01	To thou who dwellest in the night						06:46
	02	Wintry grey						04:34
	03	Whence & whither goest the wind						05:15
	04	Raudt og svart						05:49
	05	The bodkin & the quietus (...to reach the stars)						04:35
	06	Du nordavind						04:00
	07	Fall of man						06:05
	08	Naar kulda tar (frostnettenes prolog)						04:24
	09	Raudt og svart						06:10
	10	Wintry grey						04:43
	11	Naar kulda tar (frostnettenes prolog)						03:01
	12	Du nordavind						04:31
	13	My angel						05:56
	14	Morax						06:20
	15	Morax anno 1996 ev.						04:53
	16	Outro (radiant star befallen)						02:47

"In late 1989 MORTEM (Norway's leading cult Death Metal band) gave birth to ARCTURUS. It was not long before this manifestation had matured, and in 1991, their first and only 7-inch "My Angel" was released. It was the success of this single that led to the two founding members HELLHAMMER (also of MAYHEM & COVENANT) and SVERD (the main composer) to continue the project, and started compositions for the first full-length album. During that process SAMOTH (of Emperor) joined the band on lead guitar in 1993, and one year later GARM (of Ulver) completed the line-up, adding his unique vocals which complimented the grand ARCTURUS sound and vision perfectly. This work was entitled 'Constellation', and was finally released on SAMOTH's own label, Nocturnal Art Productions.

"SAMOTH left the band in mid 1994 due to personal reasons, and prior commitments, but soon was replaced by AUGUST (of the Norwegian progressive metal band TRITONUS) who's guitar virtuoso and skill created a more theatrical element in the ARCTURUS sound. The band was finally completed by the arrival of SKOLL (of Ulver, Ved Buens Ende, & Fimbulwinter) who joined the ranks as the 5-string bass guitar expert. A deal was inked with Ancient Lore Creations / Misanthropy, in which resulted the "Aspera Hiems Symfonia" (which translates to "Cold Winter Symphonies") album, an Arctic tour de force through frosty metal landscapes that chills the devoted listeners to their bones. With this album they established themselves as one of the top symphonic-metal bands untouchable by their peers, although being highly qualified musicians, they reached this aim effortlessly."

"In 1996, AUGUST stepped back to a role of session guitarist, KNUT stepped forward to replace him in the permanent position. The result was an even more developed symphonic compositional element, together with the addition of a string section and second vocalist (SIMEN) in the recording of the second full length album ' La Masquerade Infernale' for Misanthropy/Music For Nations during early to mid 1997. This ensemble of exceptional musicians have created one of the most developed albums in years, a sweeping metal opus, at times reaching bombasticism and at others presenting sinister atmospheric sections so theatrical, one can imagine this performed as a complete avantgarde opera production. Their willingness with experimentation shine through in the unusual production elements, utilizing samples and various other electronic preparations traditionally outside of the metal realm, yet ARCTURUS have always stepped outside of the traditional roles of metal bands, instead utilizing their experience to mould a completely fresh and independent concept. There is no comparison." Pay no attention to the "glitterati" & "cognoscenti" of the established (mainstream) rock press who have got this album all fucking wrong! This is a great & entertaining Progressive Black Metal album that is steeped in the operetta/cabaret style of Bertol Brecht & Kurt Weill! Heady & intoxicating, this is an insane journey into the Abyss of madness & debauchery; dedicated to "the Perilous Quest of the Faustian Spirit"! Garm & company's celestial aspirations are made even more blasphemic with the addition of "the philharmonics: violin, viola, cello, & double bass"!

To be continued...


