Editing Burzum (section)

== History ==
=== Early years (1988–1992) ===<!-- NOTE: Please do not add info about Varg Vikernes that is unrelated to Burzum -->
[[File:Burzumlogodemoii.png|thumb|left|Original Burzum logo used only in 1991]]
Varg Vikernes began making music in 1988 with the band Kalashnikov.<ref name="story1"/> The following year, the name was changed to Uruk-Hai, after [[Uruk-hai|the creatures]] from [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.<ref name="Kuusela 2015"/><ref name="story1"/> In 1990 and 1991, Vikernes played guitar for the [[death metal]] band [[Old Funeral]], which also consisted of members who would later form the band [[Immortal (band)|Immortal]]. He appears on the Old Funeral [[extended play|EP]] ''Devoured Carcass''. Vikernes left Old Funeral in 1991 to concentrate on creating his own musical visions. He had a short-lived project called Satanel, along with [[Abbath|Abbath Doom Occulta]]. He then began a solo project under the name Burzum. The word "burzum" means "darkness" in the [[Black Speech]], a language crafted by Tolkien. Soon after recording two demo tapes, he became part of the Norwegian black metal scene. With his demo tapes, he had attracted attention from [[Euronymous|Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth]] of [[Mayhem (band)|Mayhem]], who had just recently formed [[Deathlike Silence Productions]]. Aarseth then signed Burzum to the label, and shortly after, Vikernes―under the pseudonym of Count Grishnackh (another name adapted from ''The Lord of the Rings'')―began to record Burzum's [[Burzum (album)|self-titled debut album]]. According to Vikernes' autobiography on his website, he had intended to record the album in the worst recording quality possible (due to this being a typical trademark of the early Norwegian black metal scene), while still making it sound acceptable. Burzum's eponymous debut album was released in 1992, being the second album released on Deathlike Silence Productions. The song "War" from this album had a guest appearance from Euronymous, playing a guitar solo "just for fun", according to Vikernes.

Vikernes has stated that he had never played any live shows with Burzum, though at one point was interested in it,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.burzum.org/eng/library/a_burzum_story06.shtml | title=Varg Vikernes - A Burzum Story: Part VI - the Music }}</ref> so [[Samoth]] of Emperor accompanied him as a session bassist, though only appearing on the ''[[Aske (EP)|Aske]]'' EP.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metal-archives.com/artists/Samoth/36|title=Samoth|website=Metal-archives.com|access-date=12 November 2017}}</ref> Additionally, Erik Lancelot was hired to be the band's drummer,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.burzum.org/eng/library/a_burzum_story06.shtml | title=Varg Vikernes - A Burzum Story: Part VI - the Music }}</ref> though did not record on any Burzum material, and along with Samoth did not play a live show. Vikernes had by then lost his interest in playing live concerts, and stated that he "didn't even need session musicians anymore". Therefore, Samoth and Lancelot had parted ways with Burzum. ''[[Det som engang var]]'' was released as Burzum's second album in 1993, recorded in 1992.

=== Imprisonment (1993–2009) ===<!-- NOTE: Please do not add info about Varg Vikernes that is unrelated to Burzum -->
[[File:BurzumLogo.png|thumb|right|Burzum logo used between 1994 and 2009]]
May 1994 saw the release of ''[[Hvis lyset tar oss]]'', a new album of previously recorded material from 1992. Burzum remained as a solo project until 1994, when Vikernes was arrested for the murder of [[Euronymous]] and the burnings of several churches in Norway. During his time in prison, Vikernes released his next album, titled ''[[Filosofem]]'', on 1 January 1996. Recorded in March 1993, ''Filosofem'' was the last recording Vikernes made before his imprisonment. ''Burzum / Aske'', a compilation comprising the ''Burzum'' album and ''Aske'' EP, was released in 1995. While imprisoned, Vikernes managed to record two other albums in a [[dark ambient]] style. They were released as ''[[Dauði Baldrs]]'' (1997) and ''[[Hliðskjálf (album)|Hliðskjálf]]'' (1999). Both of these albums were created with a synthesizer, as Vikernes was prohibited from using any other instruments in prison.

In 1998, all Burzum albums released up to that point were re-released as vinyl picture discs in a special box set called ''1992–1997''; however ''Filosofem'' did not contain "Rundtgåing av den transcendentale egenhetens støtte" due to its length. The regular vinyl issue of ''Filosofem'' on Misanthropy was a double album, containing tracks 1–3 on the A-side, the "Decrepitude" tracks on side 2 and "Rundtgåing av den transcendentale egenhetens støtte" on side 3, with an etched D-side.

=== Post-imprisonment and retirement (2009–2020)<!--'Byelobog Productions' redirects here--> ===
{{anchor|Byelobog}} [[File:Burzum2010.svg|thumb|right|Burzum logo used on the 2010 album ''Belus'', set in the typeface Ruritania]] Soon after being released, Vikernes started writing new tracks (nine metal tracks and an ambient intro and outro) for an upcoming Burzum album. According to Vikernes' recounts, several record companies were interested in releasing his first album in eleven years. He stated about the new album, "I want to take my time, and make it the way I want it. It will be metal, and the fans can expect genuine Burzum."

