Arcturus
The Arcturian Sign
10 Track Album
Shipwrecked Productions
To be released 8th May 2015
Most unusual! Out soon!
Written for Metal Gods Meltdown
Arcturus – Oslo, Norway
Links:
Genre: Avant-Garde Metal
Biography:
“Arcturus are an avant-garde metal band from Oslo, Norway featuring many
prominent members of the Norwegian black metal scene from bands such as Ulver,
Dimmu Borgir, Mayhem, Borknagar, The Kovenant, Emperor, and Winds. Arcturus have experimented throughout
their career, extracting influences and incorporating elements from all over
the musical spectrum including black metal and classical music, but the core of
their sound has always been metal!”
The Arcturian Sign
The strange concoction of chunky riffs and soaring keyboard sounds
are not so dissimilar to the Dr Who theme in parts. It holds an epic embrace
with clean vocals that sound almost raw in places so not a typical black metal
track at all.
Crashland
Quite an aloof track that harbours a licentious riff carring a
certain contagious pull while the vocal lilts in lurid Fashion? The muscular
strides go out of their way to cloak the listener into what I can only describe
as Eastern promise.
Angst
An epidemic of vehement chaos that soon wraps itself around the ears
and giving it twenty lashes! Quickly pushing past the boundaries as being
forthright, chaotic and immense?
Warp
This track is a twiddled bed of electric rhythms that go all out to
consume in various quantities. It is an intense gallop of smouldering emotions
that sets pace for holding a complex transcendental scarring but on occasions
the vocals crack under the powerful pressure of its capabilities.
Game Over
This is a hypnotic and mesmerising backdrop of punishing darkness as
the keyboard notes find their up tempo level, and broadening the battle for the
spotlight comes a demonic guitar riff that is quickly unveiled.
Demon
Lives up to its title as it throws out some edgy and rather sinister
rhythms that ‘clank’ and awaken the senses as a rush of icy chills causing the
skin to break out in goose-bumps. It has to be said that vocally this track
reigns supreme, as it scuffs and bruises with a toxic enterprise.
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“It is hard not to like Arcturus as the unusual blend of wandering
potency and edgy vocals come face to face. It is an epic themed album that remains
familiar but not in the usual ‘black metal’ delivery and can be deemed as more
avant-garde in every sense of the word!”
------------------------------------------------
Pale
Is a rather formidable track that holds a predatory stance as it
winds into a tumultuous carry-on that never actually fights off its Devil’s!
The storm turns into a musical maelstrom that is accompanied by a somewhat ‘pirate’
vocal.
The Journey
Concocting a strange set of electronic keys, bending and twisting to
intriguing proportions. The passions are low key and rather ‘hippyish’ truth be
known, giving out that peaceful chill factor – you can definitely sink into
this track without any great difficulty.
Archer
Could be classed, as another epic structure of monumental keys,
gliding into a melodic chamber of staggering riffs. It teases the listener as
it drags its heavy heels through a haze of intensity.
Bane
Sets itself up for an anxious beginning and then simply explodes
into a torrential downpour of twisting rampage! It is a deviant as then the
tempo changes and quite surprisingly it shows another side to its nature and
sounds almost crazed with unusual vocal guiding. It rambles with a monotonous
harmony that still remains pleasing in its gigantic structure.
Summary:
It is hard not to like Arcturus
as the unusual blend of wandering potency and edgy vocals come face to
face. It is an epic themed album which remains familiar but not in the usual
‘black metal’ delivery and can be deemed as more avant-garde in every sense of
the word.
Arcturus (meaning Bear Guardian), after the Behenian fixed star Arcturus definitely suits the gigantic
sound the band have gone all out to produce.
8½/10
Track List:
The Arcturian Sign
Crashland
Angst
Warp
Game Over
Demon
Pale
The Journey
Archer
Bane
Members:
Steinar "Sverd" Johnsen - Keyboards
Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg - Drums
Knut Magne Valle - Guitar
Hugh Mingay - Bass
Simen "ICS Vortex" Hestnæs - Vocals
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