Lune up:

Garm Wolf - Statements, samples, loops & buffoonery
Jan Axel Von Blomberg - Hellhammers
Knut M. Valle - Guitar Treatments
Steinard Sverd Johnsen - Synthetic devices of horror
Hugh Stevens James Mingry - Limousine & low frequencies



Aspera Heims Symfonia

1. To Thou Who Dwellest In The Night
2. Wintry Grey
3. Whence & Whither Goest The Wind
4. Raudt Og Svart
5. The Bodkin & The Quietus (...To Reach The Stars)
6. Du Nordavind
7. Fall Of Man
8. Naar Kulda Tar (Frostnettenes Prolog)


Vocals - Garm ([Ulver])
Guitar - August
Synth - Sverd
Bass - Skoll
Drums - Hellhammer ([Mayhem])

All songs written by Arcturus.
Produced by Arcturus.
Recorded & mixed by Mr. Kristian Romsee.
Recorded at Panser Studios



Arcturus - Reconstellation (n/a)

Ooops - I thought this was a legitimate reissue of the extremely rare early Arcturus material, but it turns out to be a bootleg. Your own personal philosophy about bootleg recordings will doubtless decide whether or not you actually seek this CD out, but since I have it now I may as well review it. Consider it a nostalgic look back at the early days of this great band.

Actually contained on Reconstellation is the demo recording the band produced for Aspera Hiems Symfonia (Constellation) and the band's first release before that, the My Angel 7", both previously limited to some ludicrously small number of copies. I was already familiar with the actual songs on Constellation, and was somewhat dismissive at first that they were merely badly mixed bedroom-production versions of the Aspera songs, but after listening to them over and over again I found them working a strange charm over me; somehow, the polished studio sound on Aspera has detracted slightly from the intended power of the material. The synth (which was originally supposed to be the main instrument of Arcturus) sounds less flimsy and more evil here, and indeed the atmosphere is darker all round. Garm's vocals are that crucial bit more impassioned, and although I loved them on Aspera, it is possible with hindsight to wonder if they could have been overproduced slightly. On the minus side, however, the drum sound is occasionally ropey, although this doesn't detract too much from the experience (I really hope I'm not turning into one of those annoying people who harp on about the superiority of demo recordings to studio albums, because if I am, I'm going to have to beat myself to death with a big stick with a nail in it).

I found the My Angel material much more interesting, however, probably because it was entirely new to me, and featured the original lineup (Sverd, Hellhammer and original singer and bassist Marius, all of whom played in cult death metal band Mortem). The title track, whose lyrics ("I want you... I need you... I love you... You're my angel" - the rest of the band apparently find this song quite laughable now!) were reportedly written by Marius about his estranged Hawaiian girlfriend, is extraordinarily sinister. It isn't just the (slightly cheesy) keyboard motif, but it's also Marius's absolutely tortured howling during the middle section. The first (only?) death metal love song?

Two versions of the song "Morax" follow, the first being a quite fierce excursion into distinctly Arcturusish blackened metal, with significant chunks of melody and a strong suggestion that Marius was treating Arcturus as some kind of performance art outlet. The second version (which, it is suggested here, was recorded in 1996, although this seems highly unlikely) is even more ferocious, and it is on this track that Marius reaches the peak of his vocal performance with the most hideous and inhuman screeching I can recall hearing - you know the sound H. R. Giger's aliens make when being burnt by flamethrowers? It's that sound, and I can't believe a human being is responsible for it. An instrumental track, "Radiant Star Befallen", plays the CD out, and again is strangely disturbing, with dissonant synthesised noises and surging bass frequencies, not to mention the obligatory church bell, creating a genuinely unsettling atmosphere, rather like a horror film soundtrack. Spooky.

Arcturus certainly were a strange entity, and it's hardly surprising that they rapidly grew out of the restrictions of black metal, however much they expanded the boundaries in their early days. However, Reconstellation is not endorsed by the band themselves, so I don't feel I can recommend that you buy it. The time is ripe for an official re-release!

