Burzum - Sôl Austan, Mâni Vestan

So Varg has apparently decided to stop playing metal. Didn't he say that over 10 years ago? Yet he returned with four (including the re-recorded stuff) metal albums. Okay, well this time he decided to make a 'true' Burzum ambient album in 'Sol Austan, Mani Vestan'. I say true because, well, the other two ambient albums were 'restricted'. So I was pretty keen to hear what he would do here because I have always liked his ambient songs.

This time Varg is not confined to a single keyboard or a hard drive full of midi files. He can create the landscape exactly how he wants. At times he is able to re-create the cold mystic haze that reminds me of 'Rundtgåing av den transcendentale egenhetens støtte' (one of my favourite Burzum songs). Other times it is ringing melodies drenched in echoing atmosphere and drifting behind one another.

The best parts are when he combines the hazing synths and the sprinkling melodies and this is where it rivals his best ambient work. Again, there is a lot of repetition in the songs, but as I always find with Burzum, Varg finds a way to keep it interesting. In this sense, it can come off mesmerizing. The album isn't dark, it reminds me a lot of that dusk like feel of 'Umskiptar'. This is the calming presence of spring after a long hard winter. But the eeriness in the tones of the melodies on here somewhat serve as a constant reminder that the hardships faced are not quite over.

The only gripe may be that this album is a little too long, but then there really isn't a bad song on here. Overall, the big take out is that this is Varg once again using his own music to inspire himself to make more music and like the true artist he is, he does what he wants and it is up to the listener to decide if they like it or not and he wont care either way.

'Sôl Austan, Mâni Vestan' is by far Burzum's best ambient album. How the songs on here compare to the ambient work on the likes of 'Filosofem' and 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss', hmm, some are as good, but I still prefer the cold and darker side of the former. For me, another fine post-prison Burzum album hehe.

Ikil