Arcturus (band)
Arcturus is a Norwegian metal band that was founded in 1987 under the name Mortem. In 1990, the band changed the name to Arcturus ( the Latin name of a star in the constellation Bootes, see Arcturus ). Involved in the band were among other members of Mayhem, Emperor, Ulver and Dimmu Borgir over the years.
On 17 April 2007, the band officially declared their resolution, but came back together in 2011.
History
Marius Vold, Steinar " Sverd " Johnsen and Jan Axel " Hellhammer " Blomberg founded in 1987, the band Mortem. The only publication of this band was produced by Mayhem guitarist Øystein " Euronymous " Aarseth demo recording entitled Slow Death, which was first released as a cassette and in 1989 by French label Putrefication Records as a 7 "EP.
In 1990, the band Arcturus renamed. Still in the original line- mortem the first EP My Angel was recorded in 1991 and also published on Putrefaction Records. Sverd played for this EP in addition to a guitar and keyboard. After that, the band activities rested initially because Vold got out and Snorre Ruch founded the band with stigma Diabolicum, and Johnsen had no interest in playing guitar, and would rather focus on the keyboard.
In 1993, the band Tomas " Samoth " Haugen of Emperor as new guitarist and Kristoffer " Garm " Rygg of Ulver recruited as a new vocalist. The band recorded their second EP Constellation and published them on Samoths record label Nocturnal Art; the EP should serve only for the promotion of the planned album and was therefore limited to 500 copies. 1994 Samoth left the band due to a prison sentence and his past with his other musical activities, priorities. Samoth was replaced by Carl August Tidemann and the debut album Aspera hiems symfonia taken together with Ulver bassist Hugh Steven James " Skoll " Mingay, after the recordings Tidemann got out again, he was replaced by Knut Magne Valle. The album consisted of reworked material of the Constellation EP and from new, English-language songs. It was published on Ancient Lore Creations and the United States as a license pressing on Century Media. In autumn 1995, the band gave a concert for the release of the album.
The end of 1996 began with the recording of the concept album La Masquerade Infernal, they lasted almost six months. It worked with a string quartet and as a guest vocalist Simen " ICS Vortex " Hestnæs. Six of the pieces have been re- mixed and released together with a re-recording a new song at the 1999 Media Disguised Masters.
It was not until 2000 Arcturus was active again and began recording their next album The Sham Mirrors, released in April 2002 on Ad Astra Enterprises. For the German-speaking countries, the album was licensed to Prophecy Productions, for the United States on The End Records. Was recorded again in another occupation, now with Dag F. Gravem as bassist. This occupation was supplemented by Hugh Mingay, Vegard " Ihsahn " Tveitan ( Emperor ) and the horn player Mathias Eick as a guest musician. The new album was again modern and unconventional, but was thoroughly bonds with the first album and more common progressive and black metal flows. Arcturus even reached so that a placement in the Finnish charts.
Also in 2002, Candlelight Records released on a double CD re-mastered versions of My Angel, Constellation and Aspera hiems symfonia as well as the previously unreleased songs The Deep Is the Skies and Cosmojam.
Kristoffer Rygg left the band in 2003 and was replaced by Øyvind Hægeland of Spiral Architect. With him, the band appeared in the same year on the Southern Discomfort Festival in Kristiansand and at the Hole in the Sky, Bergen. In 2004, the band played a short tour in Hungary, Germany, Italy and Greece. Hægeland left the band due to professional commitments. His replacement was Simen Hestnæs. In December 2004, the band returned to the studio to record their next album to produce. In January 2005, she made her first with Hestnæs live on, in September, followed by the fourth studio album Sideshow Symphonies, followed by a European tour in October. The first concert prior to the start of this tour took place on 24 September at Rockefeller in Oslo and was recorded for a published in May 2006 live DVD. This is titled Shipwrecked in Oslo, alluding to the song Shipwrecked Frontier Pioneer from the album Sideshow Symphonies.
As announced on 17 April 2007, singer Simen Hestnæs announced at a gig in Melbourne with the words "Welcome to the load of Arcturus show ever! " The end of the band. The band released on its website a statement to the effect that the band had made this decision some time ago and its members did not have the time to continue the band due to other commitments in their careers and their lives.
After his separation from Dimmu Borgir Hestnæs announced in September 2009, to talk with the other former members of Arcturus about a reunion of the band. This confirmed Hestnæs in September 2010 and announced to play the reunion show at ProgPower USA Festival 2011, the appearance, however, turned down later. In 2012, the band among other things the Inferno Metal Festival Norway and at the Hellfest Festival occurred. In January 2013 Arcturus announced that a new album was planned.
Style
Mortems music style was based on Death Metal, on the recorded after renaming My Angel EP, the band played a slow, repetitive death metal style. The music on Constellation was symphonic and the lyrics in Norwegian.
La Masquerade Infernal presented a concept work on own and in particular the role of Mephisto and suppresses the a string quartet and other classical instruments ( flute, French horn) was an independent and strong leading away from the Black Metal theatrical style. Overall, the album is considered a classic of the avant-garde Metals; both the band itself and Archaon of 1349 called it " insanely innovative." Disguised Masters contained classic, progressive, electronic and experimental remixes of La Masquerade Infernal; and The Sham Mirrors was again modern and unconventional, but showed thoroughly bonds with the first album and more common progressive and black metal flows. The fourth studio album Sideshow Symphonies can be regarded as stylistically Amalgamat of the three predecessor.
Discography
Studio albums
Compilations
Live albums
- 2006: Shipwrecked in Oslo ( Live DVD)