Burzum "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss"

Hvis lyset tar oss (Norwegian for If the Light Takes Us) is the third studio album by Norwegian black metal solo project Burzum. It was recorded in September 1992, but was not released until April 1994, whereupon it was released through Misanthropy Records and Vikernes' own record label, Cymophane Productions. The album is considered a classic in the black metal scene.

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. During this time, Vikernes became a part of the early Norwegian black metal scene and befriended Mayhem guitarist Euronymous. The two developed a feud that culminated in Vikernes stabbing Euronymous to death in his apartment building in Oslo in August 1993. He was arrested a few days later and, in May 1994, was sentenced to 21 years (the maximum sentence in Norway) in prison for murder and several church arsons.

The album cover features a drawing by 19th century artist Theodor Kittelsen named Fattigmannen (The Pauper). Vikernes dedicated the album to Fenriz of fellow Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone and "Demonas", possibly referring to Demonaz from Norwegian black metal band Immortal. Promotional copies sent to fanzines included the song "Et hvitt lys over skogen" (Norwegian for "A White Light Over the Forest") instead of "Tomhet". "Et hvitt lys over skogen" later appeared on the 1998 compilation album Presumed Guilty.

According to Vikernes, Hvis lyset tar oss is a concept album, about:

[...] what once was, before the light took us and we rode into the castle of the dream. Into emptiness. It's something like: beware the Christian light, it will take you away into degeneracy and nothingness. What others call light I call darkness. Seek the darkness and hell and you will find nothing but evolution.

Track listing
All tracks are written by Count Grishnackh.

1. "Det som en gang var" ("What Once Was") 14:21
2. "Hvis lyset tar oss" ("If the Light Takes Us") 8:04
3. "Inn i slottet fra droemmen" ("Into the Castle from the Dream") 7:51
4. "Tomhet" ("Emptiness") 14:11

Total length: 44:27

Limited first press in jewel-case. The more common version is the 1995 digipak.

"Et hvitt lys over skogen" was originally intended to be the fourth track on this album, it was replaced with the song "Tomhet". Some early promo copies of this album (the På svarte troner tape version) included "Et hvitt lys over skogen" instead of "Tomhet". This unreleased track was later included in a "Various Artists" compilation by Misanthropy Records, called Presumed Guilty.

Recording information:
Recorded at Grieghallen Studio, September 1992.