Arcturus 'Aspera Hiems Symphonia'

[Eoin McLove]

My introduction to Arcturus was with the excellent 'The Sham Mirrors' after reading a great review of it on MI back in 2001/2, and it's one I still love,  but having had the Candlelight reissue of 'Aspera Hiems Symphonia/Constellation' for years,  and enjoying it to a degree,  it's one I've kind of fallen in love with only quite recently.  I saw a copy of the Kyrck CD reissue in a local record shop in Melbourne today and decided not to buy it,  and the fact that several hours later it's still on my mind suggests that I should have picked it up, to fuck... Any other fans and any other albums in a similar vein from that era or now that are worth a listen? Dunno why,  but symphonic BM has me hooked for the last couple of years.

[Hambeast]

Arcturus are a band I never really got round to listening to, for no reason. I'm checking out The Sham Mirrors and a couple of bands popped into my head. Not sure if it's what you're looking for

Vulture Industries. Avante-Garde band with the guy from Black Hole Generator (fantastic industrial black metal band definitely worth a listen if you haven't heard them. similar to early nathrakh).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwZFgv_mqxU

<code> - Again, not sure if this is the kind of thing you're looking for, but I enjoy them a lot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEb05EtxaWc

Or is it the the more symphonic side of black metal you're wanting?

Edit: Alright, I'm on further into this Arcturus album now and the bands above are nothing at all like them. Whoops!

[Eoin McLove]

Not really into the industrial end too much,  even though The Sham Mirrors certainly had elements of that style about it.  The earlier material is more symphonic but maybe still has a touch of the avant garde to it.

[John Kimble]

Must revisit The Sham Mirrors...i recall hearing La Masquerade Infernale not so long ago and thinking it had dated horribly, and that the symphonic elements were all a bit 'high camp', though I suspect that was partly the intention. Is this the same McLove from Metalireland or have you abandoned the filth for froth?

[blessed1]

the sham mirrors is a fuckin classic.
andy , check out borknagar's olden domain if you havent already. another classic.

[blessed1]

also agreed with that code album. unreal stuff

[blessed1]

https://youtu.be/JFR0uK_SV_c

you might also enjoy this. peste from gorgoroth on vocals.

[O Drighes]

"Aspera Hiems Symphonia" is brilliant, remarkable solo on the opening track! To be honest I never enjoyed their following stuff and simply overlooked their most recent albums, but should give them another go at some point.

[Weltenfeind]

+1 for Obtained Enslavement and Borknagar. Probably a bit obvious but first few Dimmu are worth checking out. 
Only Arcturus i own is'La masquerade infernale' and i never really dug any further.

[Cernunnos]

the sham mirrors is a fuckin classic.
andy , check out borknagar's olden domain if you havent already. another classic.

Agreed Sham Mirrors is a must have, Olden Domain is a classic alright!

[ochoill]

Also only really know la masquerade infernale but Sham Mirrors has come up in conversation lately as essential.  Must give it a go and see.  Loved LMI years ago but haven't had it on in so long i'm afraid to see how it aged.

[Thanatos]

Aspera Heims Symphonia gets a spins occasionally round here.  Definitely one of those bands that helped steer a certain section of the Norwegian Black metal crowd in weird directions come the mid 90's. Especially as some of them began to progress as musicians.

I went to the cellar to get Ved Buens Ende's Written in waters, but they didn't have it so opted for AHS as I'd recently been made aware of them thanks to one of those old Misanthropy catalogues that was in an issue of Terrorizer (which had an article about them recording a new album called "the Satanist" I believe, which was eventually released as La Masquerade Infernale) Certainly led me towards the likes of Borknagar's Olden Domain and S/T and Ulver's Trilogie - even Covenant's In times before the light and Nexus Polaris albums. Given that all the above mentioned shared personnel over the years. There was also Flurety's Min Tid Skal Komme.

I think it may have been that family tree thing in the True Kings of Norway comp (which had the My Angel EP on it) that led me to a few, as well as the likes of Storm's Nordavind and Isengard's Vinterskugge to name a few.



Le Masquerade I think has dated a little bit in places, but The My Angel Ep still sounds as totally weird and unique to me as it did when I first heard it.

They lost me with the one that had the Spiral Achitect guy on it.

Despite that it's on the pretty much universally crappy Back on Black label, the recent 2LP reissue of AHS is worth picking up as it also has the Reconstellation and the My Angel EP.

[Slaughterday]

This is one of my go to 90s BM albums when I'm looking for something off-kilter, along with Written In Waters, Kronet Til Konge, Vinterskugge etc.

Could never really get into the rest of Arcturus's stuff but this one is great. Definitely need to check out the early Borknagar stuff as I'm a sucker for this type of black metal.

[blessed1]

https://youtu.be/UEgrdoaoEsw

this band is relatively unknown.
they only have one album and its unreal.
perfect mix of symphonic and avant-garde

[Eoin McLove]

Cheers for the tips.  I know Borknagar and Fleurety but a few of the bands mentioned I only know by name.  I didn't know BoB had reused this on vinyl.  Must grab a copy.