Arcturian

10 years was the time needed for Arcturus to come out with a new album. Arcturian is a strange one even for Arcturus standards, in the sense that the band has gone back and move forward at the same time, delivering the kind of music that mutates and conjures different aberrations with each spin.

First of all, the album is really varied in the tracklist, yet it makes perfect sense and keeps the listener entertained, without losing interest as it progresses. This is especially achieved if you already know the band's back catalogue. In general terms, this album mixes most of the elements Arcturus is known for, rearranging them in new and fresh shapes, adding some new elements, both in incorporating new sounds and performing in different ways.

This album was written taking the keys as the backbone of the music, which is exactly how it should be for Arcturus. There is a sense of maturity in how the keys are implemented; they are not as flashy as they were in The Sham Mirrors, but still they manage to take the central role through the record.

The general orchestration provided by the backing keys/strings has a similar style than La Masquerade Infernale and even Aspera Hiems Symfonia . Songs like 'Angst' show the trademark songwriting of Sverd, where the keys command while the drums savagely blasts at a merciless pace (for Arcturus standards), in a similar way Aspera's opening song 'To Thou' does. A similar demented/dantesque feeling of the strings can be easily heard on songs like 'Pale and 'Bane', where the LMI feeling is more than evident, providing the same catchiness found in tracks like 'Chaos Path' and 'Ad Absurdum' or even going all the way back to the My Angel days, where certain sections are reminiscent of the Morax' styled arrangements, like in 'Archer' and the aforementioned 'Bane'.

One of the things that was sorely missed on Sideshow Symphonies was the elegant, classy keyboard providing most of the background and the atmosphere, thing that now is back stronger than ever thanks to the more keyboard oriented songwriting and a more balanced mix that doesn't bury anything and let all instruments to be heard. 'Game Over's orchestration brings the classical feeling of old, with sections where keys are both rhythm and lead instrument, similar to the 'Master of Disguise' and 'Throne of Tragedy' verses, complemented with a more modern pace and guitar work akin to Sideshow Symphonies. Still, there is a strong electronic vibe going on several songs that warps the listening experience and gives a new bizarre and space-like atmosphere, especially in 'Demon' and 'The Journey'.

As for the rest of the band, Knut Magne Valle displays an array of different riffs and ways to complement the music, providing solid riffing, great soloing and complementing the keys in a way that only people that have been a long time working together could do. There are plenty of moments where Knut adds clean guitars and Sverd takes a backing role, just like the band has ever done, leaving plenty of room for the vocals to lead. Hellhammer's drumming is fluent, tasteful and brutal; in the less heavy moments he plays just like if he was recording LMI all over again with similar style and feel, but when it's required he blasts and plays impossibly fast double bass patterns, delivering his most brutal performance in the band's history. Skoll seems to be happy keeping the low end and working for the team instead trying to steal the show.

One of the innovations presented in Arcturian is ICS Vortex' vocal performance. Instead the epic multilayered approach to be found in Borknagar or Dimmu Borgir albums he goes all natural with a more loose and chaotic vocal delivery. In that sense, his vocals take the route of 'The Chaos Path', allowing him to sing in colourful and bizarre ways, sometimes adding a slight mid-oriented or arabesque feeling to the tracks, enhancing some carnivalesque moments. Just like Garm in LMI , his singing is not perfectly in tune 100% of the time, but he instead chooses to focus in a more theatrical and dramatic performance to fit the best he can the intention of each piece, effectively taking the listener to the times of Marquis de Sade, the home of Baudelaire or some old forgotten sanitarium where the demented are left to do as they please. Bane is probably his most dramatic performance on the album, leaving a strong impression of insanity when the disc stops.

There is a bonus disc to purchase if it's desired that is comprised by remixes of the album. This disc also proves how versatile is the songwriting, since the electronic infused tracks works really well in those new shapes. If the listener is also into electronic music, this bonus material should please him/her as well.

This is one of the strongest comebacks in the last years and a landmark in avantgarde metal. Even if some elements of the album are not perfect by themselves, the wholeness is an impressive statement of Arcturus as an entity. Arcturian is a strong contender for the album of the year.

Wow. Arcturus. I am going to be completely honest here – I have never listened to Arcturus before this. I always knew about them as a progressive/symphonic black metal band, but I never got around to listening to their older material. I know their albums are respected quite a bit, and I heard some positive buzz for Arcturian, so I decided to write a blind review for it.

My mistake.

I really dislike this music. I had to struggle to listen to this album enough times to feel I could write a review and be justified in my opinion. I’m almost worried about this review because I’ve seen that this album is rated highly. But, I will stand by my opinion and try to describe my issues with this album.

This album starts with some techno-inspired synthy line that sounds like it is from a carnival. It sounds ridiculous. Then the rest of the band kicks in and the sound improves. Nice big sound, lots of layers to the music; it’s symphonic black metal. Then the vocals make their dread appearance. And no, I do not mean dread appearance in the good way. What the hell are these vocals? This is some of the worst vocals I have ever heard, not just for black metal, but for any music. It gets even worse on the following song, Crashland. He attempts to sing a note in a style reminiscent of Indian music, but it sounds garbage and awful. His voice is far too nasally, he’s all over the place, it’s just no good. And it certainly does not fit the music. Unless they were going for the carnival sound, like those bands that want to sound weird just to sound weird. But that’s not a good thing, and it does not make good music.

