Let's talk about Arcane Sun!
Been spinning the majestic debut again lately and I love it. It has really stood up over the decades. In fact, it only gets better with age in my opinion. I would love to hear what they might come up with these days, but it's possible I would end up disappointed. I would at least like to see the ill - fated second album finally get a release, but let's see what happens.
I thought Paul was a really good fit in Solstice and his voice still had power and presence. I wonder if he is doing any new music at all these days. I know there was talk of something a few years ago but it never materialised. I think it would be a real waste of great local talent for him not to get back into something again.
Edit. It might be cool if a mod could transplant the relevant half of the old Arcane Sun thread over here ;)
I loved that first Solstice recording with Paul on it. "Death's Crown Is Victory" absolutely brilliant!
"White horse hill" bit of a step back.....
Was lucky enough to se Arcane Sun a few times back in the day......
Are "Arcane Sun" back together or something?
I vaguely remember their demise, didn't Paul move away for ages?
We had our disagreements, I was drain pipes he was flares! but I doubt our dedication and passion was ever in question.
I did buy the reissue of the first album, quite enjoyed and takes me back. Interesting comment on the second album. Get it out there maybe?
Nah, they aren't back together. Just wishful thinking on my part. I really like the second album and I hope Scobes puts it on CD and vinyl one day soon.
No idea what Fearghal Flannery is up to at all but he was a magnificent guitarist with a lot of creativity so the idea of hearing them doing something new twenty five years later is, if nothing else, a pleasant daydream.
Arcane Sun is a great record, been spinning it again due to this thread being resurrected.
Regards
Don
Sorry for derailing the original thread ;) Their st is one of my favourite albums by any band. It's a unique album.
Amazing how it goes from incredibly fast, evil black/ death sections to tinkly delicacy to soaring epic doom and then to bombastic, lush Enya-ish dungeon synth without becoming an incoherent mess. It all feels right. I mentioned it in the other thread, but it feels like a big concept album and, as cliche and corny as it is to say, like a musical journey.
Fade is more direct sounding with less bombast and a few ideas that could probably be scrapped like the endless spoken word samples between songs and the samba instrumental at the end or whatever the hell it is. The proper songs are great, though. I think if it does get a release it needs to be mixed properly as it sounds very thin and treble-y.
I'd like to hear that.....
It's streaming on the Irish Metal Archive I think.
Quote from: Eoin McLove on September 09, 2023, 02:09:20 PMIt's streaming on the Irish Metal Archive I think.
Yup!
And on the Sentinel Records Bandcamp.
Thanks lads I'll check it out
Much appreciated!
Apparently drummer Mark Higgins has died. His contributions to Irish metal are set in stone with Arcane Sun, the debut is a classic in my house, for whatever little that matters in the grand scheme of things. No better excuse to play the album.
I got a phonecall this morning and was told about his passing,he was my best friend growing up,we still chatted all things metal we were met up,I will miss him with all my heart,my brother in metal rest easy brother mark 🤘
Dreadful news and Mclove is right contributions are indeed cemented. Such an amazing record, I gained new appreciation for it from that re-release. Did Mark ever play on anything else? Was he involved in the unreleased Arcane record?
As far as I remember he moved to Ballymena and joined Riffmaster General and was then in various follow ons of that band.
Quote from: Eoin McLove on September 24, 2025, 01:20:37 PMApparently drummer Mark Higgins has died. His contributions to Irish metal are set in stone with Arcane Sun, the debut is a classic in my house, for whatever little that matters in the grand scheme of things. No better excuse to play the album.
That's sad to hear. Condolences to any of ye who were friends with him. Going to stick on the album now myself too :abbath:
Quote from: Black Shepherd Carnage on September 24, 2025, 02:14:18 PMQuote from: Eoin McLove on September 24, 2025, 01:20:37 PMApparently drummer Mark Higgins has died. His contributions to Irish metal are set in stone with Arcane Sun, the debut is a classic in my house, for whatever little that matters in the grand scheme of things. No better excuse to play the album.
