Burzum's Filosofem was the first black metal album that I ever listened to. It remains one of my favorite black metal releases and one of my favorite albums of all.
I would classify Filosofem as "traditional" black metal. Traditional as in this recording is more in line with Darkthrone's A Blaze in the Northern Sky than something like Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth, or even Emperor (Personally, I wouldn't classify Cradle of Filth or even Dimmu Borgir as black metal all, but I know that some people do).
Burzum is the work of Varg Vikernes, who performs all of the music on the "band's" albums. I feel this album really demonstrates his talent, which is being able to craft simple, but powerful riffs and motifs that can be repeated over and over without losing their impact. This may sound strange, but I've always thought this album was really "catchy." It's got hooks. "Dunkelheit" and "Erblicket Die Töchter Des Firmaments" really groove.
Granted, "Rundgang Um Die Transzendentale Säule Der Singularität" might not be for everyone (this is a 25+ minute ambiet track that is almost entirely the same few synth notes repeated over and over) but if listened to as a whole I don't think you will find many black metal albums better than this one. And a big part of that is "Rundgang."
Overall I feel this is one of the best black metal albums of all time. As such, I'd rate it a solid 5 out of 5. Not only is there no weak spots on this album, but I feel that it's a real standout in the genre. Highly recommended.
*****
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