Burzum - Umskiptar

Published May 01 2012

*=Staff's pick	Blóðstokkinn Jóln* Alfadanz Hit Helga Tré Æra Heiðr Valgaldr Galgviðr Surtr Sunnan Gullaldr Níðhöggr

Genre	Black Metal	Varg Vikernes	Vocals
Tracks	11	Varg Vikernes	Guitar
Running time	66 Min.	-	Guitar
Label	Byelobog Productions	Varg Vikernes	Bass
Release	21 May 2012	Varg Vikernes	Drums
Country	Norway	Varg Vikernes	Keyboard
Producer	Varg Vikernes
Similar artists	---

Umskiptar is the ninth album from Varg Vikernes' Burzum and the third one since his release from prison in 2009. All of the lyrics in this album are from Völuspá, a 1000 years old collection of Norse poems, and rather than singing Varg recites the poems in different tones of voice.

Categorizing this album is hard. There are some black metal elements but the music is almost painfully slow and it feels more like Varg mumbling poems by himself and occasionally stroking his guitar than anything else. If a black metal band would record an album full of lullabies, I guess it would sound something like this.

What's really frustrating is that there seems to be some decent ideas here and there but the execution, overall composition and lack of any kind of energy kills it. Heiðr, Jóln and Hit Helga Tré could have been pretty good songs in a better world.

If Umskiptar had been released after the strange synthesizer album Hliðskjálf from 1999, then it might have been a step in the right direction. But following Belus and Fallen, two strong albums that pushed the boundaries of black metal, I'm gravely disappointed. There is absolutely nothing here that makes me want to listen to this album again.