I have “Fallen” for Black Metal

Connor de BrulerConnor De Bruler
debrulerc@mytjnow.com

Two years ago convicted arsonist, paganism advocate and heavy metal artist Varg Vikernes was granted parole from prison. 

The Norwegian musician and sole member of the legendary music project Burzum is responsible for burning down several historic churches in Norway in protest to the Judeo-Christian influence on modern Scandinavian culture and the murder of his own manager. 

After his release, he quickly returned to the studio to record “Belus,” which was not the best album I’ve ever heard (to put it lightly). It was true to the black metal form, but many avid listeners felt let down. 

His latest 2011 release, “Fallen,” is a completely different story. Vikernes has outdone himself in everyway imaginable, including pushing the black metal form to new creative frontiers. 

 First off, black metal isn’t the most widely accepted, understood or even known musical genre outside of the mainstream. It was started in New Castle, England and later perfected as a distinguished genre and cultural movement within French druid and Scandinavian pagan societies. 

Black metal is a harsh, lo-fi and baroque form of music, focusing most of its content on low-octave guitar riffs and exaggerated, animal-like vocals. Basically, its hair-metal’s satanic older brother whose been listening to Beethoven and holding a battle-axe all day. 

Vikernes, however, takes the form to new territory in “Fallen” with the incorporation of much more sophisticated mixing and high-fidelity sound recording. His riffs are still shrill and staccato, but the complicated, almost-classical notations are inspiring. Several black metal rules are also broken, as the vocals no longer rely on a growling, Mansonesque Halloween masquerade. Sure they’re still there, but Vikernes uses his soft, almost angelic alto voice for the choruses. 

As always, many of the themes circle around the importance of nature and the acceptance of death as a necessity to propagate life. Though many black metal artists are criminals, they are also hardcore environmentalists. 

My favorite track, “Jeg Faller” (pronounced: Yie faller, meaning I’m falling), is a beautiful meditation on the nature of knowledge and understanding: epistemology. It is also a redemptive song, concerning the serious crimes Vikernes committed in his late teens. 

If you’re into American and British metal, this music may still turn you off as a listener. It’s much more minimal and shoddily produced (on purpose, of course). Think of it as the indie-punk of metal subgenres, though the musicianship is far more demanding and strict. 

I would urge anyone who is interested in giving Black Metal a go to listen to “Fallen” before trying the waters with the older, more famous tracks of Burzum and other artists. Though this album is more accessible to the virgin ear, it is still shocking and abrasive. After all, this is a genre of music that fewer people listen to than opera and calypso combined.