Blue Cheer

Guitar work has been handled by Andrew "Duck" MacDonald since that time. Many of the Burzum albums feature illustrations by the Norwegian 19th century artist Theodor Kittelsen (1857-1914). Last tour was a club tour of England in 2004. Original members Dickie Peterson and Paul Whaley re-located to Germany in early 90's where they still live. Vikernes has renounced any connection with black metal and heavy metal music in general. Last release was Live in Japan, 1999. The Filosofem (1996) album was released to the public after Vikernes had been imprisoned. Group still exists as of 2005. Both albums rely only on keyboards and - in Vikernes' own estimation - are not related to the black metal genre.

After Leigh Stevens was replaced by Randy Holden, formerly of Los Angeles garage rock band The Other Half, in 1969, Blue Cheer's style changed to a more commercial hard rock sound a la Steppenwolf or Iron Butterfly. Vikernes has released two Burzum albums from prison: Dauši Baldrs and Hlišskjįlf. 1970 saw the release of Human Being and then 1971's Oh! Pleasant Hope. He has expressed interest in Neo-Nazism and has written several books dealing with his worldview. The group underwent several personnel changes after the 1968 release of Outsideinside, and then through yet more changes during and after 1969's New! Improved! Blue Cheer (different guitarists on side 1 and 2), followed by Blue Cheer. Vikernes was formerly a member of the far-right extremist group "Hvit Arisk Motstand" ("White Aryan Resistance"), and was once involved with the "Norsk Hedensk Front" ("Pan-Germanic Heathen Front"). Julian Cope has written, "In 1968, nothing but nothing in America and Britain sounded as brutal as Blue Cheer except for the Velvet Underground." [1] (http://www.juliancope.com/unsung/features/index.php?id=4). Vikernes is suspected to have taken part in various other crimes, and was believed to have been planning another church burning at the time of his arrest (police found 100 kg of explosives in his home).

The band has been subsequently acclaimed as an influence on garage rock, punk music, heavy metal, and grunge. Currently, Vikernes is in prison for the murder of his former friend and fellow musician Ųystein Aarseth (Euronymous of Mayhem), as well as the arson of several ancient Norwegian churches. The group's sound was hard to categorize, but was definitely blues-based, psychedelic, and very loud. He has stated that the "message" of Burzum can be found in the lyrics of the first song of the first album (Feeble Screams From Forests Unknown); that following lyrics act as footnotes. (The single peaked at #14 on the Billboard pop charts, and the album peaked at #11.). Vikernes claims that the intent to create this fantasy world came from dissatisfaction with the real world. Their first hit was a cover version of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" from their debut album Vincebus Eruptum (1968). Each LP or CD, he claims, was designed as a kind of "spell" in itself, with each beginning song intending to make the listener more susceptible to "magic", the following songs to inspire a "trance-like state of mind", and the last song to carry the listener into a "world of fantasy" (dreams, for the listener would fall asleep - Burzum was supposed to have been evening music).

The band was named after a strain of LSD promoted by underground chemist and Grateful Dead backer Owsley Stanley; the drug had taken its name from a popular detergent. Vikernes has described Burzum as a kind of "spell" or recreation of an imaginary world tied in with Pagan history. Original personnel were singer/bass guitarist Dick Peterson, guitarist Leigh Stevens and drummer Paul Whaley. Vikernes' music is generally considered to be characterized by hypnotic repetition and simple yet profound song structures; this trademark sound has been present on Burzum's black metal and synthieval albums alike. Blue Cheer was a San Francisco based power trio of the late 1960s. Musically, Burzum has progressed from primitive, raw black metal to classical-influenced ambient music characterized by minimalist tendencies and dark atmospheres. Much of Burzum's later work focuses on Norse legends, especially his most recent two ambient albums: Dauši Baldrs, which deals exclusively with the legend of the death of Baldr, and Hlišskjįlf, which recounts the death of Wotan and the approach of Ragnarok.

As he continued to release albums, Vikernes' attraction to Norse mythology and Pagan beliefs became more and more apparent. Some of Burzum's early songs featured titles like "En Ring Til Å Herske" ("One Ring To Rule"); however, Vikernes later explained this to be a reference to the Rheingold of Norse mythology rather than to Tolkien's works. Burzum's early music shows a moderate Tolkien influence; for example, the name Count Grishnackh is taken from an orc character called Grishnįkh in Tolkien's works. Varg intended the Burzum project to be an anonymous effort, which was the reason behind his taking the name of Count Grishnackh.

Vikernes remained with Old Funeral for two years, deciding in 1991 to create a solo project instead, in which he could write and record a "more original and personal type of music" (some consider Burzum to be a progression of the band Uruk-Hai, for several of the same riffs are used in Vikernes' compositions). Uruk-Hai's drummer and bassist, Vikernes claims, were neither serious nor talented musicians, but this was not the case with the members of Old Funeral (who eventually went on to form the notorious black metal group Immortal). In 1989, Vikernes broke away from Uruk-Hai to join the death metal act Old Funeral. Tolkien.

R. R. Uruk-Hai is the name for the orc race of Middle-earth from the works of J. In 1988 or 1989, Varg Vikernes formed a group called Kalashnikov (named for the Kalashnikov assault rifle), which eventually changed its name to Uruk-Hai.

Aarseth, known better to some by his stage name of Euronymous, played guitar for the well-known Norwegian black metal band Mayhem. Vikernes and his project were instrumental in the crystallization of early black metal, much of which is due to the infamy attributed to Vikernes since the murder of his rival Ųystein Aarseth. Vikernes is currently serving a prison sentence in Trondheim, Norway for murder and arson. It was formed by Varg Vikernes (born Kristian Vikernes), under the name of Count Grishnackh.

Burzum began in 1987 as a prominent Norwegian black metal solo project. Samoth (Tomas Haugen) - Bass - (1993). Count Grishnackh (Varg Vikernes) - Vocals, guitar, keyboard, bass, drums - (1991-2000). Burzum [Demo] - (1992).

Burzum [Demo] - (1991). Anthology [Compilation] - (2002). Ragnarok (A New Beginning) [Compilation] - (2000). 1992-1997 [Compilation] - (1998).

Burzum Unreleased Demos [Compilation] - (1994). Burzum & Gorgoroth [Split CD] - (1993). Burzum / Aske [Compilation] - (1993). Hlišskjįlf - (1999).

Dauši Baldrs - (1997). Filosofem - (1996). Hvis Lyset Tar Oss - (1994). Det Som Engang Var - (1993).

Aske [EP] - (1993). 1995). Burzum - (1992) (Reis. Time: 1991-2000.

Status: Dissolved. Country: Norway. Genre: Black metal, isolationist.