The album was going to be originally titled ''Den hvite guden'' (''The White God''),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dagbladet.no/2009/07/04/magasinet/innenriks/kriminalomsorg/kirkebrann/drapsdom/7051663/ |title="Greven" angrer ingenting – magasinet – dagbladet.no |date=4 July 2009 |work=dagbladet.no |language=no |access-date=25 May 2013}}</ref> but he later decided to change it to ''[[Belus (album)|Belus]]'', which was released by the independent record label '''Byelobog Productions'''<!--boldface per WP:R#PLA--> (''byelobog'' is the transliteration of "''белобог''" in Slavic languages, meaning 'white god', [[Chernobog and Belobog|Belobog]]) on 8 March 2010.<ref name="Belus">{{cite web |url=http://www.burzum.org/eng/discography/official/2010_belus.shtml |title=Burzum – Discography – Official Releases – "''Belus''" 2010 |date=December 2009 |work=burzum.org |access-date=25 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.burzum.org/eng/library/a_burzum_story12.shtml |title=Varg Vikernes – A Burzum Story: Part XII – ''Belus'' |last=Vikernes |first=Varg |author-link=Varg Vikernes |date=November 2009 |work=burzum.org |access-date=25 May 2013}}</ref> It was also announced that a movie would be released in 2010, based on Varg Vikernes' life in the early 1990s. The movie would mainly draw inspiration from the book ''[[Lords of Chaos (book)|Lords of Chaos]]'', with the film being of the same name. Vikernes expressed his contempt towards both the movie and the book upon which it is based.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.burzum.org/eng/library/the_lords_of_lies06.shtml |title=Varg Vikernes – The Lord of Lies: Part VI – The ''Lords of Chaos'' Movie |last=Vikernes |first=Varg |author-link=Varg Vikernes |date=December 2009 |work=burzum.org |access-date=25 May 2013}}</ref>

A second new album of original Burzum material, ''[[Fallen (Burzum album)|Fallen]]'', was released on 7 March 2011,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.burzum.org/eng/discography/official/2011_fallen.shtml |title=Burzum – Discography – Official Releases – "''Fallen''" 2011 |date=January 2011 |work=burzum.org |access-date=25 May 2013}}</ref> followed by a compilation album, ''[[From the Depths of Darkness]]'', containing re-recordings of tracks from Burzum's self-titled album and ''Det som engang var'', on 28 November 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.burzum.org/eng/discography/compilations/2011_from_the_depths_of_darkness.shtml |title=Burzum – Discography – Compilations – "''From the Depths of Darkness''" 2011 |work=burzum.org |access-date=25 May 2013}}</ref> A third new studio album of original material, titled ''[[Umskiptar]]'', was released in May 2012.<ref name="Umskiptar news">{{cite web |url=http://www.burzum.org/eng/news.shtml |title=Burzum and Varg Vikernes News and Updates |work=burzum.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204135838/http://www.burzum.org/eng/news.shtml |archive-date=4 February 2012 |access-date=25 May 2013}}</ref> ''[[Sôl austan, Mâni vestan]]'' ("East of the Sun, West of the Moon"), Burzum's first electronic album since 1999, was released in May 2013.<ref name="Ancestral Cult">{{cite web |url=http://ancestralcult.com/2013/02/24/burzum-news-east-of-the-sun-west-of-the-moon/ |title=Burzum News; "East of the Sun, West of the Moon". <nowiki>|</nowiki> Ancestral Cult |last=Vikernes |first=Varg |author-link=Varg Vikernes |date=11 February 2013 |work=ancestralcult.com |access-date=25 May 2013}}</ref> On 27 April 2013, a song was posted on the official YouTube channel of Vikernes, titled "Back to the Shadows".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8RtBSXCo4M| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731124039/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8RtBSXCo4M| archive-date=2013-07-31 | url-status=dead|title=Back to the Shadows|work=YouTube|access-date=14 October 2014}}</ref> In a blog post, Vikernes stated that "Back to the Shadows" would be the last metal track released by Burzum.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thuleanperspective.com/2013/04/30/shadows-of-the-mind/|title=Shadows of the Mind|work=Thulean Perspective|access-date=14 October 2014|archive-date=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401223329/https://thuleanperspective.com/2013/04/30/shadows-of-the-mind/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Another album, ''[[The Ways of Yore]],'' was released in June 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.burzum.org/eng/news.shtml|title=Burzum and Varg Vikernes news and updates|publisher=Burzum.org|access-date=14 October 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204135838/http://www.burzum.org/eng/news.shtml|archive-date=4 February 2012}}</ref>

