Arcturus
Constellation

I have to be honest... I miss them... and not in the way some of you might miss the Lollipop girls (but what pop culture I have... okay, Emanuele, don't let everyone know, because no one really cares), but I miss them more like those Queen fans who miss Freddy Mercury: now maybe the group I'm talking about is not comparable to Queen, but I miss Arcturus a lot, I don't know, maybe it's because they had a distinctly atypical way of interpreting black metal, very symphonic, with passages bordering on progressive; they managed to be aggressive, but without ever falling into unnecessary excesses that never really fit.

Also, let's face it, I miss the fresh air they brought and their ability to never repeat themselves, to not propose an album similar to those before, in short... ehm, there's no point beating around the bush, I MISS EVERYTHING CONNECTED TO ARCTURUS, and in a moment of nostalgia, I dug out this little gem from 1994, "Constellation", which after the EP "My Angel", represents one of the earliest testimonies of Arcturus.

Maybe among the readers, there's someone who doesn't know who these Arcturus are, and that's why (unfortunately for you) I'm now going to introduce them in the lineup that played on this album: on vocals, we have simply Garm; now, I don't really understand much about black metal, but from what I know (and from what my poor ears have heard), this is a guy who doesn't mess around at all, on guitars we have Samoth, a former sessionist for Gorgoroth and already with Emperor, Zylkon, Burzum, and millions of other groups; on drums, then, is another individual of great importance for the development of the scene, I am referring to the renowned drummer from Mayhem, and countless other projects; all orchestrated then by Sverd on keyboards, who performs feats of the highest order.

The band's lyrics finally shift towards shores that aren't strictly black, preferring subjects like literature, astronomy, and the supernatural; the poetic sense that emanates from the lyrics is then reflected in the music, all extremely atmospheric, in which the spatial influences that will later become Arcturus's trademark and bring success to these Norwegians already emerge.

Back to the album, this "Constellation" is made up of four tracks, three of which are sung in Norwegian, where the true soul of the group shines through; it starts with "Rodt Og Svart", where all the members manage to stand out while being extremely technical, but also capable of creating melodic and captivating music: noteworthy is Garm's ability to switch from clean, baritone tones to exaggerated screams, from which all the black metal essence of our guys emerges.

We proceed with the one song in English on the album, "Icebound Streams And Vaporous Grey", where once again the atmospheres and melodies coexist in perfect balance with the band's extreme core. Keyboards and drums in the foreground do meticulous work supporting a truly superb Garm, who sets his register on an alternation between a less aggressive scream than the first track and clean vocals of great impact, revealing himself to be not only technically extremely prepared but also an excellent interpreter.

We come to the melodic black metal with "Naar Kulda Tar", which although not fully meeting my personal tastes, I believe to be one of the best extreme things I've ever heard: now it might seem like a contradiction, but not being a fan of melodic black, I still manage to find some highly crafted melodic passages. The only flaw is the almost total absence of clean vocals, which, when they appear, are overshadowed by overlays of screams.

The EP closes with "Du Nordavind", which in its 4 and a half minutes only confirms the qualities of the band as a whole. Applause is due (sorry, I might sound repetitive, but it's impossible not to notice) to the keyboard work, rich in effects. Garm once again prefers screaming, contrasted by some clean moments towards the end, proving, however, to be more convincing in this episode than the previous one.

Giving a rating to this work seems almost reductive because, while not perfect (low recording quality, artistic maturity not fully reached), it turns out to be something unique and as such devoid of comparison points.

Arcturus will leave an immense legacy to the metal world, which unfortunately no one seems to have picked up, except for some small projects that tried in vain, unfortunately, to carry on a musical discourse that could have given a shake to a scene that is becoming increasingly repetitive.

P.S. I apologize for having mentioned sacred monsters at the beginning as a comparison, but it was only to make you understand how much I might miss these musicians.