Arcturus
Sideshow Symphonies

THE REVIEW

Let's say it right away. . . the new Arcturus album is yet another masterpiece of their career, an album that can only be "gifted" by a band that counts musical geniuses like Jan Axel Blomberg, Knut Magne Valle, and Steinar Johnsen among its members.  Despite their historic singer Krystoffer Rygg deciding to focus on his solo band (the Ulver) and other side-projects, the band managed to find a valid replacement. . . and what a replacement: a certain Simen Hestnaes whose voice manages to envelop this "Sideshow Symphonies" like a glove fits the human hand. However, despite Hestnaes's vocal talents, I don't think it's so easy to replace the charisma and individuality of Rygg (as many fans assert); even though when Arcturus announced that the new singer would be Oyvind Hageland from the Spiral Architect, I was stunned. . . Spiral Architect is one of the most interesting bands in the recent music scene. It would have surely been a unique experience to hear Hageland's voice on such a progressive release like Sideshow Symphonies. But that remained a dream never realized; Hageland, due to unforeseen urgent commitments, had to relocate permanently to Sweden, making his stay in the band impossible. And so Arcturus set out in search of a new singer. . .

And indeed, we come to the entry of Hestnaes in the group, known for his work with Borknagar and Dimmu Borgir, but long-time Arcturus fans will surely remember him for his appearance on "La Masquerade Infernale" where Hestnaes sings as the main voice in one track and as a backup singer in two others. Initially, I was skeptical about the choice of Hestnaes, but it took me little to change my mind. . . in fact, right from the opening bars of the first track, "Hibernation Sickness Complete", it is possible to enjoy the deep vocal movements of Hestnaes; and from here on I began to convince myself that no other singer could have done better than him. Hestnaes's voice is entirely different from Rygg's, and it seems that this Sideshow Symphonies was created starting from his voice, allowing him to range between subdued whispers and sharp tones and to highlight the most dramatic passages of the album thanks to the high expressiveness of his magnificent voice. His vocal timbre is precisely what makes the songs very dark, giving them a greater ability to convey emotions such as anguish and terror.

I would like to say that this "Sideshow Symphonies" is darker and more ambient than "The Sham Mirrors". . . however, it is certainly not as experimental and adventurous as their previous work; but this does not prevent this work from being considered one of the best "encounters" between avant-garde and prog-metal. The credit for this lies in the great performance on keyboards, piano, and synths by Steinar Johnsen and the fabulous drumming of the rock-solid Jan Axel Blomberg. I can confidently state that Blomberg is the best Norwegian drummer alongside Asgeir Mickelson of Spiral Architect. That said. . . Blomberg's drumming on Sideshow Symphonies is certainly less revolutionary and freer than that present on "The Sham Mirrors", yet it is undoubtedly the most present instrument in this work after the ubiquitous Johnsen's keyboards. Despite Blomberg's drumming being less revolutionary. . . I can't help but notice the intensity of his rhythms throughout the album; especially in "Shipwrecked Frontier Pioneer" and "Demonpainter", he manages to fit impressive fills in a rapid double bass drum. The two tracks in question also benefit from the splendid tones played by Johnsen's keyboard and Hestnaes's dark voice completed with evil laughs. Additionally, I highlight the presence of some female back-vocals and underline the interplay between guitar and synth solos that form truly noteworthy symphonic passages.

Unfortunately, this great performance by the Arcturus is not accompanied by exemplary mixing. Some songs are recorded at a higher volume than the previous/next one. . . and in general, I feel compelled to judge this production as far inferior to that of the band's previous works: what a pity. Regarding guitar and bass, I notice how the band decided to reduce their power (and consequently their presence) to generate a more sober atmosphere by using some particular strings, inserting female voices, and atonal guitar parts that would respectively underline the keyboard and drum passages.

Considering Hestnaes's theatrical laughs present in many tracks and the way they have been mixed together creating really well-done backgrounds, "Sideshow Symphonies" also has another visual aspect. In "Evacuation Code Deciphered", Hestnaes gives the lyrics an almost spoken tone, making the musical base almost suitable for a film soundtrack. The depressive synth sounds, the distant voices that seem to come straight out of a horror film, and the exceptional female vocal parts are truly something brilliant. . . considering they then evolve into hypnotic synth solos and aggressive lyrics sung by Hestnaes. "Nocturnal Vision Revisited" is able to create an eerie mood with delicate piano notes that literally fall onto a base of riffs played by a very heavy and dissonant guitar.

Progressive elements can be traced in the electronic "Moonshine Delirium" where the singer's delicate whisper can give us remarkable jolts and the guitars of Tore More and Valle join together to create an elaborate instrumental section. There is also a kind of "harmonic battle" between the two guitars in "White Noise Monster" accompanied by an excellent tremolo and filled with dense lines of synths and as usual, very intricate drumming. Hestnaes in this track manages to diversify his voice greatly thanks to the use of accents I call heavy and it can even be heard in another language (Norwegian?) in the track "Hufsa". One last consideration on. . . "Reflections", a truly atypical instrumental track for the prog-metal genre. Dominated by a sad guitar and sweet piano lines. Remarkable is the drum solo present in this track.

"Sideshow Symphonies" is an excellent album and I highly recommend it. . . Arcturus is a truly talented band capable of blending technical skills, great lyrics, and musical taste. The only flaw is the poor mixing and not very competent production. . . which however does not detract from the final value of the album.