Search - Arcturus :: Aspera Hiems Symfonia

Arcturus? Raw Beginnings

IcemanJ | Ohio, USA | 10/26/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is much more raw than the other two main Arcturus CDs. It has mostly screeched vocals and very heavy guitars. Arcturus has always concentrated on keys and pianos just as much as guitars, to add a unique atmosphere. It is slightly more similar to the other Norwegian black metal bands than the other Arcturus albums, but they still had a very unique sound at this point.The first song, "To Thou Who Dwellest in the Night" mostly contains heavy guitars and fast drumming with shrieking, but with dark keyboard melodies underlying the madness. After a while, it goes into a soft section with melodic guitars and almost choir-type vocals, a mad guitar solo, and back into the clear-cut, raw screeching. The next, "Wintry Grey" starts with some uncommon clean vocals, shifting on and off with sounds of frostbitten bells and forbidding guitar riffs, and also contains sound effects of the dark wintry lake in the forest. "Whence and Whither Goest the Wind" is a quite long song with many different parts. "Du Nordavind" has some more clean vocals, and creepy keyboards that sound like an evil circus, as usual."Fall of Man" is my favorite song on the album and one of Arcturus' best songs ever. It is exactly 89.87% Instrumental, not including the choir-type vocals at the end (yes, I actually calculated it, which isn't too hard). It might seem weird when I say choir vocals but they are VERY good, you just have to hear it for yourself. They make for an epic, melodic end to the song. The song consists of three different synth and piano melodies throughout the song, but they are some of the best melodies that feel like an "evil circus" ever, so you don't notice the repetition. There is also a small amount of screeching vocals in two different parts, and it progresses towards the end with a crazy guitar solo. It's possibly one of my favorite 20 songs out of my entire collection; it's undoubtedly a personal classic.Fans of the other two Arcturus albums may not like this as much, as it is all screeching type vocals and much heavier. Fans of more raw black metal may like it more than the other Arcturus works of art. It is a perfect album to listen to on those dark, frigid winter days, that is if you live in a climate with dark and cold enough winter days. If you don't, this CD might not be as good."

"those who aspire infinitly"

oderiferous imenatius | s.a texas | 03/03/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Arcturus' "aspera hiems symfonia" is truly a masterpiece every song on this album is good, the strangeness of the sounds that are incorporated in this disk, is in my opinion what makes it unique "wintery grey" and " thou who dwellest in the night" are just two of the great songs on this disk, i definitly recomend this album to any one who listens to the likes of borknagar, ulver, emperor, opeth etc. Arcturus are true visionaries!"

God this is good!!

D. St-Maurice | Longueuil Quebec Canada | 07/28/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Arcturus if one of the best bands of all time! This is not just plain metal, this compares to the greatest composers of all time! This is powerful, beautiful, and incredibly addictive. I recommend to anyone even if they don't like metal."