Varg "Count Grishnakh" Vikernes to be released from prison

[Skummy]

Story:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/mar/1...l-varg-vikernes

It is never reassuring to hear that a man who calls himself Count Grishnackh is to be released from prison. And yet that is what is happening to the Norwegian black-metal icon Varg Vikernes, who murdered Mayhem's guitarist and set three churches on fire.

It was just 16 years ago that Vikernes was sitting in an Oslo court, smiling as he received a maximum sentence. Best known as the leader of Burzum – whose first album begins with a song called Feeble Screams from Forests Unknown – Vikernes was also a far-right political activist and, er, grim dude.

Though he was refused four times for parole – most recently in September 2008 – Vikernes is now set to walk free, he told Daglabet magazine.

"I'm ready for society — and I have been for many years," Vikernes emphasised in an interview last July. "I have learned from my mistakes and become older. Now I just want to be together with my family ... 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."

For the past couple of years, Vikernes has been allowed to leave the prison and make visits to his family, according to Blabbermouth. His mother, wife, 18-month-old son and 16-year-old daughter all live in Tromsø near the prison. "I look forward the day that I [can] work on my farm, create music, write books and be with the wife and kids around the clock — and live a normal life," he said.

Though Vikernes will no longer be bound by prison schedules, he will have to regularly report to a parole officer, intially for every two weeks and then once a month. Count Grishnackh plans to move to a small farm near Bø and says he no longer has any ties with far-right Norwegian groups.

"My mind has never been in prison," he said. "I think all the time about what I should do on the day that I am released."

May we suggest that he cuddle some kittens?

[MalaCloudy Black]

He looks scarily like a dude I went to college with in that photo. But hey, if he's not going to be nutty and he's going to not do the whole "stealing weapons and breaking out of jail" bit, fine.

[Skummy]

Discussing that article earlier; it's thoroughly bizarre. I know that Varg has become a bit of a figure of fun in certain circles but...he did kill a man. Can you imagine a newspaper taking a similar tone if the story were about, say, the Yorkshire Ripper?

But, yeah, Varg being out is fine, as long as he just sticks to making terrible electro and banging on about the blacks, not really hurting anyone, rather than nicking a load of dynamite and trying to cross national borders.

[SRN]

I dont know what to think of this. I mean, as Skummy mentioned, he did kill a man. But it seems that he has basically turned his views like 180 degrees and just fuck this shit, and moved on. I am awaiting what Mayhem will have to say about this, or at least what the people emotionally involved in the Euronymous murder think. If they have anything to say at all.

Edited March 12, 2009 by SRN

[YI]

Nowhere near as badass as the singer from Mest killing someone in self-defence. FUCKING MEST!!! If there was ever a band where the lead singer was to be charged with Murder, Mest would not be fucking there.

But yeah, reading up on this stuff, some real fucked up shit went on, christ.

[Bushmeister]

Two weeks after release and he will be back after having tried to blow up a synagogue or something.

Nice to see he went back to his dreamy "viking boy-toy" look though, he looked like a retard with his Hitler Jugend-style some years back

[Iain76er]

He's out in time for Download.