Okay, focus. Focus on the music. The guitars are pretty good. I have nothing really bad to say about the guitars. They provide a good sound and do enough interesting things without trying to take center stage. The synths are annoying as hell. I know that this is supposed to be symphonic, synth-driven music, but every time they come in, they sound so derivative and unimaginative. Take the booming, “doom-coming” synths on Angst. Like, we’ve heard that same approach to synths over and over again. Hell, Cradle of Filth did those synths a good ten years ago, and it wasn’t good then, so why would you think it’s good now? But I cannot fault them too much. Arcturus wants to have heavy synth on the album, and they have it.

But by far my biggest pet peeve on this album is the drumming. The drummer sounds incompetent. Normally, he’s just crashing away, providing the pacing and a backdrop to the song. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he decides “this section needs 10 fills within the span of 5 seconds” and completely ruins the pacing of the song. The guitars churn along while the drums literally fall over. Does nobody else hear this? To me, the drummer is not keeping pace properly and filling in his parts with too much wankery, which does not work at all. Maybe he is trying to keep the relatively boring parts of the music dynamic by always filling every second of space with something different on the drums, but it just does not work. Not for me. Maybe someone else can appreciate it, but for me, it is wretched and does more to ruin the music than the rest of the band, even more than the vocals. I can tune out bad vocals; I cannot ignore mis-paced, ridiculous drumming sprinkled throughout every song.

Poor effort from Arcturus. I don’t plan on listening to this album again.

Originally written for fetiddead.wordpress.com.

Arcturus is a group from Norway that dropped its first LP in 1995...roughly 19 years before I even got around to listening to a single one. While this is sad on my part, it is worth noting that they have not released anything since 2005's Sideshow Symphonies. Despite not being a long time fan, Arcturian fills me with a sense of nostalgia. I get the same feeling from this album that I did listening to my first Dark Tranquillity CD's in high school. This may be in part due to the contributions from ICS Vortex, a musician I have respected since my formative metal years listening to Dimmu Borgir. While musicianship is a good indicator of an album's quality, it is often these elusive, qualitative aspects that will stand the test of time.

Even so, this is certainly not to say that Arcturus is lacking in the songwriting department. To the contrary, the many elements at play are quite remarkable. The plentiful string arrangements throughout deserve particular attention. Tracks like “Angst” and “Pale” showcase a level of pomp that is dark and foreboding without a hint of cliche. Similarly, the subtle synth and electronic elements take songs to new heights of atmosphere and appeal as with “The Arcturian Sign,” “The Journey,” and “Warp.”

While the guitars and drums often do little more than help fill out the sound and create a heavier aesthetic, they too have the occasional spotlight moment. “Game Over” features a fittingly classy solo while “Crashland” and the opening track have their share of thunderous double bass, tom fills, and snare rolls. But the real accolades here go to Mr. Vortex. I have often said that this man is possibly the most talented vocalist in metal today, and his work here with Arcturus is no less impressive than classic contributions to Death Cult Armageddon or Borknagar's The Archaic Course. His voice is operatic in its sheer power and command of melody without ever becoming gimmicky. And while there are not many harsh vocals to be found in Arcturian, Vortex's presence is no less imposing.

Alas, similar to Sigh's Graveward, the only major problem I have with Arcturian as an album is that the production feels rather flat in comparison to its lively compositions. The more “classical” moments (i.e. the first half of “Bane”) really pop, but it seems like things go wrong whenever the guitars gain prominence. Crunchy distortion seems to bulldoze peaks and valleys into a uniform plain that lacks grandiosity. The drums feel particularly lackluster in these times, but I think that the most egregious crime is that the stunning vocal performance is not given the depth it deserves. With all of the posh ambiance, I crave a sound that feels more nuanced and vital.

Fortunately, the clear passion and professionalism exuding from the very pores of this LP are more than enough to forgive issues in the studio. Advertised as “The new magnum opus from Arcturus,” Arcturian is the rare comeback album that delivers on its promise. Between the tasteful classical elements and perhaps best vocal performance so far of 2015, one would be foolish to pass on at least a few spins of this accomplished piece of art. Don't be one of those fools.

Review courtesy of Metal Trenches (metaltrenches.com)

Arcturus never really got the closure they deserved after having that excellent, versatile, and sophisticated discography over their career. They finished off with Sideshow Symphonies in 2005, a great album with many interesting components reminiscent of their style and Vortex's excellent vocal range, but its inconsistencies and mellow production made it weaker than the previous albums. Then they go on tour and surprise everyone by telling them it will be their last show and the band will be no more...Not very climatic for a band who specializes in such a task.

When they announced their comeback a few years ago, I was a bit skeptical because many bands do underwhelm after they come back from a long hiatus, especially knowing Garm was not to be around. But I was foolish to be in doubt, because ten years later, the wait was absolutely worth it.

