Varg Vikernes
A foundational but deeply controversial figure in black metal, whose early musical innovation is forever shadowed by his criminal convictions.
Born 1973 (age 53)·Norwegian musician·Birthday: February 11·Generation X
Biography
Varg Vikernes, operating under the name Burzum, is a paradox etched in extreme metal history. In the early 1990s, his lo-fi, atmospheric recordings became a blueprint for the burgeoning Norwegian black metal scene, pioneering a sound that was raw, hypnotic, and deeply influential. This musical legacy, however, is inextricably linked to a period of profound darkness. Vikernes was a central figure in a circle associated with church burnings and violent ideology. In 1994, he was convicted of the murder of his former bandmate Øystein 'Euronymous' Aarseth and for arson attacks on several historic churches, crimes that shocked Norway and defined black metal's most infamous era. He served 15 years of a 21-year sentence, the maximum under Norwegian law. Upon his release, he continued creating music and writing, his work now infused with pagan and nationalist themes, but he remains a polarizing and isolated figure—an artist whose creative spark ignited a genre but was consumed by its own destructive fire.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Varg was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Varg Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Varg's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created the influential one-man black metal project Burzum, releasing the seminal self-titled debut in 1992.
- His early albums, like 'Filosofem,' are considered foundational texts of the atmospheric black metal subgenre.
- Published multiple books on topics ranging to Norse paganism and his own ideological perspectives.
- Developed and published a role-playing game called 'MYFAROG' (Mythic Fantasy Role-playing Game).
Did You Know?
The name 'Burzum' is a word from J.R.R. Tolkien's Black Speech, meaning 'darkness.'
He recorded his early albums using minimal and inexpensive equipment, contributing to their distinctive raw sound.
Vikernes has lived in France since his release from prison in 2009.
“I created Burzum to channel a certain atmosphere, a feeling of ancient Northern darkness.”
