ARCTURUS — Aspera Hiems Symfonia (review)

ARCTURUS — Aspera Hiems Symfonia album cover Album · 1996 · Symphonic Black Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
5/5 ·
metalmillennium
The supergroup consisting of Garm (Ulver, Borknagar) and Hellhammer (Mayhem), among other musicians, puts out their debut album to show what they have to offer the music world. When I saw the lineup for this band, I rushed out to hear what they could do as a whole, since I was a huge fan of the bands that each of the musicians came from. And i must say, I wasn't dissapointed one bit.

Considering that Garm has one of the best rasps in Black Metal, you know the vocals on a record like this are going to be top notch, especially with the kind of music he is working with. The production is trebly at best, but this gives it a kind of eerie feeling that leaves your mind to wander in different places. Hellhammer's drumming is incredible, which I was expecting, since he is the best metal drummer around right now and has drummed for about every band known to man.

So with all this, the songs themselves are peices that eaze their way though the cd. They are all very technical with symphonic keyboard lines making themselves known in the background. The first track of this cd, "To Thou Who Dwellest In The Night", opens up with a blast of double bass and keyboards, then transfers into Garm screaming vocals over it. But the song slows down and it turns into a slower symphonic seance that takes you mind into a completely different place. Most of the songs do the same pattern thoughout the album, with about half of the songs in Norweigan, and never get boring one bit. Not to mention, there is some chanting thrown into the mix.

I keep listening to this album over and over. It's one of those albums that you keep listening to in amazement becuase of the musical talent and song writing. I can't wait until they put out their next album, cause I'll be buying it on the first day. Completely recommended and mandatory.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Deviance Deathcore
ASHES INTO BLOOD
Buy this album from MMA partners
Equilibrium Atmospheric Sludge Metal
BESRA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tension Between Rot And Genesis Sludge Metal
ANTHESIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Recycle Brain Crust Punk
C.P.G
Buy this album from MMA partners
Cartography Of The Mind Deathcore
TETHERED
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Besra – Unsullied (Music Video)
BESRA
Bosh66· 8 hours ago
Tethered - Breathe (Official Video)
TETHERED
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Saltwound - Walking The Blade (OFFICIAL VISUALIZER)
SALTWOUND
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Saltwound - The Negative (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
SALTWOUND
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Saltwound - Drowning feat. Taylor Barber (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
SALTWOUND
Bosh66· 1 day ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed