arcturus » aspera hiems symfonia

Aspera Hiems Symfonia

La Masquerade Infernale

Disguised Masters

The Sham Mirrors

Sideshow Symphonies

All

discography

Apparently a side project of sorts featuring members of Ulver, Mayhem, and Ved Buens Ende, Arcturus promises us "dark and severe symphonic art" on the CD sticker. Hmm, sounds like a challenge if I ever heard one. Aside from the accentuated usage of keyboards and occasional goth chants, this is your basic black metal album. Overall, there are no complaints about it. Every song thunders by in speedy, melodic-in-a-painful way. And since there's no lyrics printed, Arcturus could just as easily be singing about puppies as demons. So what's my impression of this album? It'll take a few spins to get into, but if you're already into the Scandanavian black metal scene, you can't do wrong here.

Arcturus is a black metal band consisting of members from Mayhem (Hellhammer), Ulver (Garm), and Ved Buens Ende (Sverd). The music on Aspera Hiems Symfonia is symphonic black metal -- very orchestral in places, with synthesizers/keyboards playing a much more dominant role in the melodies than traditional black metal. The vocals are mostly typical black metal shrieking, but there is the occasional clean vocal and some choir-like background singing. Excellent musicianship and interesting melodies lead to a very satisfying listening experience. Apparently the new album, La Masquerade Infernale, is quite different (I haven't had the pleasure of hearing it yet), as the black metal influences (particularly the vocals) are gone, the band instead exploring new sounds in symphonic metal. I hope to have a proper review soon.

This was one of the most important CD's that I went searching for in Europe. It proved itself more than worthy of my excitement and has risen to be one of my top 5 albums of all time. The cover says "... dark and severe symphonic art...featuring members of Ulver, Mayhem and Ved Buens Ende". Some classify this as black or ambient, I call it melodic black metal with classical and dark wave influences. This album gives a new meaning to the word majestic and hasn't got a boring minute in the whole album. Black vocals, loads of keyboards, male choirs, some doom/gothic sections, and loads of fascinating arrangements. Some of the latter tracks are almost completely dark wave and there are even some great heavy metal style guitar solos that somehow don't sound out of place at all. Another album that I have nothing but praise for. Get this one if you don't have it!!!!

Now this is something a bit special. Arcturus is a band formed by members of various elite bands within the genre, like Hellhammer and Garm, who appear in Mayhem and Ulver respectively. Arcturus play an avant-guard style of metal which is both violent and beautiful. If you are sick and tired of the bullshit that some bands come out with, which gives the genre a bad name, then buy this album, as it will give you a VERY good reason to remain true to extreme metal. Arcturus are one of the most beautiful bands I have ever heard. They incorporate fantastic keyboard pieces into the music, thanks to the skillful playing of Sverd, and use various, well-planned, time changes. The opening track for example, leads you melodically into the beauty, then immediately rips apart your soul with a fantastic bit of keyboard/vocal pieces. This is also the most extreme track on the album. Needless to say, the drums throughout the album are out of this world. Frankly I am not surprised, as Hellhammer is the genre's finest drummer, bar none. There is no corpse paint, no spikes, no contraversial statements, just musical brilliance. If you choose to ignore this album, you want your head examining. Essential listening.

In the midst of the Norwegian tumult and disorganization that once was their 'black metal scene', Arcturus blossoms. Consisting of Garm (Ulver) on vocals and guitar, Hellhammer (Mayhem, ex-Emperor, still in Immortal?) on drums, Sverd (ex-Emperor) on keyboards, Skoll (Ulver, Ved Buens Ende) on bass, and August (newcomer as far as I know) on guitar, Arcturus brings black metal together in a beautiful union with progressive rock, resulting in an album full of perpetually interesting musical music with the highest imaginable musicianship and songwriting tact.

Did you know that Hellhammer can play like this? Shit, I had only heard him as a half-decent blaster on Mayhem records! I hear a strong Neil Peart influence perhaps, and some very clever phrasing and attention to the 'feel' of a song. Have you ever heard lead playing like this in this type of music? Check out the sweeps in opener "Thou, Who Dwellest in the Night". Tasteful and technically proficient at the same time. Have you ever heard better orchestrated keyboards in this type of music? Tad Morose is the only other metal band that has arranged their keyboard sounds anywhere nearly as good as this. They are foreground without making the whole band sound like a keyboard.

My favorite tracks here are "Du Nordavind" and "Whence & Whither Goest the Night." There is a strong progressive rock influence throughout this album. I can hear lots of late 70s Genesis and ELP all over these songs.

Arcturus have done to black metal what Cynic did to death metal: while still retaining enough to fall at least broadly under that genre, they've stretched and stretched and stretched and put their musical talent to better use than other bands in that genre who are content to copy each other. You've heard of art rock, this is art black metal. For the connoisseur of the finest Nordic sounds.

