Varg Vikernes
| Varg Vikernes | |
|---|---|
 Vikernes during his last year in prison (2009).
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kristian Larsson Vikernes |
| Also known as | Count Grishnackh; Greifi Grishnackh; Greven ('The Count'); Varg Kvísling Larsson Víkarnes; Louis Cachet[1] |
| Born | 11 February 1973 Bergen, Norway |
| Genres | Black metal, death metal, dark ambient |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter, writer |
| Instruments | Guitar, bass, drums, synthesizer, keyboards, vocals |
| Years active | 1988[2]–present |
| Associated acts | Burzum, Mayhem, Old Funeral, Darkthrone, Uruk-Hai, Satanel, Kalashnikov |
| Website | www.burzum.org thuleanperspective.com |
Varg Vikernes (Norwegian: [ˈʋɑrɡ ˈʋiːkəɳeːs]; born 11 February 1973) is a Norwegian musician and writer. In Metal: A Headbanger's Journey, director Sam Dunn described Vikernes as "the most notorious metal musician of all time"[3]
In 1991, he founded the one-man music project Burzum and became part of the early Norwegian black metal scene. In 1992, he took part in the arson of at least three Christian churches in Norway, along with other members of the scene. By early 1993, Vikernes had recorded four albums as Burzum and another with fellow black metal band Mayhem. When Mayhem guitarist Øystein 'Euronymous' Aarseth was stabbed to death in August that year, Vikernes was arrested and charged with the murder.
In May 1994, Vikernes was sentenced to 21 years in prison for the murder of Euronymous and the arson of churches. During his time in prison he became affiliated with the Heathen Front and had several writings on Germanic paganism published.[4] He also recorded and released two dark ambient albums as Burzum. Having served almost 15 years of his sentence, Vikernes was released on parole in early 2009.[5][6] He settled in France with his wife and children, where he continued releasing music and writing.[7]
As of July 2013, he was registered as Louis Cachet in the Norwegian resident registration database.[1]