Arcturus was originally formed in 1987 as a death metal act, named Mortem. They released a demo tape in 1989, titled "Slow Death". The line-up consisted of Hellhammer (Jan Axel Blomberg) on drums, Sverd (Steinar Sverd Johnsen) on keyboards, and Marius Vold on bass/vocals.
In 1990, they changed their name to Arcturus, which is the name of a star, meaning Bear Guardian. "My Angel", their debut EP, was released on 8 July 1991.
In 1993 the original line-up was changed when bassist/vocalist Marius Vold was taken out of the band. Arcturus soon became labeled a black metal supergroup, consisting of Garm (Kristoffer Rygg of Ulver) on vocals, Carl August Tidemann on guitar, Skoll (Hugh Stephen James Mingay) on bass, and the two other original members, Hellhammer on drums, and Steinar Sverd Johnsen as main composer/keyboards player.
In 1995, Arcturus released "Aspera Hiems Symfonia". Acclaimed to be one of the most innovative black metal album ever, it is a mix of early 1990s Norwegian black metal, classical melodies and a refined touch of nordic coldness. The lyrics concentrate on the themes of winter and the darkness of night.
In 1997 Arcturus released the much acclaimed "La Masquerade Infernale" album. The theatrical, almost carnivalesque, style built around Sverd's keyboards was introduced by the large vocals range of Garm, becoming their trademark.
After a remix album "Disguised Masters", Arcturus offered their third major effort with "The Sham Mirrors", whose keyboards' dynamic melodies also received good reviews.
In 2004, after three full-length albums, Kristoffer Rygg left the band. He was initially replaced by Øyvind Hægeland from the band Spiral Architect. Øyvind performed live with the band, but did not appear on any recordings. In 2005 the band announced that Øyvind had moved too far away for his continued involvement to be practical and they had parted ways. In 2005 Simen Hestnæs (aka ICS Vortex of Dimmu Borgir), who had previously performed guest vocals on three Arcturus tracks ("Master of Disguise", "The Chaos Path", and "Painting My Horror") on "La Masquerade Infernale", became the new vocalist of the band.
With "Sideshow Symphonies", released in 2005, Arcturus moved towards more progressive tones and a strong lunar sound, leant on a space trip concept narrated by Simen's ethereal voice. A DVD, "Shipwrecked in Oslo" was released in June 2006.
The band split up after the successful tour of Australia in March 2007.
In early September of 2009, after being ejected from Dimmu Borgir, Simen released a statement on his blog with the following quote: "There is another meeting also planned with Arcturus members to discuss about the future of the band and a possible reunite.".
In 2011 ICS Vortex confirmed an Arcturus reunion show at ProgPower USA 2011 Festival. In addition, Vortex also said "Beloved freaks! ProgPower USA 2011 will host the first Arcturus concert in 5 years. This is our first performance in the United States, and since we're all retarded, probably the last.". The show was later cancelled due to "hibernation sickness" and "outdated parts".
Arcturus was supposed to play its first reunion show at Avant-Garde Night vol. 2 in Poland, but it was cancelled and they rescheduled show to January. They played a show September 9th, 2011 at the KICK Nattklubb & Scene in Kristiansand, Norway. When asked about it by a fan on his facebook, Vortex said "yes I can confirm once again that Arcturus is on" In an interview published by Lords of Metal webzine, ICS Vortex said Arcturus were working on a new album. The band's fifth album, Arcturian, was released in 2015.
Official Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/arcturusnorway
Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/arcturusnorway
Hufsa
Arcturus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ett uggent gys skiller ved og barken
Ser tilbake på frost og tåke
Natt som dag I evig våke
Gold kulde river
Mot lys jeg driver
men alle glør dør der
Alltid alene
Der finnes ingen som kan vandre med meg
evig vinter er hva jeg er
Do er tedd når jeg er nær
sjelen søker evig varme
Allt den får en ensom harme
Markens grøde for all tid øde
Der jeg setter mitt spor
Min sorg et større enn ord
The lyrics to Arcturus's song Hufsa paint a picture of a desolate and forsaken landscape. With a withering ground and a chilling wind, the singer feels isolated and alone. They reflect on the past and see nothing but frost and mist, with day and night blurring into an eternal vigil. The cold tears at them, but they are driven towards the light.
