Burzum – Belus

The Burzum Belus vinyl on Back on Black (catalog BOBVLP 215) marks the return of Varg Vikernes to recording after a long absence, pressed as a double LP and covering ground that sits firmly in the atmospheric black metal territory his earlier work helped define. This is not a reissue of a classic early record. It is a proper studio album, and the Back on Black edition makes it accessible to collectors who want a physical pressing with real weight behind it.

Who Burzum Is and Why Belus Matters

Burzum is entirely the work of Varg Vikernes, a Norwegian musician whose solo recordings in the early 1990s shaped the sound and atmosphere of black metal in ways that are still being processed by the genre today. Operating without a live band, without a touring schedule, Vikernes built a body of work rooted in raw production, Norse mythology, and a particular kind of bleak, immersive atmosphere that ran parallel to the wider Norwegian black metal scene while remaining distinctly its own thing. Belus is significant because it represents a return to that project after years away from recording, arriving with a conceptual focus on the Norse figure of Belus and structured across eight tracks spread over two sides of vinyl. For anyone following atmospheric black metal with any seriousness, a new Burzum record was not a small event.

The Back on Black Burzum Belus Vinyl Edition

Back on Black is a UK-based label with a consistent track record of putting out quality heavy music pressings for the collector market, and this double LP under catalog number BOBVLP 215 is their edition of Belus. The album spreads across two discs. Disc one carries Leukes Renkespill, Belus’ Doed, Glemselens Elv, and Kaimadallhas Wedsligning. Disc two follows with Sverddans, Kelioheslen, Morgenroede, and Velus’ Tilbakekomst. The double LP format gives the album room to breathe and suits the pacing of Vikernes’ compositions, which tend toward extended, layered structures rather than short-form aggression.

Why This Pressing Belongs in a Serious Collection

Burzum records in any format carry weight among collectors of extreme and atmospheric metal, and a physical pressing of Belus from a reputable label is the kind of thing that does not always stay available. Back on Black pressings are manufactured for durability and consistent playback quality, which matters when you are dealing with music this sonically specific. The raw, layered production that defines Burzum’s approach comes through better on vinyl than on compressed digital formats, and for a record built around atmosphere and texture, that distinction is not trivial. If your collection takes Norwegian black metal seriously, this double LP belongs on the shelf next to the early albums that started it all.