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Interview with Varg Vikernes
"I Came From Darkness" magazine (¹3, 1995)

I Came From Darkness magazine cover (1995)

The man behind all attention, hatred and worship, Varg Vikernes (Count Grishnackh) from Burzum must be the most sensational and "famous" interviewee in this rag. Church burnings, Grave desecrations, Robberies, Murders, Nazism, Odinism, Satanism etc. are all familiar topics, when we are talking about Burzum.

Vikernes answered from his jail (Bergen) in December 1994.


***

Firstly, Vikernes delighted me, why so many Norwegian bands sing their lyrics in Norwegian.

I cue will be extreme Nationalism. The recent election over Norwegian membership in the ridiculous European idiocy showed how much the Norwegian people care for what is its own. We take much pain in maintaining our language Norwegian, our culture Norwegian, our Nation Norwegian and so on. Instead of letting others, as the European Union, control our ways we do it ourselves. This healthy strong nationalism result in bands singing in Norwegian even though the market the music sells in is mostly non-Nordic. So in short the reason behind this is a general confidence in our own as something better than what others have. A confidence with strong holds in reality.

Speaking about lyrics I was forced to ask about the lines, that he did for Darkthrone's failure album "Transilvanian Hunger" in the New Year's Eve 1993.

It was a suggestion from Fenriz, which I accepted. We agreed to do this to show the strong ties between the Norwegian "first-born" musicians. Nothing to tell about the lyrics made on the New Year's Eve 1993 a.y.p.s., but I can tell that all of the Norwegian lyrics are made in a traditional Norse Skaldic way.

Then I was more than curious to know about Burzum's condition, as Vikernes got the sentence for next 21 years. It must be a bit difficult and demanding to create tunes in jail, isn't it?

Both yes and no. I can make synthesizer-music, but hardly any "metal". I have a computer and a keyboard so I will release albums with electronic music, not as Burzum, but as Hlidskjolf.

Regarding Misanthropy Records' info-note Hlidskjolf plays electronic and techno-like music composed on keyboards and computer. Also the sheet claims that the band is called Lidskjalw, so which name is it?

Well, it is called Hlidskjolw, not Lidskjalw. The music is composed on a keyboard and a computer all right, but to call it Techno-like may not be entirely correct. It is more like hard-trance with ambient influences, but here I will advise you to wait and see, or more correct wait and hear for yourself, if you care to.

Burzum's fourth album "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" was a kinda different album for me, comparing it with the old material. Tunes are way too more melodical and moody than before. I bet, it has sold helluva lot copies.

It is different, yet very much the same, as the earlier albums. Some of the songs are more melodical, but others are less melodical, so I will disagree if you call the album as a whole more melodical than the earlier albums. I would rather call the "Det Som Engang Var" album melodical… I am not sure about how much the latest album has sold hitherto, but as far as I know some 20.000 copies, plus/minus some thousands. I hear different things from different people, but I know not who to trust.

"Filosofem", already Burzum's FIFTH album shall be released in 1995 (might be out, when you read this), so I wondered will the music be again different from the previous albums?

Aye, it will be different. First of all, the vocal is different, more "rusty" but the whole sound is different as well. The album contains five tracks with a total playtime of some fifty-fifty five minutes, but here I will advise you to wait and see again. Find out for your- self, how it will be like, when the album is out if you care to.

Then back to lyrical view of Varg, as it interests me immensely, have the direction of Burzum's lyrics changed in any way? What about Hlidskjolf? And does Vikernes even take the lyrics seriously?

Hlidskjolf is 100% instrumental so obviously there will be no lyrics for that project. Burzum is in deep sleep, and will be for some years I believe. Lyrics CAN mean something to me, but they do not necessarily have to mean anything. The bands lyrics decides whether I will give them any respect or not. Actually I mostly listen to instrumental music so I seldom read any song-lyrics at all.

Burzum has always been a one-man band (although Hellhammer and Samoth have given some help) so does Vikernes enjoy composing tracks alone? And how the hell he can possibly rehearse?

I do not rehearse, I make the songs, know how they goes and record them - as that. Aye, I like to do music in solitude. The more cooks the more mess. I can do everything myself anyway so why bother adding any others to the line-up?