Personally I'm not much for Black metal (Hmmm, with those punk roots, I guess I know how to pick your review material, eh? - Ed.) but this was a shock! At first, I was not very thrilled with it, I guess because the only Black metal I was listening to at the time was Samael (which I truly love.) But after listening to it for awhile it became one of the most enchanting CD's I ever listened to. The first track 'To Thou Who Dwellest in The Night' starts out with classically harmonic metal guitars engulfed in a sea of beautiful keyboard melodies, and then rushes into a sea of mad demons growling with a more chaotic keyboard melody. In fact the drums kick into a grindcore tempo for a little while (which is what you will NOT find anywhere else on this CD) but it also drifts into a soft melody of light guitars and synth. 'Wintry Grey' is another one that gripped me, especially with the use of many vocal variations. Whispers and dark spoken vocals also line this track, and these variations are common throughout the whole CD as well as yhe numerous dark and beautiful keyboard melodies filled with the not-so-dominant guitar harmonies. 'Whence and Whither Goest the Wind' starts with an incredibly beautiful piano solo lined with flowing keybiards and a slightly harsh guitar (that you'll tend not to pay attention to). 'The Bodkin' and 'Du Nordavind' start out extremely soft and sweet, then they turn into a beautiful chaos! The mixture of slightly sinister guitars, chaotic and beautiful keyboards, many vocal variations, and the insane drum beats give us a well rounded masterpiece of black metal. -- SCORE: 92/100

Shame to those who say that black metal musicians can't play. This proves them all wrong. This is so amazing, fantastic, just great. What they play is hard to put in words. It is often called avantgarde black metal. It is quite innovative, and very different. Don't let the term avantgarde black metal fool you. It is not the same as Ved Buens Ende. This has much more "Real" black metal in it, just extremely technical. It has such a cold atmosphere, and everything is build up with mathematical precision down to every drum beat, delivered by the legendary Hellhammer of Mayhem. Here you can actually here how talented he is. The vocal side is present by Ulver vocalist Garm, who as we all know, is one of the best singers in black metal, and the ex-enslaved keyboard player Sverd crowns the whole thing, the magnificent guitar of the might August, who I don't know from anywhere, puts this masterpiece above most other CD's. Also on session bass is Skoll, Garm's band colleague from Ulver, and if you know these guys previous work, expect the same just more melodic, technical, colder and darker to sum it up. Just better!

I'm sure that the label won't forget to mention tat this band features members from MAYHEM, EMPEROR and ULVER when it comes to promotion and adds concerning this band. In my opinion that isn't necessary cause judging from the brilliance of this record they should be able to sell a shitload of albums without bragging about the members "other" bands, 'nuff said about that let's get down to the thing of real importance, the music. This is not comparable to any of the before mentioned bands, no this is very different metal with the main focus on orchestral and symphonic parts with a sound that can be best described as magnificent. The best description I can give about this band is that it sounds a metal (black ?) version of LACRIMOSA. Personally I LOVE LACRIMOSA, but I find this even better, more metal than LACRIMOSA but still bery melancholic - sad and beautiful all this without losing the metallic edge. The synths are very upfront but tastefully used creating great atmospheres. The music is mostly slow/mid-tempo but due to great variation between/within the songs the compariativbely slow music never tends to bore you. The vocals must be mentioned; extremely well performed shifting from blackish screams to moaning and very good clean ones, really emotional. Of all the albums I have reviewed in this issue (180+) this one is the closest to the description masterpiece!!

Damn, kill me, this is again one of the true masterpieces of the year!. A splendid and fresh Norwegian project involving such duded as Hellhammer of Mayhem (etc.) and Garm of Ulver fame. But is it black metal? Well, the only aspect that revewals Arcturus connection to the might svart scene of Norge are the typical vocals.perhaps the atmospheric keyboards and the freezing cold winds of winter too (Naar Kulda Tar).. but resumingly this is just purely wonderful symphonic metal with black metal vocals - if you've heard Ulver, you will also recognize the melancholic clean voice, but as to the rest. the rest is so unique - marvelously melodic, majestic, elating and crystal clean. yet complex and exceedingly well-performed at the same time. And as somebody said, Arcturus would gain big commercial success if they'd kick Garm. However I am sure that they would lose a lot at the same time, as in my opinion his voice is one of the basic parts of this atmosphere - wintry grey, unheard - as well as one of the best black metal vocalists due to his skill of both expected viciousness and improvisation. And that concerns all Arcturus musicians - they are probably the best, the most professional and skilled black metal has ever seen - just pay some attention to Hellhammer's genius drumming, Garm's colourful voice, the over-technical guitar solos and breath-taking keyboard parts! My favourite? - "Fall Of Man" (naturally :). Hearken yourself, and you will be moved to the very depths of your hearts. May Arcturus shine forever!

Accatonate del catalog Osmose, i vari eroi del 'true Norwegian black metal' e alter pompatissime creature nordiche. Poi comprate questo disco e rifarete ben piu convinti le cose suggerite al'inizio. Gli Arcturus non sono gli ultimi arrivati, gia avevano scosso I'underground con il loro ormai mitico My Angel EP nel lontano '91; da allora piu d'uno ha atteso il ritorno di tanta magia Sonora. Dal primordiale e inquitante death doom di quell'esordio sono passati ad un variegato e progressivo black metal pressoche perfetto. Le tastiere disegnano atmosfere e melodie che s'inseguono e si fondono in una spirale di oscura lecuntezza, mentre I toni epici del buon Garm (daglii Ulver) si amalgamano senza perdere il controllo della situazione. Peccato solo per certe manie da guitar hero del chitarrista ospite che cerca (inutilmente) di rovinare un CD comunque imperdibile.

