Band: Arcturus
Genre: Atmospheric Black (early)/Post - Black
Discography: "Aspera Hiems Symfonia" (1996), "La Masquerade Infernale" (1997), "The Sham Mirrors" (2002), "Sideshow Symphonies" (2005)
To any true metalhead around, this band needs no introduction, but for the none metallic people, I want you to know the most amazing band that Norway has ever produced: Arcturus.
In its early days, the band played a very free style of black metal with no little avantgardist and progressive elements (as you can listen in their first studio album "Aspera Hiems Symfonia"). But in their second LP "La Masquerade Infernale" was when the magic really began: songs born from twisted minds in a display of weirdness and truly original sound that can not be explain in words. Some reviewers called this Post - Black (traditional instruments of black metal use to create a whole new dimension of sounds and song structures), although one could label Arcturus as avant-garde metal.
The creative abilities of these musicians are so broad and full that none of the four albums resemble each other. Every single LP is a unique experience. The common features of their music are epic clean vocals mix with some shrieks and odd chanting, outstanding keyboard playing, technical drum playing and solid guitar riffs and leads.
The vocal department was shared by Garm (in the first three albums) and ICS Vortex (in "Sideshow Symphonies"), both impressive extreme vocalists known for their work with other bands such as Borknagar and Ulver. They have the talent to be able to perform clean vocals as well as harsh vocals (other examples of this great ability are Mikael Åkerfeldt from Opeth and Vintersorg from Borknagar). In the keyboards Steinar Sverd Johnsen is all over the place: soloing, background symphonic choirs, synthetic spatial sounds, classic piano interludes and introductions and so on and so on (a truly impressive performance, one of the best I have ever heard). Hellhammer is behind the drums, so a great technical playing is in order as always, no further comments are required.
My personal favourite is 2002´s "The Sham Mirrors", and it could be a good point of start to any person who wants to listen to this band. Sadly, they are busy musicians, so in April 2007 they decided to end Arcturus as a band to dedicate themselves in other numerous musical projects; nevertheless, their legacy is still alive and growing strong by the minute. This is probably the best band to feature in one of my post, so please don't pass it by...
Download Arcturus discography here
Song: "Hibernation Sickness Complete" from "Sideshow Symphonies"
Probing a voiceless void
Pearching for a closure
Poisoned tentacles from the past
Are tumbling fumbling closet
Mood set
On full scale regret
Peaking an all time low
Distorted pattersn no sight with this lantern
But a bleak recollection of something undone
A banished vanished presence
Of the unspeakable secretive kind
The uttermost shame is its essence
The septic transforms the shellshocked and blind
A nightmare released a terrible disease
Lurking behind a thin wall of sleep
The jail-bars of a stigmatized keep
Across the crumbling layers
A tricky haze of control
Beyond matter the untouchable scatter
The cracks are beginning to show
Small gaps out of time with riddles entwined
Looking over my shoulder for some kind of cover
All I can find to bring peace of mind
Is that this bloodstained route
Will carry the strangest of fruits
Not to turn away tainted
But look into the deep and weep
Hibernation sickness complete
