Review Summary: A comeback album that smartly utilizes all the influences from past releases into a surprisingly cohesive and satisfying result.
Arcturus began way back in 1987 during the birth of the Norwegian black metal scene as an avant-garde musical project. The band eventually acted as a revolving door for musicians from Ulver, Dimmu Borgir, Mayhem, Satyricon, and others to essentially flex their creative muscles without any real boundaries or limits to what they could musically accomplish. What came about was a string of bizarre and experimental releases that eventually lost their way due to conflicts of styles and ideas. This led to a few years of inactivity, a messy attempt at a reunion, and finally, we now have a new studio record after nearly ten years. The main strength of
Arcturian lies in its razor sharp focus, and ability to restrain itself when needed. The band’s nearly decade-long hiatus and attention on other projects proved to be just what the band members needed; the result of getting themselves back on their musical track and regaining their consistency.
Dialing back on bizarre and frenetic experimentations from before, the appropriate inclusion of new instrumentations is an impressive addition to their sound. Violins, various electronics, and a diverse array of string instruments make themselves known throughout the album’s runtime. The at times schizophrenic nature of past releases, particularly
Sideshow Symphonies from 2005, has been extinguished. The atmosphere can be most closely attributed to the focus on technical guitar riffs from
The Sham Mirrors in 2002. It of course indulges in overblown orchestral and electronic arrangements of their past releases, as well as the content of the main bands with which the instrumentalists primarily identify. Opener “The Arcturian Sign” begins relatively subdued, not delving into pretentious soloing or overblown instrumental wankery quite yet. It patiently previews what is to come, settling the listener in much more comfortably than usual for Arcturus.
Arcturian takes care not to reveal all its secrets too early. It begins cautiously, but the usual dramatic flair makes itself known quickly enough. “Crashland” sounds much more like something on an earlier release, ripe with strings and sensational instrumentation. A climbing guitar solo permeates the off-kilter guitar riffing, accompanied with staccato’d violins until crashing to a startling halt. Some tracks, including the opener, even feature blast beats from drummer Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg from Mayhem. His performance was always a band highlight, and he makes certain to continue adding to the musical insanity while never overdoing his role or showing off. “Angst” is a straightforward thrasher that features more blast beats, and vocalist Simen Hestnæs employing a fair amount of harsh singing. His vocal performance overall ranges from dramatic bellows and triumphant yelling to Nordic battle cry screaming. His powerful voice is mixed well with the instruments, unlike the overemphasis it had from
Sideshow Symphonies, and adds to the personality and fun of
Arcturian.
Sweeping orchestration and synths frequently trade off with the centerpiece guitar work, as lead composer and keyboard player Steinar Sverd Johnsen shows off his compositional flair, as well as programming and instrumental chops. Dense electronic intros and flashy keyboard solos permeate most tracks, “Warp” and “Bane” in particular featuring chaotic, overblown tempos and arrangements. Moments where songs build and segue into unhinged instrumental chaos strongly resemble the most enjoyable material from the group’s first two albums. They act as a welcome reminder to past successes, while being original enough in their own right. Arcturus also allows light to shine on a completely different side to them. “The Journey” is much moodier and atmospheric than most of its peers. Beginning with delicate electronics, it subtly transitions into a beautiful musical backdrop of synths and strings over subdued echoes and acoustic guitars. Violins and chanting join the dense instrumentation, each of the contrasting textures dropping out and sneaking back in, creating a surreal and beautiful soundscape.
Differing elements of instrumental and vocal insanity balance with more mystical, meditative passages stunningly. An unwavering dedication to experimentation and unpredictability are what had always made Arcturus such a special element of the European metal scene. Phasing the extreme metal influences of past releases had wavered as they grew older as a band. They are seamlessly integrated throughout
Arcturian, never becoming overbearing or losing effectiveness. Their reunion, and subsequent choices as a newly realized band, allows them to maturely and freely hone their longstanding instrumental and compositional prowess into their most impactful and engrossing body of work to date.
