Det som engang var

Det som engang var (Norwegian for What Once Was) is the second studio album by the Norwegian black metal solo project Burzum. It was recorded in April 1992 and released in August 1993 through Burzum's own label, Cymophane Productions.

Det som engang var
Studio album by
Burzum
ReleasedAugust 1993
RecordedApril 1992 at the Grieg Hall, Bergen, Norway
GenreBlack metal, dark ambient
Length39:49
LabelCymophane
ProducerCount Grishnackh, Pytten
Burzum chronology
Aske
(1993)		 Det som engang var
(1993)		 Hvis lyset tar oss
(1994)
Alternative cover
Reissue cover

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 was initially named På svarte troner (Norwegian for "On Black Thrones") but was renamed shortly before its release. The song "Det som en gang var" (with a slightly different spelling) would appear on the next album, Hvis lyset tar oss.

The album cover is visually inspired by the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1st edition) module The Temple of Elemental Evil.[1] At the bottom of the artwork is a depiction of the "reaper" and the tree shown on Burzum's first album. The album cover was drawn by Jannicke Wiese-Hansen, who also drew the cover for the first Burzum album.

Release

Det som engang var was released on CD in August 1993 through Vikernes' own record label, Cymophane Productions, which he created so he could leave Deathlike Silence Productions, which was owned by Mayhem guitarist Euronymous.[2] Its release was limited to around 950 copies.[2] Although the two were friends, by the time of the album's release they had fallen out. On 10 August 1993, Vikernes stabbed Euronymous to death outside his apartment in Oslo. He was arrested a few days later and, in May 1994, was sentenced to 21 years in prison for both the murder and the church arsons.

Det som engang var was reissued in 1994, by Misanthropy Records, in two formats: CD and vinyl. The vinyl release contained a Limited Edition poster of the album cover art.[2]

After Vikernes's release from prison in 2009, he re-recorded two songs from the album—"Key to the Gate" and "Snu mikrokosmos tegn"—and released them on the album From the Depths of Darkness.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]

Eduardo Rivadavia of Allmusic wrote: "Vikernes' claim to musical genius would soon be irreparably stained by his, shall we say, extra-curricular infamy, burying all of the fascinating contradictions inherent in his art under the brutally one-dimensional label of "murderer", and, by extension, forcing complicated feelings of guilt upon all those who would dare experience this otherwise compelling music."[3]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Count Grishnackh.

No.TitleLength
1."Den onde kysten" ("The Evil Coast")2:20
2."Key to the Gate"5:10
3."En ring til aa herske" ("One Ring to Rule")7:09
4."Lost Wisdom"4:38
5."Han som reiste" ("He Who Travelled")4:50
6."Naar himmelen klarner" ("When the Sky Clears")3:50
7."Snu mikrokosmos tegn" ("Turn the Sign of the Microcosm")9:36
8."Svarte troner" ("Black Thrones")2:16
Total length:39:49

Personnel

Burzum

Additional personnel

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References
  1. Vikernes, Varg (December 2004). "Varg Vikernes – A Burzum Story: Part I – The Origin and Meaning". burzum.org. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  2. "Burzum – Discography – Official Releases – "Det som engang var" 1993". burzum.org. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  3. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Det som engang var – Burzum : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  4. Vikernes, Varg (July 2005). "A Burzum Story: Part VI - The Music". burzum.org. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
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