Arcturus was a
metalA metal is a chemical element that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat, forms cations and ionic bonds with non-metals. In chemistry, a metal is an element, compound, or alloy characterized by high electrical conductivity. In a metal, atoms readily lose electrons to form positive ions...
bandIn music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform songs. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band* Dansband* Fife and drum...
formed in
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
in 1987 under the name
Mortem. In 1990, the band changed their name to Arcturus (meaning
Bear Guardian), after the Behenian fixed star
Arcturus|- bgcolor="#FFFAFA"| note : || H and K emission vary.Arcturus is the brightest star in the constellation Boötes. With a visual magnitude of −0.05, it is also the third brightest star in the night sky, after Sirius and Canopus...
.
The band released four official full-length albums. Arcturus has experimented throughout their career, extracting influences and incorporating elements from all over the musical spectrum including
black metalBlack metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It often employs fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, double-kick drumming, and unconventional song structure....
and classical music, but the band was rooted as a metal outfit.
On April 16, 2007, it was announced that the band would be breaking up, and more details were revealed in an official statement released on the band's website on April 17th.
The official statement was written by all of the band members, confirming rumours that had been circulating after their Melbourne concert, the last one of the Australian tour, in which Simen "Vortex" Hestnæs, the band's vocalist, introduced the show to the audience with the words "Welcome to the last Arcturus show- ever." The statement went on to say that the split was a 'decision we made some time ago,' and that because of ongoing 'things' in their careers and lives, the members could no longer 'find the time to continue working with this band.' The statement closed with a tribute to the fans of the band, "We are humble and grateful to all the people that have supported and loved us over the years."
There are rumours circulating the internet that Arcturus may reform with Garm as the vocalist.
Arcturus was a
metalA metal is a chemical element that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat, forms cations and ionic bonds with non-metals. In chemistry, a metal is an element, compound, or alloy characterized by high electrical conductivity. In a metal, atoms readily lose electrons to form positive ions...
bandIn music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform songs. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band* Dansband* Fife and drum...
formed in
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
in 1987 under the name
Mortem. In 1990, the band changed their name to Arcturus (meaning
Bear Guardian), after the Behenian fixed star
Arcturus|- bgcolor="#FFFAFA"| note : || H and K emission vary.Arcturus is the brightest star in the constellation Boötes. With a visual magnitude of −0.05, it is also the third brightest star in the night sky, after Sirius and Canopus...
.
The band released four official full-length albums. Arcturus has experimented throughout their career, extracting influences and incorporating elements from all over the musical spectrum including
black metalBlack metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It often employs fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, double-kick drumming, and unconventional song structure....
and classical music, but the band was rooted as a metal outfit.
On April 16, 2007, it was announced that the band would be breaking up, and more details were revealed in an official statement released on the band's website on April 17th.
The official statement was written by all of the band members, confirming rumours that had been circulating after their Melbourne concert, the last one of the Australian tour, in which Simen "Vortex" Hestnæs, the band's vocalist, introduced the show to the audience with the words "Welcome to the last Arcturus show- ever." The statement went on to say that the split was a 'decision we made some time ago,' and that because of ongoing 'things' in their careers and lives, the members could no longer 'find the time to continue working with this band.' The statement closed with a tribute to the fans of the band, "We are humble and grateful to all the people that have supported and loved us over the years."
There are rumours circulating the internet that Arcturus may reform with Garm as the vocalist. Hellhammer has recently confirmed that an Arcturus reunion is inevitable, and that Garm has shown interest in participating.
http://www.sickdrummermagazine.com/mini_issue/ (page 11)
Furthermore,
ICS VortexSimen Hestnæs , also known as I.C.S. Vortex, or just simply Vortex, was the vocalist of the avant-garde metal band Arcturus, the former vocalist and bassist to the progressive black metal band Borknagar, and the former bass player and backup singer for the Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu...
has mentioned he plans to resurrect "a band or three" in a blog he posted shortly after being removed from
Dimmu BorgirDimmu Borgir is a Norwegian black metal band from Oslo, Norway, formed in 1993. Dimmu borgir means "dark cities" or "dark fortresses" in Icelandic and Old Norse. The name is derived from a volcanic formation in Iceland, Dimmuborgir...
.
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=190563320&blogId=508224250
Line-up History
The original line-up was changed when bassist/vocalist Marius Vold (ex-
ThornsThorns is a Norwegian black metal band that formed in 1989 and was part of the early Norwegian black metal scene. They made two highly influential demos in the early 1990s, Grymyrk and Trøndertun, but have only released one full-length album. A second full-length album will be released in late...
), was taken out of the band. The band soon became labeled a
black metalBlack metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It often employs fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, double-kick drumming, and unconventional song structure....
super groupIn the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups." Supergroups tend to be short-lived, often lasting only for an album or two...
