Norway’s most notorious rocker released from jail

Norwegian black-metal legend Varg Vikernes, who also calls himself Count Grishnackh, will be released from prison after serving his 16-year sentence for murder. Claiming that prison has rehabilitated him, Vikernes will now be free to prove himself right.

Sixteen years ago, the lead singer of the heavy metal band Burzum murdered the guitarist of rival metal band Mayhem and then set fire to three churches. He received the maximum sentence from an Oslo court of 16 years in prison, smiling when the verdict was read out. Vikernes was known as a far-right political activist and all-round ‘badass’ during his heyday.

He was refused parole four times, the most recent in September 2008. But now he is to be a free man. The Guardian UK reported an interview Vikernes gave to a magazine last July, quoting: “I’m ready for society — and I have been for many years. 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.”

Vikernes plans to move to a small farm near Bo with his mother, wife, 16 year-old daughter, and 18 month-old son. “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 in the interview.