That's sad to hear. Condolences to any of ye who were friends with him. Going to stick on the album now myself too :abbath:
Play it as loud as you can mate 🤘
This is hard to process, i've known Mark since he played with Apathy, a great lad and a super drummer.
Rest easy my friend
I didn't know the lad but would have seen him play back in the day. Sad to hear.
Quote from: ArdChieftain on September 24, 2025, 02:45:58 PMThis is hard to process, i've known Mark since he played with Apathy, a great lad and a super drummer.
Rest easy my friend
I was lucky to call mark my friend mate,we grew up in kilkeel together,we offer hit sounds good record shop in Newry buying the most extreme music we could get our hands on hahahaha,even recently we spent an evening listening to all the hooded menace albums,I remember mark getting his first drum kit for Christmas and because I had a guitar we would hit his garage and make a awful racket hahahaha we thought we were brilliant and who'd of thought that he was going to be one of the best drummers on our wee island(I certainly knew he was going to be) I will miss mark with all my heart,rest easy brother 🤘
Sorry for your loss Ricky. Hopefully there's some small comfort in the outpouring of admiration for Marks's musical accomplishments.
Quote from: Pagan Saviour on September 24, 2025, 03:25:05 PMSorry for your loss Ricky. Hopefully there's some small comfort in the outpouring of admiration for Marks's musical accomplishments.
Cheers mate that's a very cool thing to say,mark really was a supremely cool lad and will be severely missed by all who knew and loved him
didnt know him or anything but that's very sad news. condolences.
Sorry for the loss of your friend. It sounds like he had a great life from what you say. Hopefully that can be of some comfort to you at this sad time.
That Arcane Sun album he played on was truly unique. I will give it a blast tonight too
A massive 🤘 to the people on here for all your kind words,it's shows the metal community are the best in the world,I'll make sure his family see how much mark was thought of by all who heard him play,thank you all from the bottom of my heart ♥️
Never knew the fella personally, clearly well loved and respected. Condolences.
Quote from: OpenSores on September 24, 2025, 08:38:21 PMNever knew the fella personally, clearly well loved and respected. Condolences.
Cheers,Proper lovely fella mate,he lived a very full life but still gone to soon
Only found out about these when Sentinel reissued the debut last year but it's been getting regular spins since, a really special album. Sad news to hear, condolences to anybody here that knew him
Yes a good record i bought it too, rip to that man
Was in a band with Mark back in the day in Dublin. Hadn't two words to say to me for the first few weeks we rehearsed.
Then I said the magic line "Have you ever heard Gorguts Considered Dead?", best mates after that.
RIP Mark Higgins. Miss you and love ya big man.
Marc.
Quote from: Diabolic98 on November 10, 2025, 10:33:52 AMWas in a band with Mark back in the day in Dublin. Hadn't two words to say to me for the first few weeks we rehearsed.
Then I said the magic line "Have you ever heard Gorguts Considered Dead?", best mates after that.
RIP Mark Higgins. Miss you and love ya big man.
Marc.
Beautiful mate and what away to become best mates,I'm sure you've a few stories to tell hahahaha 🤘
Haha any time you hung about with him you'd have a story. Like the time he was teaching me to do Frank Mullen growls while we staggered down O'Connell St. A nice cop following us begging us to settle down while Mark climbed the Anna Livia howling. We got to Fibbers and he climbed the phone box and howled some more before a Paddy Wagon came and the guards dragged him down and took him to Store St. I ran to Store St just in time to see him wrestling two guards at the counter. A few months later I asked if anything came of it and he said "Aye bhoy, I was in court and the guard told the judge I was howlin' on top of the phone box. The whole court was laughin' at me bhoy'. He'd say that with a straight face too, I was on the floor laughing. Hilarious bloke altogether.
Quote from: Diabolic98 on November 10, 2025, 12:36:06 PMHaha any time you hung about with him you'd have a story. Like the time he was teaching me to do Frank Mullen growls while we staggered down O'Connell St. A nice cop following us begging us to settle down while Mark climbed the Anna Livia howling. We got to Fibbers and he climbed the phone box and howled some more before a Paddy Wagon came and the guards dragged him down and took him to Store St. I ran to Store St just in time to see him wrestling two guards at the counter. A few months later I asked if anything came of it and he said "Aye bhoy, I was in court and the guard told the judge I was howlin' on top of the phone box. The whole court was laughin' at me bhoy'. He'd say that with a straight face too, I was on the floor laughing. Hilarious bloke altogether.