Harry







Arcturus - Aspera Hiems Symfonia (8,5/10) - Norway - 20
Genre: Black Metal
Label: Ancient Lore Creations

ARCTURUS occupies a unique place in the whole scheme of things. They are mysterious Metal-shape-shifters. The album "Aspera Hiems Symfonia" is the first full-length incarnation of this doppelganger-side-project. The mix is low, thin and distantly soft for the style of music, the production, or lack there of make this a very interesting listen. The music is quite unique and complex. A brand of symphonic Black Metal that never goes over the top, or tries to be unholier than thou. There is a refreshing sense of honesty and effort on this album. It shows.
The guitars and keyboards are remarkably restrained, for such chaotic territory. The arrangements dictate that there be long periods of extended playing without vocals. The sometimes majestic, sometimes eerie music is engaging and deliberate, with classical sounding movements on the keyboards and great lead/solo-work from the guitar. It never takes on a wandering or pointless wanking effect. Garm's vocal's are excellent, ranging from desperate, tortured screams and rasps, to a haunting, Gregorian chant style of clean singing.

The pace ebbs and flows from fast and intense to melodic and sweeping. Hellhammer's drumming is (of course) top notch and his dynamics are tasty, well thought out and a heaps above all but a very few Metal-drummers. There are some weird samples that pop up here and there, thunderclaps, chirping birds and what sounds to me as dirt being dug up and tossed onto something. All of these little touches add nicely to the atmosphere. Similar sound effects show up in ULVER's "Bergtatt", another album that possesses the originality of Garm's influence.

In closing this is a very good collection of songs. This album stands alone in the ARCTURUS-discography. As do their others. Always changing, evolving and exploring new vistas. This sound will never return as ARCTURUS has almost completely cast away any leanings toward Black Metal. This is a moment in time and damn near a masterpiece.


ARCTURUS

Info:
ARCTURUS was founded in Norway by keyboardist Steinar Johnsen (a.k.a. Sverd) and drummer Jan Axel Van Blomberg (a.k.a. Hellhammer) over 10 years ago. The first documentation of their union (which then included bassist/vocalist Marius) took form as the "My Angel" 7", released in 1991 on France's Putrefaction Records in 1100 copies. It was something of an oddity, being a trance-like, crawling bit of sickly atmosphere.
The next effort was 1993's "Constellation" released by Nocturnal Art Productions in a limited edition of only 500 copies. Joined by the inimitable Garm on vocals (of Ulver fame) and the six-string slicing of Emperor member Samoth, this new incarnation of ARCTURUS produced a cult classic EP. Despite a stronger stretch towards the wickedness of black metal, it stood unique in that realm too, being more symphonic and cosmic than what any fellow Norwegians were dishing out at the time.
"Constellation"'s four songs were re-recorded shortly thereafter, and together with four brand new songs and the celestial guitarwork of August, the debut full-length, "Aspera Hiems Symfonia" was revealed. By now, the ARCTURUS sound was balanced between primal extremity and grand symphonic vision.
If "Aspera Hiems Symfonia" was the definition of ARCTURUS' sound, 1997's "La Masquerade Infernale" burned it down and totally rebuilt it. An eccentric piece of sonic theatre, the album earned them worldwide praise for its truly avant-garde approach. Most of the black metal traces were wiped out in favor of a completely new kind of music that was multi-faceted and impossibly vast.
With surprise and not a little controversy, the band appeared as ARCTURUS AND THE DECEPTION CIRCUS for their 1999 release, "Disguised Masters". Other than new song "Deception Genesis", the album mostly revisited songs from "La Masquerade Infernale" by way of bizarre, sometimes unrecognizable remixes.
All fell silent on the ARCTURUS front shortly thereafter. In late 2000, rumors abounded that the band was up to something in the studio. No one knew exactly what, and nobody in ARCTURUS was talking much about it. The veil of secrecy is now lifted: Where their last studio album was largely over-the-top melodrama, "The Sham Mirrors" is a more linear, coherent work. Fans needn't worry that the band have pulled off the extreme deep-end that "Disguised Masters" explored. The new album remains metal at its core while dragging the genre through endless tunnels of light, color and sound that it has never before seen.



Line-Up:
Trickster G. Rex: voice of ghosts and monkeys and general manipulation
Steinar Sverd Johnsen: fugue key figure
Hellhammer: drums and flames
Knut M. Valle: high guitar rider
Dag F. Gravem: low guitar driver