Review by Ben for Burzum - Draugen - Rarities (2005)

Don't be fooled. All these "rare" tracks can be heard in far better form elsewhere, and the one that can't, is a fake.

My journey through the Burzum discography has been riddled with puzzles to solve. Figuring out when exactly each album was recorded and when it was eventually released is tricky enough, but the mystery surrounding which of the several compilations released while Varg was in prison should be considered official or not is probably even more confounding. It appears to me that Draugen – Rarities is, like 2002’s Anthology compilation, merely a bootleg that has somewhere along the line been given official status. I haven’t yet tracked down what year the original bootleg made its way onto the scene, but it’s no secret that UK label Back on Black re-released it in 2005 in remastered form, which is the version I own and therefore the one I’m reviewing right now. None of this sounds all that official of course, but when you consider that it contains artwork that was apparently authorised by Varg himself, and that it appears in the official discography on the official Burzum site, it’s difficult not to consider it legitimate. Yet just when it seems that’s all cleared up, there’s the little problem that Draugen – Rarities includes a track that is not even by Burzum (it’s a fake, but more on that later). Surely Varg wouldn’t authorise such a thing, would he? I think I’ll just have to move on and concentrate on deciding whether Draugen – Rarities has anything worthwhile for the multitudes of dedicated Burzum fans out there to sink their teeth into.

The first three tracks appear to be the entirety of the Aske EP (recorded in 1992) yet with an altered track order. Closer inspection reveals that opener Lost Forgotten Sad Spirit is not the re-recorded version found on Aske at all, and instead the original recording from the Burzum debut, which explains why it appears out of order. It’s a fantastic track that I never get tired of hearing, so a welcome beginning to the compilation. The two tracks from Aske are slightly less impressive although Stemmen Fra Tårnet is worth checking out for sure. Most fans would already own these tracks though and so the intrigue only starts once they’ve run their course. Tracks four through to seven are the entirety of the first Burzum demo, creatively titled Demo I, which was created in 1991. The tracks will be easily recognisable to any Burzum fan, including Lost Wisdom off Det Som Engang Var and Spell of Destruction and Channeling the Power of Souls Into a New God off the debut album, yet these are clearly rehearsal versions with no vocals. However, the main issue is not the lack of vocals and instead the recording quality which is terrible to say the least. It’s very difficult to hear the guitars at all as they are just a muddy blur and while it’s clear that Varg already had these tracks close to their finished compositional state, I see no reason to listen to them with this sort of quality. I’m pretty sure the outro to the demo is the intro (Den onde Kysten) to Det Som Engang Var, but the sound is so bad I’m just guessing.

Tracks eight through to ten are lifted from the Svarte dauen bootleg released in 1998. The first two tracks of the bootleg were originally recorded in 1993 as a planned EP that never eventuated. Et Hvitt Lys Over Skogen is a pretty good track, albeit with simplistic riffs and drumming, and one that you won’t find on any Burzum album. Interestingly, it was later re-recorded as part of the Hvis Lyset Tar Oss session, with every intention of it being part of the final product but was replaced by the all-electronic Tomhet at the last minute. You can hear the superior re-recorded version of the track on the 2002 Anthology compilation, which is pretty much the only reason to get it. Second track Once Emperor may not be recognisable by name, but on listening it becomes obvious that it’s an early version of Gebrechlichkeit I, later found on Filosofem. Even this early version has an immensely despondent feel, and the low production values add to the menace, but the re-recorded one is unquestionably superior. Seven Harmonies of the Unknown Truth is not a Burzum track at all and is in fact taken from a demo by fellow Norwegian black metal band Ildjarn. Why on earth anyone thought to include it on the original bootleg version of Draugen – Rarities is beyond me, but the fact it remained for the Back on Black version is astounding. I guess the idea of a previously unheard Burzum track might attract more purchases, regardless of the apparent insincerity.

The last three tracks are album versions of three Burzum classics, being My Journey to the Stars off the debut, Lost Wisdom off Det Som Engang Var and Dunkelheit off Filosofem. The first two have apparently been remastered for this compilation but I’ll state right here that I can’t tell any difference whatsoever. There is one more thing that Draugen – Rarities has to offer though and that’s the video to Dunkelheit. Misanthropy released this video as a promo for the Filosofem album and I have no idea who created it given Varg’s imprisonment at the time. Its blending of atmospheric nature shots is a nice accompaniment to the track, and I do really like the way the runes appear at regular intervals. It’s nothing to get too excited about though, which is pretty much how I feel about Draugen – Rarities in general. As nice as it sounds to own a collection of rare and classic Burzum tracks in one package, there’s just nothing to make me come back and listen to this again. Every single one of the rare tracks, apart from the fake Seven Harmonies of the Unknown Truth of course, can be found in much better form elsewhere. It’s not like I can even recommend it to new fans looking to check out a broad range of Burzum material, as the recording quality of some of this stuff is simply inaccessible, particularly if you don’t have prior experience with it in graspable form. One day there’ll be a decent Burzum compilation I’m sure. This is not it!