VARG VIKERNES To Be Released From Prison

[Galloglaich]

Varg Vikernes (a.k.a. Count Grishnackh) — the former BURZUM mastermind who is currently serving a Norwegian prison term for the August 1993 murder of MAYHEM guitarist Oystein Aarseth (a.k.a. Euronymous) and setting fire to three churches — will soon be a free man.

In September 2008, Vikernes's fourth application for parole was denied, but a couple of weeks ago he finally received the message he has been waiting for: after almost 16 years in prison, he will be released.

"I will have to report [to the parole officer] for one year — initially every two weeks, and then once a month," Vikernes told the Dagbladet newspaper.

Varg's mother, who last year wrote a letter to Dagbladet in which she argued that her son was being unfairly treated by the justice officials who repeatedly denied his parole application, is very relieved that her son will be able to join his family in Bø (a municipality in the county of Telemark, Norway), where he recently purchased a small farm.

"I am very happy that he has been so strong and that he held out," she said. "It will be good for the family that they can be together every day."

For the past couple of years, Varg has been allowed to leave the prison regularly to walk around Tromsø, Norway (where the prison is located) and visit his family: his mother, his wife, eighteen-month-old son and sixteen-year-old daughter.

"I'm ready for society — and I have been for many years," Vikernes told Dagbladet 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."

Last year it was reported that case workers at the Justice Ministry feared that Vikernes would be unable to adjust to life on the outside after his years in jail.

In denying his parole for the second time, the Justice Ministry emphasized that Vikernes escaped from prison in 2003 and that he has ties to neo-Nazi groups.

"I haven't been in contact with them for a long time. Police security services know this," Vikernes previously told the VG newspaper.


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I have been aware of Varg (Grishnackh) ever since the early days of Burzum. I kept up with his writings (as available) throughout his incarceration and have been interested in his evolving views. He is a talented and intelligent man. I hope he is able to find what he wants on his farm with his family (sounds pretty good to me). Hopefully he'll also find time to make some new music. I wish him good luck.

[SPQR]

I doubt we'll see any new material from Burzum, but who knows, Varg could decide he wants some quick cash some day.

As for being released... it's odd that someone who commited such crazy crimes can be released after such a short time. If someone were to do that in America, he'd only be released after he was a corpse himself. Scandinavia sure has an interesting judicial system..

[YggsVinr]

Yeah, read about that yesterday, which ended up being quite a day in the black metal world what with Infernus finally winning in that absurd trial.

Anyways, all I can say is it's about damned time Varg got out. The man's been locked up for 15 years when people who've done more have gotten out in less time. I honestly don't care whether or not he decides to write more music, in someways Burzum perhaps better left as it is. All I can say is good luck to him and his family, and hopefully he can disappear into the woodwork like he seems to want to do. Let's just hope some Euro fanatic doesn't come knocking on his door seeking to stir trouble, the guy deserves some peace after this whole ordeal.

[Heimmacht]

finally! Hurray!

[Galloglaich]

I doubt we'll see any new material from Burzum, but who knows, Varg could decide he wants some quick cash some day...

...I honestly don't care whether or not he decides to write more music, in someways Burzum perhaps better left as it is...

I agree that in some ways Burzum is better left as it is. I'm looking at it from the point of view of someone who is a musician. As a musician, the idea of stepping completely away from it is somewhat inconceivable to me. There will always be that inner drive to create anew. It doesn't necessarily have to be "Burzum" music, but I'm sure the desire will strike him at some point. As such, there will more than likely be some echoes from his musical past owing to his inspirational muse and personal evolution as a composer.

[Loddfafner]

Burning a stave church is unforgiveable.

[Baron Samedi]

I actually read somewhere he WAS going to do another black-metal oriented Burzum album again.

Lets hope.

I'm not a big fan of Varg's ideologies, but his music is top-notch.

[YggsVinr]

I actually read somewhere he WAS going to do another black-metal oriented Burzum album again.

Lets hope.

I'm not a big fan of Varg's ideologies, but his music is top-notch.

Yeah, I read the same in one of his more recent interviews, but he seems to change his mind regularly on the subject of releasing more music among other things, so I wouldn't take it too seriously. No doubt he will be writing new music as Galloglaich said you can't take that need to create out of the artist, but whether he'll release any of it is anyone's guess. Wouldn't really help his disappearing like he says he wants to do.

[Lenny]

Varg has been allowed to leave the prison regularly to walk around Tromsø, Norway (where the prison is located) and visit his family: his mother, his wife, eighteen-month-old son and sixteen-year-old daughter.

An eighteen-month-old son? Wow, what a prison

[Psychonaut]

Woo Hoo!!!

Now he'll finally be able to publish the book he's been working on for the last decade.