After a period of inactivity, Vikernes posted a video on his YouTube account in June 2018 announcing that "[he had] moved on [from Burzum]", saying "bye bye" to the project.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/varg_vikernes_has_ended_burzum_for_good_burzum_is_my_painful_past_in_a_reeking_bog.html|title=Varg Vikernes Has Ended Burzum for Good: 'Burzum Is My Painful Past in a Reeking Bog'|publisher=[[Ultimate Guitar Archive]]|access-date=4 June 2018|date=3 June 2018}}</ref>

In July 2018, a YouTube user named Hermann posted unreleased materials of Uruk-Hai from 1988 to 1990 and Burzum's Bergen prison recordings from 1994, which he received from Tiziana Stupia.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.maniacsonline.com.au/news/fan-uploads-missing-uruk-hai-burzum-recordings-varg-vikernes-reacts-201016|title=Fan Uploads Missing 'Uruk-Hai' Burzum Recordings, Varg Vikernes Reacts |website=Maniacsonline.com.au|access-date=6 October 2020}}</ref>

In October 2019, Vikernes posted a tweet saying he intended to release another album as Burzum.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/GandalftheWhi19/status/1181312065253847046|title=Some adventures never have an end.... It was not my intention to make another Burzum album, but it so happens that I have so much unreleased music by now, that I actually plan to release another Burzum album soon. It will be MYFAROG/Thulê themed Hopefully an end to this folly.|website=Twitter.com|access-date=8 October 2019}}</ref> He announced that the tentative name of the album would be ''Thulêan Mysteries'', which would have 23 songs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.burzum.org/eng/news.shtml|title=Burzum and Varg Vikernes News and Updates|access-date=5 November 2019|date=23 October 2019}}</ref>{{better source|date=November 2019}} The tracks from the album were previously used as background music on Vikernes' YouTube channel, which was taken down the same year. Vikernes also said that the music of ''Thulêan Mysteries'' is meant to be used as a background soundtrack for his MYFAROG [[Tabletop role-playing game|role-playing game]]. On 18 December, Vikernes tweeted the album cover for ''Thulêan Mysteries'' and announced its release date as 13 March 2020. Vikernes has stated it would be Burzum's last album at the time.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Thulêan Perspective (Alias Gandalf the White) |url=https://twitter.com/GandalftheWhi19/status/1207258663024562176 |title=The image on the upcoming (03/2020) Burzum album 'Thulêan Mysteries' is by Th. Kittelsen. It's called "Nøkken" (English "Nix"/"Water Troll"). "Nøkken" derives from Norse 'nykr' & translates as "stench". This is of course a mythic creature, that can be found & fought in MYFAROG.… |access-date=19 December 2019 |archive-date=18 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191218112234/https://twitter.com/GandalftheWhi19/status/1207258663024562176 |url-status=dead |via=[[Twitter]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.plastichead.com/item.aspx?catno=BOBV785LPLTD |title=Archived copy |access-date=19 December 2019 |archive-date=13 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513052332/https://plastichead.com/item.aspx?catno=BOBV785LPLTD |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/GandalftheWhi19/status/1181312065253847046|title=Some adventures never have an end.... It was not my intention to make another Burzum album, but it so happens that I have so much unreleased music by now, that I actually plan to release another Burzum album soon. It will be MYFAROG/Thulê themed Hopefully an end to this folly.|website=Twitter.com|access-date=8 October 2019}}</ref>

=== "Burzum (NEW)" (2023–2024, 2025-present) ===
On 8 September 2023, Vikernes released a new song titled "The Reincarnation of Ódinn". In April 2024, Vikernes announced the return of the project on his X account, with a new album titled "The Land of Thulê". It is the first metal album since ''[[Umskiptar]]''. From late April to May 2024 Vikernes released numerous singles from the upcoming album under the name "Burzum (NEW)". Vikernes claimed on his X account that he is only releasing the music as "Burzum (NEW)" because he does not control the Burzum accounts on major streaming services, and that the album will be released as "Burzum" when complete. However, the album art Vikernes used for the released singles all list the project name as "Burzum (NEW)". On November 4th 2024, Vikernes announced the end of the project on his X account saying "I stopped making music (again), because I appreciate a lot more to work with my books, and especially #ReconQuest. And I don't have the time for it all.".{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} On April 24th 2025, Vikernes released his first song in nearly a year with no prior information about it titled "What Will Come".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Burzum - Discography - Official Releases - "What Will Come" (The Land of Thulê) 2025 |url=https://burzum.org/eng/discography/official/2025_what_will_come.shtml |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=burzum.org}}</ref> This was followed by three new singles released in May.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Burzum - Discography - Official Releases - "Elfland" (The Land of Thulê) 2025 |url=https://burzum.org/eng/discography/official/2025_elfland.shtml |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=burzum.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Burzum - Discography - Official Releases - "Beneath the Barrow" (The Land of Thulê) 2025 |url=https://burzum.org/eng/discography/official/2025_beneath_the_barrow.shtml |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=burzum.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Mound of Fire |url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mRJBymzumVtCuXHr2hxvAlmAPHcG8WxCc |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=YouTube |language=en}}</ref>