Aspera hiems symfonia
| Aspera hiems symfonia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcturus studio album | ||||
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Publication |
1996 |
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admission |
July and August 1995 |
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| Label (s) | Ancient Lore Creations | |||
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Title (number) |
8th |
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running time |
41:27 |
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| occupation |
|
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Arcturus |
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Studio (s) |
Panser Studio, Oslo |
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Aspera hiems symfonia (roughly: 'rough winter symphony') is the debut album by the Norwegian metal band Arcturus . It was released in 1996 via Ancient Lore Creations.
Creation and publication
Arcturus had already released the two EPs My Angel and Constellation with changing line-ups in 1991 and 1994 respectively. The latter was intended as a promo sound carrier for an upcoming album. Because of Garm's activities at Ulver and Borknagar and Hellhammer's at Mayhem , the band did not get together for further studio recordings until the summer of 1995. In addition, Samoth - who was still involved in Constellation but had been in custody since 1994 - had to be replaced by August .
Was taken Aspera hiems symfonia in Oslo Panser studio. The second, fourth, sixth and eighth songs were already included in other versions on Constellation . Skoll von Ulver played the bass as a guest musician. Kristian Romsøe mixed the album at Endless Lydstudio and it was mastered by Craig Morris at Strype Audio, both also in Oslo.
In 2002 Candlelight Records released a remastered version of the album with the band's two EPs and two previously unreleased songs as a double CD under the title Aspera hiems symfonia / Constellation / My Angel .
In 2012, Kyrck Productions released an LP version with an early version of The Bodkin & the Quietus (… To reach the Stars) as a bonus track.
Track list and music
Music and lyrics were written by Arcturus. Three of the songs ("Raudt og Svart", "Du Nordavind" and "Naar Kulda Tar") were written in Norwegian, the others in English. “Naar Kulda Tar” was incorrectly omitted from the title list of the first edition.
- To Thou who dwellest in the Night - 6:46
- Wintry Gray - 4:34
- Whence & whither goest the wind - 5:15
- Raudt og Svart - 5:49
- The Bodkin & the Quietus (… To reach the Stars) - 4:36
- Du Nordavind - 4:00
- Fall of Man - 6:06
- Naar Kulda Tar - 4:21
On the debut album, Arcturus combine the double bass game and the screeching singing of Black Metal with orchestral or spherical keyboards and choir singing. There are many changes in tempo and time signature as well as piano and harpsichord solos. There are passages of text that are told in a whisper or played backwards.
reception
Gunnar Claussen from Babyblauen Seiten thinks that Aspera hiems symfonia sounds "wintry, difficult [...] and of course symphonic". He criticizes that the songs sometimes lack structure and dramaturgy. Wolf-Rüdiger Mühlmann from Rock Hard attests that the album is elegant. The magazine counts it among the "250 Black Metal albums that you should know". Bryan Reesman from Allmusic praises the majestic-aggressive mix and the threatening atmosphere; he describes Aspera hiems symfonia as one of the best metal albums of all time.
Web links
- Aspera hiems symfonia on Allmusic (English)
- Reviews of Aspera hiems symfonia on the baby blue pages
Individual evidence
- ^ Joel McIver, Extreme Metal II , London 2010, p. 32f.
- ↑ a b Reviews of Aspera hiems symfonia on the Babyblauen Seiten
- ↑ Aspera hiems symfonia in the Rock Hard review archive
- ↑ 250 Black Metal Albums That You Should Know. In: Rock Hard. No. 269, October 2009, p. 75.
- ↑ Aspera hiems symfonia on Allmusic (English)