Burzum - Det som engang var (1993)^{Release ID: 213}

Not quite perfection (yet), but an enthralling and highly atmospheric experience nonetheless.

The man known as Count Grishnackh wasted no time in recording more Burzum material to follow up the debut self titled album. In April 1992, just one month after the release of Burzum, Kristian was back in Grieghallen Studios creating another record of hypnotic darkness. Det som engang var (which is Norwegian for What Once Was) was originally called På svarte troner (On Black Thrones) before it was changed prior to release in August 1993. The Aske EP was actually released prior to Det som engang var, but was in fact recorded four months after it. The reasons for this are not entirely clear, but I can only imagine the delay was due to disputes between Kristian and Aarseth (Euronymous). The first Burzum album was released on Aarseth’s Deathlike Silence label before the two former friends had a falling out. It seems that rather than fulfil his contractual obligations by handing over a second full length album, Kristian released the three-track Aske on Deathlike Silence and created his own label to release Det som engang var. He called the label Cymophane which is Greek for Wave to Appear and is also the name of an eye shaped gem. If you look at the Cymophane logo you will notice the eye drawing, and given Kristian’s obsession with Lord of the Rings, it’s not hard to see where the inspiration for the title came from. The Eye of Sauron!

After spending only 19 hours in total recording Burzum, Kristian really went all out (please assume sarcasm) and committed a total of 26 to Det som engang var. The reason for the extra hours was that he no longer had help from Aarseth with his equipment, and so had to set everything up himself. Otherwise it was business as usual with Kristian performing all instruments and producing everything in just one take (each instrument separately obviously), ignoring minor mistakes. The resulting tracks show real advancement from the debut, but the differences are more about focus than anything technical. While there are still some thrashy moments to be found, with the first section of Key to the Gate in particular kicking the album off in abnormally rocking fashion, the majority of Det som engang var utilizes the mesmerising, highly distorted tremolo picked riffs that worked so well on the debut. Once again Kristian integrates symphonic ambient compositions between all the black metal to help his “magic” infiltrate the listener, allowing the “spells” to transport them to lands far away without resistance. There are really only four genuine black metal tracks to be found with the rest being short instrumentals, but Det som engang var still manages a running time of forty minutes, and has a consistently dark and haunting atmosphere that Burzum’s better works thrive on.

The short intro Den Onde Kysten (The Coast of Evil) perfectly encapsulates this tone and is a wonderful entry point to the album, and once Key to the Gate calms down after the aforementioned oddly upbeat beginning, it also settles into the typical Burzum way of things. Lost Wisdom is another track that has this unusual swing between rocking riffs and more customary black metal fare, which is probably why I find the remaining two major tracks to be more consistently enjoyable. En Ring Til Aa Herske (One Ring to Rule) and Snu Mikrokosmos Tegn (Turn the Sign of Microcosm) are lengthy exercises in beautiful, atmospheric black metal and while they have contrasting techniques (the former is slow and repetitious while the latter is blistering and violent), they both serve their hypnotic purpose perfectly. Kristian’s vocals are extremely harsh, with throat tearing shrieks adding further emotion to the depressive melancholy the music generates on its own. The ambient work is simplistic yet effective with even Han Som Reiste (The One Who Wandered) overcoming its basic, plodding nature to turn out to be a stirring piece of work. Det som engang var can’t compete with Burzum’s next couple of albums which are amongst the best the black metal genre has to offer, but it’s an enthralling experience that clearly captures the second stage in the rapid evolution of a unique and talented young man.