Hvis lyset tar oss

Hvis lyset tar oss (Norwegian for If the Light Takes Us) is the third studio album by Norwegian black metal solo project Burzum. It was recorded in September 1992, but was not released until April 1994, whereupon it was released through Misanthropy Records and Vikernes' own record label, Cymophane Productions.[1]

Hvis lyset tar oss
Cover art by Theodor Kittelsen
Studio album by
Burzum
ReleasedApril 1994 (1994-04)[1]
RecordedSeptember 1992 at Grieg Hall in Bergen[2]
Genre
Length44:27[3]
LanguageNorwegian
LabelMisanthropy, Cymophane
ProducerCount Grishnackh, Pytten
Burzum chronology
Det som engang var
(1993)		 Hvis lyset tar oss
(1994)		 Filosofem
(1996)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Sputnikmusic[5]

Background

Varg Vikernes recorded the first four Burzum albums between January 1992 and March 1993 at the Grieg Hall in Bergen. However, the releases were spread out, with many months between the recording and the release of each album.

The album cover features a drawing by 19th-century artist Theodor Kittelsen named Fattigmannen (The Pauper). Vikernes dedicated the album to Fenriz of fellow Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone and Demonaz from Norwegian black metal band Immortal; however, in an interview in 2010, he expressed regret for the dedication to Demonaz and claimed Demonaz was "a rat like no other".[6][7] Promotional copies sent to fanzines included the song "Et hvitt lys over skogen" (Norwegian for "A White Light Over the Forest") instead of "Tomhet". "Et hvitt lys over skogen" later appeared on the 1998 compilation album Presumed Guilty.

According to Vikernes, Hvis lyset tar oss is a concept album, about:

[...] what once was, before the light took us and we rode into the castle of the dream. Into emptiness. It's something like: beware the Christian light, it will take you away into degeneracy and nothingness. What others call light I call darkness. Seek the darkness and hell and you will find nothing but evolution.[6]

Reception

Kelefa Sanneh wrote, "it starts with three long and smudgy midtempo songs, with rudimentary guitar-playing and vocals that sound like screams from down the hall; the mood is grim but also rather wistful, especially during the fourth and final track, an atmospheric keyboard piece that last fourteen minutes."[8]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Count Grishnackh

No.TitleLength
1."Det som en gang var" ("What Once Was")14:21
2."Hvis lyset tar oss" ("If the Light Takes Us")8:04
3."Inn i slottet fra droemmen" ("Into the Castle from the Dream")7:51
4."Tomhet" ("Emptiness")14:11
Total length:44:27

Personnel

References
  1. "Burzum "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" 1994 Misanthropy Records / Cymophane Productions". burzum.org. Retrieved 2013-06-28.
  2. Vikernes, Varg (July 2005). "A Burzum Story: Part VI - The Music". burzum.org. Retrieved 2013-06-28.
  3. Hvis lyset tar oss (CD edition "Amazon 001/Eye 002").
  4. Huey, Steve. "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss - Burzum". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2013-06-28.
  5. Freeman, Channing (2006-12-17). "Review: Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 2013-06-28.
  6. Flynn, Antoinette (1994-05-14). "Deprived zine interview".
  7. "Interview with Varg Vikernes".
  8. Kelefa Sanneh (2021). Major Labels. Canongate. p. 44. ISBN 9781838855932.
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