At a high level, Arcturian is a well-executed album that contains many elements of the previous albums. While keeping that recognizable Arcturus brand, Arcturian distinguishes itself by offering new components to complement the elements that made previous albums so great. Production is clear and articulate, comparable to Sham Mirrors. The instruments are balanced well in the sense that no single sound steals the show or drowns everything out. Keyboards play a large role, but they are supplemented with different electronic sounds and styles. "Demon" felt like something that missed the boat on Sham Mirrors and provides a noteworthy example of having a moderately paced electro-percussion sound where light keyboards are in the background. Vortex delivers as usual, always showcasing his versatile range. I needed to do a double-take a few times and make sure Garm wasn't included, because in some instances, he did remind me of Garm. "Crashland" and "Game Over" really highlight his prowess. The former is a very smooth song that is enhanced greatly by the way Vortex carries his voice throughout the rhythm. Take the riffs from the Aspera album and the presentation in La Masquarade and you get something like "Game Over". There are a couple of awkward notes on the vocals here and there (can't tell if Vortex missed them or they were intentional), but it really doesn't detract from anything.

These songs are complex, though. The tracks take you through unpredictable turns. Many times you'll find yourself listening to one melody, but later discovering subtle components that complement them. You have to listen hard to appreciate all the little details. More interestingly, I find that some of the best passages don't last that long. As a result, I find myself having to go back and repeat because I enjoyed them so much and that is where I also discover new things. "Bane" is a good example, where about a quarter of the way into the song, you unexpectedly come across a passage that is very reminiscent of the "Chaos Path". But what about the guitars? It is true many times they are there for rhythmic purposes, but there are many times where a riff comes out of the chaos and steals the show. They do especially well on "Archer", where they help create a brooding, but bluesy atmosphere. "The Journey" offers a nice acoustic tune but is mixed with this electronic beat...very unique even for a band like Arcturus! The lyrics throughout the album, as usual, tend to be peculiar. One can't help but question where Arcturus got their inspiration from. Sometimes it seems they don't even make sense, but to me, it adds to the complexity of the songs in general.

Overall, I'm very pleased with this album and although I didn't mention every song, take my word for it that every song has many great things to offer and you'll rarely feel like a certain part was overdone or there isn't enough variety. It's clear the band wanted to take the most creative approach while still adhering to attributes on previous albums that made them so great. If this is the last Arcturus album to made (who knows? maybe this was just a one-time thing), it would be another shame, but at the same time, I'll be happy that the band gave it all they got and delivered a masterpiece.

Whether art imitates life, life imitates art, or bands imitate my reviews, the fact of the matter is that it just keeps happening: Several notable bands, which have gone dormant for long periods of time, are coming back with grand declarations. This time, Arcturus joins the parade, after ten years of silence.

I'll try to make this short and sweet, because that's how the music feels overall.

Arcturus have indeed delivered an album that is up to the challenge of the times, only not so overtly. It's more of a culminative example of what has been perfected in the fields of progressive/somewhat symphonic black metal. It is more varied, both melodically, rhythmically and in timbre, that any of its predecessors. Also, while Hellhammer continues to be Hellhammer, there's a noticeable maturity and subtle change of style to the riffs and execution. One can only marvel, for example, at a man like Vortex, who, to allude to the proverbial wine, seems to be today at the top of his game, jumping from the harshest, most vitriolic shrieks he's ever uttered, with his now trademark playful and precise quasioperatic singing.

The electronic elements are prominent, but in a different way than on past albums. This time it seems to follow Solefald's example and tries to be as varied as possible, both in terms of colour and tempo. Keyboards manage to pull off the combination of popular electronic music and metal without falling for either the industrial flavour nor the sugary clouds of power metal (or the embarrassing clash of, say, IDM with a distorted guitar thrown in for kicks).

A somewhat oxymoronic "traditional" form of experimentation is noticeably present. Several passages and sometimes complete tracks (The Journey), showcase psychedelic juxtapositions of unexpected motifs and textures. The incoming and outgoing themes shake the listener out of their complacency and put their ears to the test. Technical prowess has never been exactly an issue (or a main course) in Arcturus' past, but this album clears any doubts about Arcturus' capacity to turn things slightly noodly (but not overtly so). In the end, their inventiveness and somewhat youthful search for the fringes of metal music remains unscathed.

Altogether, the music is so massive and energetic sometimes you don't notice the guitars are quite subdued, or that a given section is mid-paced. There are moments where two or more melodic lines emerge, play around and exchange places, softly fading in and out of the music. The rich expressionism of the songs-- the whole chromatic weight of the album makes it feel like a metal Gesamtkunstwerk, not unlike the latest efforts by other bands of this calibre.

Arcturus have come back, alright, and they have something they'd like you to hear. This album seems like the apotheosis of the more neoclassical aspect of black metal, and also a melting pot of the progressive wing. It's operatic but catchy, and memorably, most of all. I don't know how to feel about this seemingly unstoppable phenomenon, exactly, but as long as all the bands that have gone silent for a long time have things of value to offer (as is the case here), I'll just play along merrily. Although I *am* getting tired of giving out so many perfect scores.