Inevitably, there are artists whose inclusion in Black Metal Revolution would bolster interest in the project and while I am bewitched enough by their potential involvement to pursue the opportunity, there are occasions when I find myself satisfied with a rejection. If that sounds retarded, chances are you think the whole BMR project is, but if you find yourself intrigued by this concept, read on and I will elaborate.
The most obvious individual connected to this thinking is Varg Vikernes. Having sworn allegiance to Burzum as far back as '94 I know I'm not alone in recognizing Vikernes as a unique entity. Unlike the almost exclusive majority of the book's participants, it's almost as though the "influence" for his music came from anything but other metal bands. When Varg was quoted as saying, "I see Burzum as a dream without holds in reality. It is to stimulate the fantasy of mortals, to make them dream," I have to say that I found and still find inspiration in that statement. It's not an absurd declaration of arrogance or alienation from the herd; it resounds for me as a true intimation of the spirit and sound of Burzum as coming from somewhere "else" - not simply from the grooves of a contemporaries' record...
Prior to contacting the now readily contactable Vikernes I had already considered the approach as a futile one. The fact I became haunted by the possibility he may agree to do it gave me poise to think it worth putting out there, even if I felt I already knew how the response would read. What did encourage me to finally make contact was the notion that I couldn't recall any interviews where Varg actively spoke about other bands or records that he had been inspired by. I imagined something "exclusive" in a sense... almost wondering if I'd be the first person to even approach him about wider aspects of his music - especially after 1993. Though I had interviewed Vikernes for Heresy #3 (approx '98) I too was guilty of revelling in the knowledge that a figure such as this had grander and more topical concerns to discuss than records spun as a teenager. And who is going to argue with that? Granted, my interview targeted his electro-ambient music above everything else, but...
I called up a few old interviews when I started writing this and beyond his known associations - Darkthrone, Immortal and his passion for Bathory, I wasn't able to locate much that referenced the primordial essence of Burzum - at least where his BM output is concerned. And though I think 'Hlidskjalf' and 'Daudi Baldr's' are interesting enough, it is the '91 - '93 period that sets my spirit aflame! Vikernes revealed many of those electro artists who had made an impression on him in an interview with <a href="http://www.burzum.com/burzum/library/interviews/sounds_of_death_5/" target=_"blank">SOD Magazine</a> back in '95 and I guess by this time, discussing Black Metal had ceased to be a detail of interest for him, nor was it a point to probe for those seeking interviews.
In the end, I'm glad he elected not to write a piece for BMR. I have no specific idea as to where Burzum came from, and I'm content in that space...
