Filosofem
| Filosofem | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Burzum | ||||
| Released | 1 January 1996 | |||
| Recorded | March 1993 at Breidablik Studio | |||
| Genre | Black metal, dark ambient | |||
| Length | 64:34 | |||
| Label | Misanthropy, Cymophane | |||
| Producer | Varg Vikernes | |||
| Burzum chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
Filosofem (Norwegian for "") is the fourth studio album by Norwegian black metal solo project Burzum. It was recorded in March 1993 and was the last recording before Varg Vikernes' imprisonment (16 May 1994); the album was not released until January 1996, however. A music video was made for the song "Dunkelheit", which received airtime on both MTV and VH1.
The album is noted for its experimental sound when compared to most other second wave black metal (see music and artwork section). Vikernes considered the release an "anti-trend album".
Varg Vikernes recorded the first four Burzum albums between January 1992 and March 1993 at the Grieg Hall in Bergen. However, the releases were spread out, with many months between the recording and the release of each album. During this time, Vikernes became a part of the early Norwegian black metal scene and befriended Mayhem guitarist Euronymous. He also took part in burning down four churches, along with other members of the scene. In August 1993, Vikernes stabbed Euronymous to death outside his apartment in Oslo. He was arrested a few days later and, in May 1994, was sentenced to 21 years in prison for both the murder and the church arsons.
The opening track on Filosofem, "Burzum", was the first song Vikernes wrote as Burzum. It had been recorded in September 1992 for the Hvis lyset tar oss album, but Vikernes was unhappy with it and re-recorded it for this album six months later. According to a statement made by Vikernes on burzum.org, the master tapes for the version of "Burzum" meant for Hvis lyset tar oss were lost by the Norwegian prison system.
The album was recorded under purposefully bad conditions in order to retain a raw lo-fi sound. No guitar amplifier was used; instead Vikernes plugged his guitar into the amplifier of his brother's stereo and used an old fuzz pedal. For the vocals, he asked a sound technician for the worst microphone he had, and ended up using a headset.
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