, consisting of
Kristoffer "Garm" RyggKristoffer Rygg , also known as Garm, Trickster G. and recently also God Head is a Norwegian Grammy nominated vocalist, musician and producer known for his multi-range singing styles and production talent in a wide range of styles, including black metal, experimental music, ambient, electronics...
on vocals,
Carl August TidemannCarl August Tidemann is a highly technical Norwegian Neo-classical metal guitarist and composer, best known for his work in progressive bands like Arcturus and Winds.- With Tritonus :# Shadowland Demo...
on guitar, Skoll on bass, and the two other original members,
HellhammerJan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg is a three time Spellemannprisen award-winning heavy metal drummer. He is most well-known for his drumming with the band Mayhem, with which he began his career...
on drums, and
Steinar Sverd JohnsenSteinar Sverd Johnsen is a Norwegian keyboardist and composer, born 1972. Sverd last played keyboards and synthesizers in Arcturus and was also the main composer for the band. He formed the band with Jan Axel Blomberg of Mayhem in 1987, originally under the moniker Mortem...
as main composer/keyboard player. In 1994
SamothSamoth is a prominent musician and multi-instrumentalist in the Norwegian black metal scene. He is well known for his distinct guitar work and drumming in the band Emperor, as well as his formation of the death metal band Zyklon...
played guitars on the EP, Constellation, and released it on his record label, Nocturnal Art.
After three full-length albums Rygg decided to leave the band, and was replaced by Øyvind Hægeland from the band
Spiral ArchitectSpiral Architect is a Norwegian progressive technical metal band from Lørenskog, Norway. They are named after a Black Sabbath song from the album Sabbath Bloody Sabbath...
. Øyvind performed live with the band, but on January 5th 2005, it was announced that Øyvind had left the band due to his moving too far away to be involved in the band, resulting in him never recording anything with the band. He was replaced by Simen "ICS Vortex" Hestnæs, who had previously performed vocals on three Arcturus tracks ("Master of Disguise", "The Chaos Path", and "Painting My Horror") on
La Masquerade InfernaleLa Masquerade Infernale is a 1997 album by Arcturus. Released by Misanthropy Records, the album is a huge step away from the slow, doom-influenced melodic black metal of Aspera Hiems Symfonia...
. Upon
Carl August TidemannCarl August Tidemann is a highly technical Norwegian Neo-classical metal guitarist and composer, best known for his work in progressive bands like Arcturus and Winds.- With Tritonus :# Shadowland Demo...
's leaving the band, Knut Magne Valle joined. In 2003 Tore Moren joined on second guitar for live performances and eventually found himself accepted as an official member of the band. Knut and Tore then shared lead duties on guitar, with Knut on
7 string guitarA seven-string guitar is a guitar with seven strings instead of the usual six. Such guitars are not as common as the six-string variety, but a minority of guitarists have utilised them for at least 150 years. Some types of these instruments are specific to certain cultures A seven-string guitar is...
and Tore using a standard 6 string guitar.
Final Line-up
- Steinar Sverd Johnsen
Steinar Sverd Johnsen is a Norwegian keyboardist and composer, born 1972. Sverd last played keyboards and synthesizers in Arcturus and was also the main composer for the band. He formed the band with Jan Axel Blomberg of Mayhem in 1987, originally under the moniker Mortem...
, keyboardAn electronic keyboard or digital keyboard is a sample-based keyboard instrument. Its sound is generated or amplified by one or more electronic devices....
, synthesizer (also played guitars when they were called Mortem) (1990 - 2007)
- Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg
Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg is a three time Spellemannprisen award-winning heavy metal drummer. He is most well-known for his drumming with the band Mayhem, with which he began his career...
, drums (1990 - 2007)
- Knut Magne Valle, guitar (1995 - 2007)
- Hugh "Skoll" Mingay, bass (1995 - 2000, 2002 - 2007)
- Tore Moren, guitar (2003 - 2007)
- ICS Vortex
Simen Hestnæs , also known as I.C.S. Vortex, or just simply Vortex, was the vocalist of the avant-garde metal band Arcturus, the former vocalist and bassist to the progressive black metal band Borknagar, and the former bass player and backup singer for the Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu...
(Simen Hestnæs), vocals (1997 'session', 2005 - 2007)
Former
- Kristoffer Rygg
Kristoffer Rygg , also known as Garm, Trickster G. and recently also God Head is a Norwegian Grammy nominated vocalist, musician and producer known for his multi-range singing styles and production talent in a wide range of styles, including black metal, experimental music, ambient, electronics...
(Garm, Trickster G. Rex, Garm Wolf, Fiery G. Maelstrom) - Vocals (All official Arcturus releases before "Sideshow Symphonies" except My Angel)
- Carl August Tidemann
Carl August Tidemann is a highly technical Norwegian Neo-classical metal guitarist and composer, best known for his work in progressive bands like Arcturus and Winds.- With Tritonus :# Shadowland Demo...
- Guitars (Aspera Hiems Symfonia/La Masquerade Infernale (guest))
- Thomas Thormodsæter Haugen
Samoth is a prominent musician and multi-instrumentalist in the Norwegian black metal scene. He is well known for his distinct guitar work and drumming in the band Emperor, as well as his formation of the death metal band Zyklon...
