Twilight actor Jackson Rathbone has decided to pull out of the forthcoming film Lords of Chaos, citing a scheduling clash as his reason for quitting the project.

Teen eye-candy Rathbone was set to play Varg Vikernes, the notorious Norwegian black metal musician who was convicted of the murder of his Mayhem bandmate Øystein Aarseth in 1994.

After playing guitar for death metal band Old Funeral in 1991, Vikernes - who also calls himself Count Grishnackh - embarked on the solo black metal project Burzum, releasing seven albums between 1992 and 1999 (with the most recent two, Dauði Baldrs and Hliðskjálf, recorded in prison).

In 1992 he joined the band Mayhem, but in 1993 he stabbed his bandmate Aarseth - also knows as Euronymous - and was convicted of his murder in 1994. He was also found guilty of arson after burning down three churches, but was released from prison on probation in May 2009.

Last year, Rathbone was chosen to portray Vikernes in the film Lords of Chaos, based on the book of the same title by Michael Moynihan and Didrik Søderlind, but according to reports he has pulled out of the movie due to scheduling conflicts.

Meanwhile, after an unconfirmed image which may or may not be the artwork for the new Burzum album came to The Quietus's attention, rumours that the record will explore how Vikernes passed the time during his incarceration continue to intensify. See below.