Given that convicted murderer/Norwegian black metal star Varg Vikernes has been involved in or espoused dozens of controversies, from penning a creepily-nuanced position on Nazism to burning down three churches to, uh, murdering his rival, the most shocking thing the guy could do is be a normal, decent human being. Not sure if this is just a publicity stunt or not, but it’s a charitable one at best…

According to a relatively obscure press release from his record label, Byelobog Productions, Vikernes’ band Burzum will donate proceeds from the forthcoming album, Belus, to benefit the victims of Haiti’s devastating earthquake in January. The album, which “explores themes of Apollonian moral purity” (?), marks Vikernes’ first release since spending 16 years in prison for murder and arson.

Fair enough, but then it gets weirder: Vikernes contributed this quote to the announcement (emphasis mine):

Black metal lovers not so thrilled with the teeny-bopper film version of book Lords of Chaos may yet get their celluloid fix with documentary Until the Light Takes Us (trailer after the jump). As the film’s official website (via Paste) explains, it not only recounts the history of black metal, it “goes behind the highly sensationalized media reports of ‘Satanists running amok in Europe’ to examine the complex and largely misunderstood principals and beliefs that led to this rebellion against both Christianity and modern culture.”

Directors Aaron Aites and Audrey Ewell used a tried and true method of documentary filmmaking, relocating to Norway to observe the musicians in their natural habitat for several years, “building relationships that allowed them to create a surprisingly intimate portrait of this violent, but ultimately misunderstood, movement.”  By way of comparison, it’s like the Dig! of the Norwegian black metal scene.