Perhaps it may be fair to state that ARCTURUS prove to be a band for the critics and also for the musicieans since with this release they have bounded into a new realm. Besides they have always been a band who broke the molds, right? This is a masterpiece, p[roving once again that a phoenix of creativity, or more appropriately ingenuity, still rises from the heartland of dead black metal. Surprisingly, or not, actually, I think that this band has actually gained a significant amount of influence from mind to late 70's prog rock, especially with the addition of new guitarist August, whom brings the band to a whole new level of over-the-top melodramatic atmospheres, and we don't need to comment about the musicianship of Hellhammer, Garm or Skoll. Do we? ARCTURUS is a band made up of some of the most skilled and original musicians to be birthed from Norway's BM scene. and it shows. To top things off Sverd's (the main composer and keyboardist) use of synth really brings out the unique moods of the songs and sets a foundation which few bands will dare follow. A brilliant album which will remain one of my favorites for years to come. Once again, a masterpiece.

A single minded ideal (audio consonance) revolving around a multitude of concepts (velocity, mood, time and arrangement variations) comprises the framework of 'Nordic' influenced black metal with all the necessary qualities: vocals which both whisper and indulge in utter cacophony with moments of blinding speeds; however, and air of pagan like hymns weave amongst the bedlam as chants, hymns and overpowering bellows stir amongst the gloom-encompassed, war-drum driven background. Arcturus has so much more to offer than their fellow Norwegian counterparts. Thickly layered tracks maneuver from harsh to atmospheric while the dream-like keyboards element strengthen and individualize rather than mar and monotonize the completed work; in the particular medium Arcturus peerlessly stand alone as the paramount sons of northern darkness.

Even for those who don't follow doom and black metal with a fervor that is, shall we say, religious, Arcturus is a band to familiarize yourself with. Combining the vicious passion of black metal with the darkly atmospheric feel of doom, Aspera Hiems Symfonia lashes and caresses the listener's senses like the cold wind of an icy plain. Banding together members of notorious Norwegian bands not in prison for burning churches or murder (or murdered themselves), Arcturus consists of founding members Sverd on keyboards, Mayhem's Hellhammer on drums, and Ulver/Borknagar's Garm as vocalist. Replacing incarcerated Emperor guitarist Samoth is Tritonus guitarist August, and the addition of Ved Buens Ende's bassist Skoll rounds out the all-star line-up. If all this sounds Greek to you, it's not. For one, it's Norwegian, and for two, these men are experienced and highly respected in the underground.

The sound itself is amazing. Liner notes state that neither musicianship nor production were spared in taking Aspera Hiems Symfonia beyond expectation, a fact obvious within moments of first listening. The battery of percussion has the distinctively crisp attack of black metal, much contrasted by significantly less-skilled drummers who rely on monster production to give their work additional umph. Hellhammer displays his lightning-quick playing and dexterous changes as well as a creative use of negative space. Rhythm guitars and eerie keyboard sounds create the body of the songs, soaring majestically, almost whimsically at times, then relentlessly pursuing a theme like a determined hawk hunting its prey. Overall feelings from the music are often of flight - open skies at twilight, the nagging hunger at mealtime and the struggles therein, content and relaxed drifting upon unseen air currents, and the ever-watchful perch at day's end upon a distant, breathtakingly beautiful landscape. While Garm's rasp may not be music to the ears of the metal mainstream masses, the gashes clawed by his voice are soothed by the massaging ointment of the baritone duet that often follows. For those who revel in scraping vocals, Garm's delivery is coordinated beautifully with the movement of the music. Classical inspirations are presented alongside dark emotions. Natural forces such as fire, fear of the vast unknown, and the primal struggle for survival are expressed in passages of respectful appreciation, and a stubborn will to conquer. At times a joyous, heathen dance beneath a moonlit sky, but when the winds change, a terrifying scramble for shelter against unspeakable horror. An epic masterpiece of beautiful, haunting music.

After long time of listening, I must admit that this is definitely the best in its genre, even beating Emperor's IN THE NIGHTSIDE ECLIPSE. To get 10 of 10 in my book, an album has to feature: A) Unique atmosphere, B) Complete harmony and C) Exceptional musicians. And, well, ASPERA HIEMS SYMFONIA easily fulfils these demands. The start of the album is a bit ordinary - though not in any way unpleasant to the ear - but when they begin, they simply can't stop. Especially tracks like "Wintry Grey" and "Raudt Og Svart" are so beautiful that one should not think this music possible.

Summed up: State of the art symphonic dark metal...
Plus: The best musicians in the genre, extremely harmonic, unique ambience.
Minus: Too short - I want more than about thirty minutes! - , no lyrics except for "To Thou Who Dwellest In The Night".
Music: 10, Lyrics: ? - Conclusion: 10