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
Star-Crossed
Arcturus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Organic images
Dissolving earth
Our future children
Sure at us unfixed
From a residence of stars
In their sidereal ships
Their eyes
Black in kingdoms of gold
Like the rocks of this desert
Where we wander in circles
Tails up the ass of time
And our vision
Goes backwards
The traces we see
After something
Or even existing
Beyond the prints
All dreams end here
Where our cries began
Resounding to museums
Of a world we believed
Never ending
And we stop
Exhausted
Beginning
Not again
And the panic
Like the light
Of some star
Exploding
Flashing in black holes of not knowing
If we ever made a away out of this mud
The lyrics of Arcturus's song "Star-Crossed" depict the existential crisis of humans and the pondering of their place in a vast universe. The opening lines of "we, organic images, dissolving earth" can be interpreted as a reflection on the temporary nature of humans and their inevitable return to the natural world. The mention of "future children" suggests the continuation of life beyond the singer's own existence, and their perspective on humankind from a distant vantage point, "from a residence of stars in their sidereal ships". The phrase "ho sailing beyond within" could refer to the idea of personal exploration and growth within oneself, similar to sailing beyond physical spaces.
The second stanza describes the vision of these future beings, "black in kingdoms of gold", which could represent the potential for great achievement and enlightenment that humans are capable of reaching. However, the juxtaposition of "tails up the ass of time" may allude to the limitations and constraints that humans face, despite their ambitions. The line "our vision goes backwards" implies retrospection and contemplation of the past, seeking understanding and meaning after something has occurred.
The third and final stanza describes the haunting realization that "all dreams end here" and the idea that their cries are now part of a museum, a relic from the past that no longer exists. The line "and we stop, exhausted, beginning, not again" seems to suggest the cyclical nature of life and the fleeting moments of rest in between. The final lines of the song evoke a sense of despair as the singer ponders existence and the unknown terrors beyond, represented by "black holes of not knowing".
Line by Line Meaning
We
As humanity, we are all in this together
Organic images
Our bodies, made of flesh and blood, are a fleeting representation of who we are
Dissolving earth
The planet we call our home is slowly deteriorating
Our future children
Future generations will carry the weight of our actions
Sure at us unfixed
They will be free to forge their own path, regardless of what we leave behind
From a residence of stars
They will have the freedom to explore beyond our planet
In their sidereal ships
They will use advanced technology to propel themselves through space
Ho sailing beyond within
Venturing into the unknown, propelled by nothing but their own courage and willpower
Their eyes
Their gaze will be unwavering, despite the vastness of space
Black in kingdoms of gold
The contrast of their determined eyes in a world filled with wonder and riches
Like the rocks of this desert
As unmovable as the rocks in a barren environment
Where we wander in circles
While we are still stuck on Earth, we often find ourselves lost and directionless
Tails up the ass of time
Trapped in a never-ending cycle of history and repeating our mistakes
And our vision
As a society, we are unable to see beyond the present moment
Goes backwards
We often focus on the past instead of looking towards the future
The traces we see
Only the remnants of the past remain
After something
We only notice the importance of something after it is gone
Or even existing
Sometimes, we fail to recognize the value of something while it is still present
Beyond the prints
There is always something more that we are missing
All dreams end here
Our hopes and aspirations often fade away as we face reality
Where our cries began
The beginning of our journey was marked by struggles and hardships
Resounding to museums
Our past is preserved in museums for future generations to learn from
Of a world we believed
A distant memory of a world that we once believed in
Never ending
We once thought the world would never change, but it has
And we stop
Our progress is often halted by external factors beyond our control
Exhausted
We grow tired of constantly fighting for progress
Beginning
Despite our struggles, we must continue to push forward and start anew
Not again
We hope to avoid repeating mistakes of the past
And the panic
The fear of the unknown overwhelms us
Like the light
It blinds us to the truth
Of some star
In the midst of a vast and infinite universe
Exploding
Our world is fragile and could implode at any moment
Flashing in black holes of not knowing
Despite all of our knowledge, there is still so much that we do not understand
If we ever made a away out of this mud
Doubts about our ability to create a better future for ourselves and our planet
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DerelictEarth
I can't get enough of this intro... This piano work is just stellar !
Manav
Arcturus is so underrated yet so magnificent!!
InternalCombustionGenie
It's been more than 7 years since hearing this piece for the first time, still one of the most amazing voyages through the avant-garde metal landscape!
Pizza molecule enjoyer
I bought this album while I was on vacation, when it just came out. I listened to it continously during the entire vacation, and those two weeks gave birth to some of my most powerful memories yet. I love this album. SO much.
Necrocyklo
i like the part when Garm starts to sing: "And our vision Goes backwards" and in that moment the music sounds like going backward...just amazing :D
Anna-Maria Martinović
This just never gets old!
Obsidus
Truly a great song, no argument. This album is the sort of thing I would add to the list of truly great human accomplishments, I'm completely serious. If art is an important facet of human existence and our difference from animals, then this would be one of the best showings of this potential and difference.
AthensBlueG35
Arcturus are simply amazing. No one else makes music like they do. It's almost hard to describe their music, it's so varied in style and diverse. I love it!
animatedmurder
and this song itself seems to expand the universe and challenge who i am really...wish more music was this way!
ariel
One of the greatest songs by Arcturus, and by any band :) Wonderful piano intro, and awesome, heavy, atmospheric riffs.