Varg Vikernes (a.k.a. Count Grishnackh), the BURZUM mastermind who was convicted of murdering MAYHEM guitarist Oystein Aarseth (a.k.a. Euronymous) in August 1993 and setting fire to three churches, has issued the following statement via the Burzum.org web site:

"As you might already know, my dear ladies and gentlemen, and others individuals too, I am no friend of the modern so-called black metal culture. It is a tasteless, low-brow parody of Norwegian so-called black metal anno 1991-1992, and if it was up to me, it would meet its dishonourable end as soon as possible. However, rather than abandon my own music, only because others have soiled its name by claiming to have something in common with it, I will stick to it. The 'black metallers' will probably continue to 'get loaded,' 'get high,' and in all other manners too behave like the stereotypical Negro; they will probably continue to get foreign tribal tattoos, dress, walk, talk, look and act like homosexuals, and so forth.

(***For the record: BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not agree with or support Varg Vikernes' racist views and neither does the vast majority of the metal scene.***)

"Some of the 'black metallers,' their fans and accomplices will probably even continue to pretend — and actually believe — they have something in common with BURZUM, but let me assure you; they don't! I play what can be described as some sort of metal music, all right, and they do too, but the similarities ends there. Freud wrote books. Tolkien wrote books. The similarities ends there.

"Why more of BURZUM? Well, I am what I am; a musician. Musicians produce music, when they can, and now I can; I am no longer imprisoned by the criminal anti-Norwegian regime in Norway. Will my music be any good? My guess is that if you like BURZUM you like BURZUM. If you don't, you don't. I do try to change all the time, but most of the time I fail, and many appreciate that. Others don't.

"The coming album is called 'Den Hvite Guden' (The White God) and is a musical and lyrical description of the the White God (alias Apollon, Baldr, Belenus, Belus, Bragi, Byelobog, Jarilo, et cetera) and the annual events of his life. I describe the stories of the myths like they could have been before they were myths, by presenting to you bits and pieces of the sorcery and religion of ancient Europe (more elaborately described in my unpublished book 'Trolldom og Religion i Oldtidens Skandinavia' [Sorcery and Religion in Ancient Scandinavia]). It is not intended for play the 'low-brow metal' style, but instead I imagine a listener willing to sit down, ideally in solitude, and think for a minute, about the White God and our forebears, whether they were Picto-British, Finnish, Gallic, Greek, Roman, Scandinavian, Scytho-Slavic, Daco-Thrakian or whatever, and about their magnificent, intelligent, positive, beautiful, healthy and strong culture. I try to help you create an image of this with the help of your own mind, by offering a few clues and guidelines. The album is political only in the way that it offers an alternative to the depravity offered to us by the intrusive popular culture and the commercial entertainment industry — and by modern so-called black metal, for that sake.

"The début album was intentionally anti-commercial and anti-death metal, the 'Det Som Engang Var' album was experimental, the 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss' album was intentionally monotonous and ritual, the 'Filosofem' album was intentionally different from the others, 'Dauði Baldrs' was what I could do from a prison cell, and 'Hliðskjálf' too, but they were all music that I liked. 'Den Hvite Guden' will be no different in that respect, but I am older now, in fact twice as old as I was when I recorded the début album, and I am therefore different. The new album might differ from the old albums more than some might appreciate, but I hope not. Even if some of you might appreciate the old BURZUM, I must be allowed to evolve, just like everybody else. Maybe you will like the new BURZUM too. I will not do my best to copy and reproduce my old music, just to please somebody. I never did and I never will. If it sounds similar it is because it is made by the same person. If it sounds different it is because it is not the same music and because I have evolved.

"I can add that just like on the other metal albums (with the exception of 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss'), 'Den Hvite Guden' features some very old BURZUM tracks. 'Filosofem' featured the 'Burzum' track, from 1991, and 'Den Hvite Guden' will feature the 'Uruk-Hai' track, from 1988-1989, although the title and the lyrics have been changed to fit the new concept. It will also feature the original 'Dauði Baldrs' metal track, from 1993. In a sense this album too will not be 'new material,' but just a collection of previously unpublished tracks; some new, some old. If some think my composing skills have disappeared altogether, then at least there will be some gems for them too.

"You can expect to see 'The White God' around March-April (anno 2010), when he traditionally returns from the hidden world of shadows."

Although his parole application was denied four times — most recently in September 2008 — Vikernes received word in February that he would be released after serving almost 16 years in prison. He was finally allowed to leave this past spring.

Vikernes currently resides in Bø, a municipality in the county of Telemark, Norway. Varg purchased the farm sometime last year and lives on the property with his French wife (whom he met while he was incarcerated) and son.

Photo below is displayed from Dagbladet

(Thanks: Lars Ulimoen)