Tupac and Biggie it ain't, but the saga of Varg Vikernes (nee Kristian, aka Count Grishnackh) of the Norwegian black metal band Burzum, and Øystein Aarseth, better known as Euronymous of the legendary Mayhem, is a saga no less compelling nor ridiculous.
The long story short: in the late eighties and early nineties, a host of metal bands emerge in Scandanavia that play louder and faster than all their predecessors, burn down scores of historic churches, and one prominent bandleader kills another, and possibly eats some of his brain in a soup.
For the definitive account, check out the 1998 book Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground. I can't recommend it enough.
Vikernes, who has been serving nearly sixteen years of a twenty-one year sentence for the murder of Euronymous and the burning of three churches, was released from prison today.
"I'm ready for society — and I have been for many years," Vikernes told Dagbladet (Norwegian newspaper) last July . "I have learned from my mistakes and become older. Now I just want to be together with my family. My mind has never been in prison; I think all the time about what I should do on the day that I am released." He added, "I have barely seen my son since he came into the world. Even though I hear his voice on the phone almost every day, it is very tough to not be present while he is growing up. I miss my family. And I look forward the day that I could work on my farm, create music, write books and be with the wife and kids around the clock — and live a normal life. I have received tremendous support from my family. It means a lot."
There have been rumors of a feature film being made about the early nineties Norwegian metal scene. I can't say it wouldn't be fascinating.