Despite this drive, they acknowledge that all sparks ultimately perish when they rest. They are forever alone, with no one to walk alongside them. The eternal winter that surrounds them is what defines them, and their presence fills others with dread. All their soul seeks is warmth, but all they receive is a solitary sorrow. Even the fertility of the land is barren, and the only legacy they leave behind is their sorrow, a grief greater than words.
The lyrics themselves are haunting and work well with the overall tone and mood of the song. They evoke a sense of loneliness, despair, and isolation. The use of winter and its associated imagery creates a lot of interest, and the contrast between light and dark is fascinating. Moreover, the repetition of 'everlasting' creates a sense of monotony and the feeling that the singer is trapped in this cycle of pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Med gufs og hyl jeg visner marken
The cold wind and howls cause the land to wither
Ett uggent gys skiller ved og barken
A creepy shiver separates the wood and bark
Ser tilbake på frost og tåke
Looking back on frozen fog
Natt som dag I evig våke
Night and day in eternal vigil
Gold kulde river
Barren cold tears apart
Mot lys jeg driver
Towards light I am being carried
men alle glør dør der
But all embers die there
Der hvor jeg hviler min bør
Where I rest my burden
Alltid alene
Always alone
Der finnes ingen som kan vandre med meg
There is no one who can wander with me
evig vinter er hva jeg er
Eternal winter is what I am
Do er tedd når jeg er nær
Death is feared when I am near
sjelen søker evig varme
The soul seeks eternal warmth
Allt den får en ensom harme
All it receives is a lonely sorrow
Markens grøde for all tid øde
The soil's fertility is forever gone
Der jeg setter mitt spor
Where I leave my trace
Min sorg et større enn ord
My grief is greater than words
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
oraknes
-With gusts and howl I wither field -An eerie shudder splits wood and bark -Looking back on frost and fog -Night as day in eternal watch -Golden frost tears -Towards the light I drift -But all embers die -Where I rest my burden -Always alone -No one is able to walk with me -Eternal winter is what I am -You're afraid when I am near -The soul is seeking eternal warmth -All it has is lonely rage -Growth of the soil forever desolate -Where I leave my track -My sorrow is greater than words
Kara Oki
oraknes thank you 🍀
Jake Nicol
Im so glad a metal band wrote a song based on a moomins character. Priceless.
Windows 2C
Actually the character is based off a myth, not to be rude or anything.
Anton Wimmer
Incorrect, that’s like saying Voldemort is a British myth 😂
The Groke is NOT a myth, she was created by Tove.
Welt Schmerz
@Anton Wimmer But it has archetypic roots anyway. Btw, The Groke is translated as Mara here in Ukraine. Also, Mara is our ancient Slavic goddess of darkness, cold, and winter's death (later she turned into demonic spirit of nightmare). Moreover, the wraith of nightmares has the same name in Scandinavian and Germanic folklore, and there's goddess of death Mara in Hindu tradition. Notice that Tove named her Mårran in Swedish, and Mörkö in Finnish. So it's a nonsense to deny the mythic descent of this eerie character.
Welt Schmerz
There's also Black Metal band Mörkö from Finland (Mörkö is Finnish for Mårran/Hufsa/The Groke), their 2nd demo opens with a song Mörköperkele (Groke the Demon).
Gato Orange Tabby
Que no desaparezca esta canción jamás
Leonardo Rodríguez
1:21 - 1:35 so fantastic!
Makes me think in aeons, in space, in travel above the stars and galaxies.
Gato Orange Tabby
Esta canción es una joyita, me gusta tanto xd