(SamothSamoth is a prominent musician and multi-instrumentalist in the Norwegian black metal scene. He is well known for his distinct guitar work and drumming in the band Emperor, as well as his formation of the death metal band Zyklon...
) - Guitars (Constellation MCD/MLP)
- Marius Vold - Bass and Vocals (My Angel LP, All Mortem releases)
- Dag F. Gravem - Bass (On The Sham Mirrors on all tracks except track 6)
- Øyvind Hægeland - Vocals (live 2003-2005)
As Mortem
- Slow Death (1989), self-released – demo
- Slow Death (1990), Putrefaction Records – EP
Full-Lengths
- Aspera Hiems Symfonia
Aspera Hiems Symfonia is the debut album by the Norwegian black metal band Arcturus. Four songs are re-recorded versions from the Constellation EP and four are new songs. The album title is in Latin and means "Harsh Winter's Symphony"...
(1996), Ancient Lore/Misanthropy/Century Black
- La Masquerade Infernale
La Masquerade Infernale is a 1997 album by Arcturus. Released by Misanthropy Records, the album is a huge step away from the slow, doom-influenced melodic black metal of Aspera Hiems Symfonia...
(1997), Misanthropy/Music For Nations
- The Sham Mirrors
The Sham Mirrors is the third full-length album by Norwegian avant-garde metal band Arcturus. It was released on April 9, 2002.The Sham Mirrors is a departure from the band's previous albums...
(2002), Ad Astra Enterprises/The End RecordsThe End Records is a Brooklyn, NY based record label.-Background:The End Records is a record label founded in 1998. The label initially released music by experimental and avant-garde metal bands, but have recently branched out into other genres including punk and alternative.The label specializes...
- Sideshow Symphonies
Sideshow Symphonies is an album by the Norwegian avant-garde metal band Arcturus. It was released on September 19, 2005. It is the first to feature Simen "ICS Vortex" Hestnæs as the principal vocalist and Tore Moren as second guitarist, as well as the first Arcturus album released by Season of Mist...
(2005), Season of MistSeason of Mist is an independent record label and record distributor with subsidiaries in France and the United States. The record label was founded in 1996 by Michael S. Berberian in Marseille, France. From the start releasing black metal, pagan metal and death metal records, the label moved on to...
EPs
- My Angel
My Angel is a 1991 EP by Arcturus. Arcturus's first work published on an actual record label, My Angel represents a halfway point between band leader Steinar Sverd Johnsen's original project Mortem, a death metal band, and Arcturus's later symphonic black metal and avant-garde metal albums...
(1991), Putrefaction Records
- Constellation
Constellation is an EP by the Norwegian black metal band Arcturus. It was limited to only 500 copies. Tracks from this album were later re-recorded on Aspera Hiems Symfonia and re-released on Aspera Hiems Symfonia/Constellation/My Angel compilation.-Track listing:#"Rodt og svart" – 6:09#"Icebound...
MCD/MLP (1994), Nocturnal Art
- Constellation LP (1997), Nocturnal Art
Compilations
- Disguised Masters
Disguised Masters is a compilation album by the Norwegian avant-garde metal band Arcturus. The album has two new songs: White Tie Black Noise and Deception Genesis. Other tracks are re-mixed versions of songs from La Masquerade Infernale and Du Nordavind from Aspera Hiems Symfonia...
(1999), Jester RecordsJester Records is a record label founded in 1998 by Kristoffer Rygg after conflicts between his band Ulver and their German/American label Century Media Records.-Artists:* 1349 Rykkinn...
- Aspera Hiems Symfonia/Constellation/My Angel
Aspera Hiems Symfonia '95, Constellation '94 and My Angel '91 is a compilation album by the Norwegian black metal band Arcturus. The album contains their first full-length album Aspera Hiems Symfonia and two earlier releases, Constellation and My Angel...
(2002), re-released by Candlelight RecordsCandlelight Records is an independent record label based in Europe founded by former Extreme Noise Terror bassist Lee Barrett, though it has had a division in the United States since January 2001. Candlelight Records specialises in black metal and death metal, having bands such as Emperor,...
Misc.
- Reconstellation
Reconstellation is a bootleg album by the Norwegian avant-garde metal band Arcturus. Although it is not an official release, many consider it to be an essential record for a fan of the genre.-Track listing:#"Raudt og Svart" – 6:08#"Wintry Grey" – 4:43...
(1999) – bootleg recordingA bootleg recording is an audio and/or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist, or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
- Shipwrecked In Oslo
Shipwrecked In Oslo is the first DVD release by Arcturus. It was released in August 21, 2006 by Season Of Mist. The DVD includes a set of 15 songs all from their performance filmed at Rockefeller Music Hall during the Sonic Solstice Festival in Oslo, on September 24, 2005...
(2006), Season of MistSeason of Mist is an independent record label and record distributor with subsidiaries in France and the United States. The record label was founded in 1996 by Michael S. Berberian in Marseille, France. From the start releasing black metal, pagan metal and death metal records, the label moved on to...
– DVD
External links