Now that's a fuckin story hahahaha,he was a bear of a man I can see the 2 cops hang of him like burbles on a Christmas tree,years ago we went to see morbid angel at the Rosetta bar in Belfast and he was still a young buck he decided he wanted to crowd surf,now considering the Rosetta wasn't a big venue he ran from the bar to jump on top of the crowd but the floor was soaking wet with spilled beer,he slipped as he jumped and done a slide tackle Roy Keane would of been proud off and took out about 5 lads I fuckin buckled laughing,what a lifer that man was
Dublin Metal Events had some pictures online of Mark in action in the pit at one or two gigs back in the day. I have some floating around on a drive somewhere. I remember when MA came to Dublin, Jared Anderson was front man. Mark and H went and picked up Trey from some internet cafe where he'd been playing DOOM for fucken 12 hours or something. Mark was disgusted at that haha. This guitar legend playing DOOM for 12 hours instead of jamming all day.
Quote from: Diabolic98 on November 10, 2025, 01:35:22 PMDublin Metal Events had some pictures online of Mark in action in the pit at one or two gigs back in the day. I have some floating around on a drive somewhere. I remember when MA came to Dublin, Jared Anderson was front man. Mark and H went and picked up Trey from some internet cafe where he'd been playing DOOM for fucken 12 hours or something. Mark was disgusted at that haha. This guitar legend playing DOOM for 12 hours instead of jamming all day.
We met morbid angel after the Rosetta show in the bar,David was playing a fruit machine and wouldn't sign anything until he had finished even back then mark was pissed off at bands who didn't or wouldn't meet or sign stuff for fans,he called Mike Patton a wanker because he wouldn't sign his t shirt when we seen them in the Ulster hall the rest of fath no more were dead on,Roddy talked to us for ages and mark loved that,we met Vinnie Paul and Rex after pantera supported megadeth in Belfast and that was one of the best memories I have of mark and myself being at shows he was a bit star struck like myself hahahaha
Met mark a few times in Dublin and was at wacken a couple of times as well when he was there ,he was on the hunt for necrophagia shirts at the metal market if remember correctly at wacken.
Nice lad ,sad to hear about his passing.
Quote from: Diabolic98 on November 10, 2025, 01:35:22 PMDublin Metal Events had some pictures online of Mark in action in the pit at one or two gigs back in the day. I have some floating around on a drive somewhere. I remember when MA came to Dublin, Jared Anderson was front man. Mark and H went and picked up Trey from some internet cafe where he'd been playing DOOM for fucken 12 hours or something. Mark was disgusted at that haha. This guitar legend playing DOOM for 12 hours instead of jamming all day.
ah man dig out them photos!
Me and mark were in same class in high school we hung out together in first year and he was the one who got me into heavy metal and to this day I'm a big fan off Metallica, I was listening to arcane sun today man he was a brilliant drummer truly did master his trade. RIP Higgy.
Fair play , Nice tribute :abbath:
This debut album just gets better with time. Even though I can hear little similarities here and there to other bands, they really had such a unique sound. The diversity within the guitar playing is incredible- Flannery had a wonderful touch. Harsh, sinister and aggressive when needed, as delicate and light as running water at other times. Mark's drumming is spot on too, switching up and down through the gears with ease. And of course, Kearns's vocal dexterity mixed with his incredibly mature lyrics tie it all together perfectly. The production might not be as lush as some other bands of their ilk were achieving at the time, but it holds up and has enough character to do the songs relative justice. I found the artwork a bit ordinary at the time, but I've grown to love it as it encapsulates that era before every underground band became completely professional and blandly perfect. Nostalgic might be the word.
Eoin you've convinced me to dig this out again after work
Just doing my bit, sir. God bless you now.