Varg Vikernes, the Norwegian musician behind the black metal solo project BURZUM and a convicted murderer who killed MAYHEM's Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth in 1993, made multiple attempts to re-establish a presence on major social media platforms over the weekend of March 8–9, with accounts on YouTube, Instagram, and X created under variations of his name and the BURZUM project name. All accounts were removed by the respective platforms within hours of their creation, with YouTube citing its policy on content from creators with histories of promotion of hate, Instagram citing community guidelines on dangerous individuals, and X citing its policies on ban evasion.
Vikernes, who has lived in France since his release from Norwegian prison in 2009 and who was arrested in France in 2013 on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack (charges subsequently dropped), has made multiple previous attempts to establish and maintain an online presence, all of which have been terminated by platforms citing his history of neo-Nazi promotion, Holocaust denial, and extremist political content. His BURZUM music catalog, which is considered historically significant within Norwegian black metal history, remains available on some streaming platforms through complex licensing arrangements that separate the music from its creator.
The episode has renewed debate within the metal community about how to engage with BURZUM's musical legacy — which includes genuinely influential black metal albums like "Filosofem" (1996) and "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" (1994) — while acknowledging and condemning the political views and violent history of the musician behind them. No new BURZUM music was announced or released in connection with the social media attempt.