''The Ways of Yore'' is the eleventh studio album by Norwegian musical project

Burzum Burzum (; ) was a Norwegian music project founded by Varg Vikernes in 1991. Although Burzum never played live performances, it became a part of the early Norwegian black metal scene and is considered one of the most influential acts in black m ...

, released on 2 June 2014 by sole member

Varg Vikernes Louis Cachet (born Kristian Vikernes; 11 February 1973), better known as Varg Vikernes (), is a Norwegian writer and retired musician best known for his early black metal albums and later crimes. His first five records, issued under the name Bur ...

' label

Byelobog Productions Burzum (; ) was a Norwegian music project founded by Varg Vikernes in 1991. Although Burzum never played live performances, it became a part of the early Norwegian black metal scene and is considered one of the most influential acts in black m ...

. The album retains the

ambient Ambient or Ambiance or Ambience may refer to: Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgrounds * Ambient music, a genre of music that puts an emphasis on tone and atmosphere * ''Ambient'' (album), by Moby * ...

and

medieval music Medieval music encompasses the sacred and secular music of Western Europe during the Middle Ages, from approximately the 6th to 15th centuries. It is the first and longest major era of Western classical music and followed by the Renaissance ...

sound Vikernes started with Burzum's previous album, '' Sôl austan, Mâni vestan'', albeit introducing vocals. The album cover features a detail of "Merlin and Vivien", an engraving by famous French artist

Gustave Doré Paul Gustave Louis Christophe Doré ( , , ; 6 January 1832 – 23 January 1883) was a French artist, as a printmaker, illustrator, painter, comics artist, caricaturist, and sculptor. He is best known for his prolific output of wood-engraving ...

for

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's poem ''

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'', framed by a bordure of swastikas.

Background

said of ''The Ways of Yore'' on Burzum's official website: "''The Ways of Yore'' is my first step towards something new, which at the same time is as old as the roots of Europe. With ''The Ways of Yore'' I try to transport the listener to the days of yore, to make them feel the past, that is still alive in their own blood". On 12 May 2014, Vikernes posted a 30-second teaser for each of the album's songs on his official

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

channel.''The Ways of Yore'' preview
/ref> The songs "Emptiness" and "To Hel and Back Again" are re-recorded versions of the songs "Tomhet" (from Burzum's 1994 album '' Hvis lyset tar oss'') and "Til Hel og tilbake igjen" (from ''

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''), respectively.

Critical reception

On the album,

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

wrote: "The album's inherent gloom comes not from the burning hatred and isolation that fueled earlier Burzum albums, but conveys the same intensity through its use of chant and traditional instruments of early

Norwegian folk music Much has been learned about early music in Norway from physical artifacts found during archaeological digs. These include instruments such as the lur. Viking and medieval sagas also describe musical activity, as do the accounts of priests and pil ...

, which wrap around Vikernes' signature use of ambient electronics to create a truly inspired web of harrowing sound."

Track listing

Personnel

– all instruments, vocals * Dan Capp – design, layout

Charts

References

External links

Burzum's official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ways of Yore, The 2014 albums Burzum albums