Misanthropy Records (UK) signed Burzum, but was there any other labels interested in signing before them? What kind of deal Misanthropy was able to offer and why did Varg choose 'em?

I see no point in discussing the deal with anybody, it is exactly what I need, and that's all you need to know. Of course other labels showed interest in Burzum before Misanthropy. Burzum is a first-generation band in a Norse music-style, so it is no problem whatsoever to get a deal. The problem is that the bigger label you sign to, the more they cheat you.

Lately Varg has stated rather straightly how he is an Odinist. Formerly he called himself Satanist. So I wonder, what is he and why this sudden change of belief?

There is no sudden change in belief, if you had known me four years ago you would see that I have the same believes today as I had back then. In 1992 a.y.p.s. we were fucking fed up with the scene so we did our best distance ourselves from the standard scene, thus we called us Satanists to make people hate us and to split the scene. In truth my views were not any more different from now than a couple of years of natural development has changed it into become. I am a Norwegian with Norwegian believes as simple as that. Read some history about the time before Norway was Christianized and you will know my believes. A Norseman would be a correct thing to call me. Nothing more, nor less.

Then, does these church burnings and grave desecrations have something to do with Odinism? What are you actually trying to achieve with these cool deeds?

First of all, I am not convicted for grave desecration, secondly I have never said that I have burned any churches, it is the court who says that - not me. Well it for sure is no "satanic" acts as the newspapers want it to be, it is Heathen acts exclusively. I support church burning and grave desecration because it causes a psychological effect in the people. "Show Odinn to the people and Odinn will be lit in its soul". It is dry wood and twigs to the odinnic fire!

Back in time when you still played in a band called Old Funeral, you weared in some photos so-called "Normal clothes". Is it necessary to even wear black clothes if you are into darkness at your point of view?

On the contrary. My experience in this scene have learnt me that the most serious people are those with most normal clothing. Something like "The less spikes and leather, the more brains". I do not care how others dress, that can be their own matter. I dress as I please and if anybody have a problem with that I do not care. I still dress in normal clothing (Well, I am not sure if Chainmail is normal, but apart from that). Right now I am wearing a white T-shirt (with a Norwegian flag in colour on it) and camouflage trousers, if that is not true to anybody it is their problem.

Anyhow, nowadays when Black Metal is an overcrowned trend, there are thousands of acts around, all claiming how "true" their bloody band is. How can you Varg identify a real TRUE band from the masses?

How I identify a "true" band from the masses? Actually I never think of this at all, why should I? Who cares if a band is "true" or not as long as the band spread our Heathen idea? In the end that is all that matters. Hey, if the band have consisted of members with blond hair and blue eyes at least I know they are true racial brothers with me.

Especially there in Norway this Black/Viking Metal thing has slipped out of control. There are bands jumping in like snow in the winter and sad but very true most of these "New-wave" bands are nothing but Mayhem/Burzum/Darkthrone imitators. How do you feel about these new trend bands? Are there any recommendable not trendy bands coming?

I do not know, I never do anything to find out anymore so I simply do not know. I can hardly name one tenth of all the existing bands in Norway, so you better ask someone who is into this scene instead.

As so many other UG-zines have avoided the question about Euronymous-death to ask from Vikernes. "I Came From Darkness" stays strong ha ha... and asks "Why the hell did Varg stabbed Euronymous into death on that black night of 10.08.1993? And why so aggressively?"

Who told you I stabbed him with any aggression at all? (Nobody had to, isn't it obvious that if you stab someone around 25 times with knife, that you do it in aggressive-way? -ED). I killed him because he threatened to kill me, and of no other reason. I was not aggressive; it was an act based on logic. Obviously when someone attack you after threatened to kill you it is logic that you kill him so that he will not succeed in his attempt to kill you. I see no point in trying to make this as some dramatic act it were not. I can best describe it as an execution where the victim is running instead of standing still. No big deal.

One could think that there have been some problems between you and the followers of the Euronymous so, overall does Vikernes agree with my opinion that we should stop this war between black metallers and join the forces and concentrate to the war against Christianity?

