with a higher level of experimentation and is mellow in character. Hence melancholy is the chief mood in this album helped by the lyrics showing wishful aloofness.

What strikes the listener first is the highly distorted guitar sound which at first sounds simple and abrasive. But closer listening reveals the myriad of riffs layered under the “fuzzy” sound. Hence the enchanting nature of the songs appears. The cleverly integrated keyboard sounds add to the beauty of the songs (“Dunkelheit” being the best example of this). This goes hand in hand with the simplistic poetic lyrics revealing the detachment form the present reality. What is most noticeable is the change in the vocals from harsh screams to whispers which is perfect for the album. “Jesus’ Tod” is an exception being fast in nature and with slightly different lyrics (its about the death of Jesus). However, it is one of the catchiest songs by Burzum because of the chilling riffs and the “thumpy -electronic-ish” beats. Listening to the first three tracks reveals certain industrial sound. “Erbelicket Die Tochter Des Firmaments” is another gem with its consistent beat and synth melodies hidden beneath the fuzzy guitar sounds accompanied by Tolkein inspired lyrics.

What is problematic is the second half of the album which can be criticized as being too long. These three tracks (“Decrepitude”, “Rundgang um die transzendentale Saule der Singularitat,” and “Decrepitude II”) do test the listeners’ patience but do make a mark in the listeners’ minds with the experimentation put in. In a way Varg has always experimented in his albums as there have always been such tracks in the previous albums. But I reckon this is where the black metal Burzum transforms into the ambient Burzum. “Rundgang …” is a highly abstract piece running along for 25 minutes. It seems to be in the same vein as “Tomhet” in “Hvis Lyset Tar Oss”.

All in this entire album’s brilliance lies in its veiled complexity and its ability to change the listeners’ mood. I think this album can be called as the black metal equivalent to Keats’ “Ode to Melancholy”.

Review by: error



"Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" and this are the two Burzum album I've heard. I enjoyed it more than most of the people praising Euronymus I think because I read about Varg (from Varg).

I visited www.buzum.org. It's a site including lots of texts written by Mr. Grishnak (although it is maintained by aesthetical people).

Anyhow, this experience allowed me to listen to "Filosofem" from a more ethnographical/ethnomusical perspective. Given the life Varg has led, his music is very significant.

The guy is troubled, the music is troubled and troubling. Nevertherless, I enjoyed "Filosofem". Go and give it a listen, not really for the musical geniosity (poor), but for the atmosphere.

Review by: drgrowl



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