Arcturus
Aspera Hiems Symphonia

THE REVIEW

When talking about Arcturus, many rightly think of the band that brought new life to avantgarde metal and extreme progressive metal, thanks to albums like "The Sham Mirrors", and especially the pivotal "La Masquerade Infernale" which, released in 1997, was a work that was light years away from the scene of the time, capable of crossing boundaries that had until then been considered too daring for the true metalhead.

But few know that, in the beginning, the band played symphonic black metal and that the Arcturus of 'Aspera Hiems Symfonia', in my opinion, are undoubtedly the truest and most sincere. In 1996, a year after the masterpiece, the debut of the five Norwegians (Garm - Vocals, Carl August Tidemann - Guitar, Skoll - Bass, Steinar Sverd Johnsen - Keyboards, Hellhammer - Drums) was released and, although not groundbreaking in terms of innovation (yet already using an unusual and personal sound, thus resulting in its own unique way), it starts from the classic black stylings to arrive at new and unexplored shores, using solutions even 'unusual' for the genre.

The opening is entrusted to the majestic To Thou Who Dwellest In The Night, in which Garm's scream perfectly blends with the 'heavenly' arpeggios created by the brilliant keyboardist Sverd. Mr. Von Blomberg creates a fantastic soundscape, using less blast beat than in the past and much more technique, approaching solutions typical of prog metal. The result is one of the most beautiful black metal songs ever written, and that alone would be enough to justify the price of the compact disc.
But Arcturus must prove to the world that they are a band different from the others, an entity unto themselves, so here appear particular insights: not rarely does Gard move from scream to clean singing, creating sonic pearls of incredible allure (Wintry Grey primarily), heart-wrenching piano breaks that recall the contemporary and compatriot Stormblast, emotion brought to stellar levels, separating from the classic style that wants black metal cold and detached: Arcturus strike directly at the listener's heart with aggressive but elegant solutions, full of feeling and emotion.

Raudt Og Svart is taken directly from the "Constellation" EP from 1993, here enriched by the fantastic vocal performance of Garm, who also performs in a spectral falsetto, as well as 'dueting with himself' between scream and clean voice, foreshadowing the theatrical-operatic twist of 'La Masquerade Infernale'. Wonderful solo by Tidemann. Du Nordavind is the piece most influenced by classical music. Guitar and keyboard chase each other, while Hellhammer keeps an odd time with a naturalness that is frightening. Continuous accelerations and decelerations make this track the best of the album, after the opening track.
Moving and bitter is Fall Of Man, equipped with a really noteworthy keyboard carpet, and a goosebumps-inducing finale, with Sverd's keyboard grinding out riff after riff, chord after chord always showing excellent inspiration. The solo, in this case as well, is among the best, worthy of a Kirk Hammett. With an excellent atmospheric intro, Naar Kulda Tar closes the album, this time approaching the compositional style of the early Cradle Of Filth, all obviously revisited in the Arcturus key.

What to say about this album? Well... in my opinion, it is a work unique in its genre, impossible to compare even to the other works of the band, an incredibly underrated album at the time of its release, like all avant-garde works after all. Recommended truly for everyone, from the brutal deathster to the Iron Maiden fan.