I have no problems with any "Euronymous followers". I even have good contact with Hellhammer and the other ex-friends of Euronymous in Norway. Nobody care, as it was a question about my life or his life. We think logical, "Survival to the fittest", so there are no bad feelings. If there exist any "Euronymous followers" who hate me they know no shit, and can just shut up and fuck off.

I am no "Black metaller", but I am working to unite all the Heathens, whatever music they listen to.

As some of you might know, it was our interviewee here, who recorded the bass-parts originally to Mayhem's legendary "De mysteriis dom Sathanas" album, but why did he do the bass to Euronymous if he hated the man vehemently?

Mayhem needed help to rehearse as they were only two, Hellhammer and Euronymous, and I qualified as a bassist, which was what they needed, and agreed to help them. It is as simple as that. The album was recorded in May or June, I think, in 1992 a.y.p.s. and that was sometime before the tension started to build up seriously between me and Euronymous. You say I hated him, why should I? He was not worthy of my attention at all so I ignored him, and that is why HE hated me. I killed him to save my own life, if it was anybody else who threatened to kill me it would be them I killed. Euronymous simply messed with someone beyond his own power, and that cost him his life. Let it be a lesson to his pathetic followers, if there are any left though.

I can guarantee to you Varg, there are some left (check out the interview with Bård Faust). Speaking about Faust I was stupid enough to ask whether he is in same jail with Vikernes, but later I found out that he is not.

Besides, that I also asked how does Varg feel to be locked up for next 21 years and is he separated from other prisoners? Maybe some regrets have appeared...

The sentence is 21 years, but I can be left out on probation after 12 years so it is not as drastic as it may seem. I only have 10,5 years left, and some three years before I get out on probation I can serve in a "open" prison, which means I only have to stay in prison at night.

Right now I am separated from the other prisoners 23 hours a day, but this will change with time. I am in a section for custody, isolation and "bad guys" who cannot behave in the more open section. It is okay here, eatable food, okay hygiene, okay guards and so on. No problem.

Bård Faust is in another prison in eastern Norway, a far more open prison, but less "luxury" than the one I am in. Less "coloured" people here as well (believe it or not Finns, but in eastern Norway 60% of the prisoners are "coloured" foreigners, so all I can say is good luck in the European Union, you will "love" the wave of "coloured" foreigners into Finland. It is even worse in Europe).

If I regret preserving my own life? Get serious man, why the hell should I? I would do exactly the same over again if I had to.

Yeah, though I don't consider myself as Nazi at all, it is a shame that Finland joined into European Union, dammit!!! Anyhow, it has been said that Vikernes' trial was unfair and sensational, how come?

What else can you expect from a Judeo-Christian court? The inquisition is not over; I can tell you that for damn sure.

Lately UG-zines have done a lot Burzum- interviews, correct?

This interview is the third I answer in four months, the two others I answered yesterday, so I have not even sent them out yet. What you see now is the interviews I answered ages ago. A lot of the 'zines use interviews from other 'zines as well. I only answer interviews for Nordic and German 'zines (including Austria and the Lowlands.)

And yeah, Vikernes is doing a zine too ("Filosofem" Mag) together with Ray Williams from the "Burning Ground". Tell us about the zine, Varg?

The second issue is out now, the first was released three months ago. (Today is early December). It is Ray Williams' zine, I just contribute with articles really. Ask him about it.

How did you Varg find this French dude? What is the basic idea behind "Filosofem" magazine?

He found me. It is about time the scene produces some serious propaganda, "Filosofem" is exactly this long missing piece our scene needed.

Seasons...

All of them to different times, but winter can be called my "fave" season. The reason why is because winter is cold and snowy, something every true Norseman love. It is great to watch all the foreigners who freeze like hell up here, hah!

Thank you truly Varg Vikernes for your in-depth answers!!! You could end this interview with some Odinnic thoughts!!!

Odinnic thoughts in the English language? (Yeah -ED) I hope you Finns realize how idiotic this membership in the European (Jewropean) Union is and get out of it within short time. That for damn sure is a Odinnic thought, the North should unite instead of submitting to the will of the European Jews. Nuke Brüssel!

© 1995 "I Came From Darkness" Magazine, Finland



I Came From Darkness Magazine (1995)

I Came From Darkness Magazine (1995)

I Came From Darkness Magazine (1995)

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