Aspera hiems Symfonia/Constellation/My Angel

Arcturus | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 17, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Candlelight
• ASIN: B000069JHZ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #174,484 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If the cover art doesn't grab you........., November 28, 2003

By 

Matt Stoessel (Tolland, CT USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Aspera hiems Symfonia/Constellation/My Angel (Audio CD)

At first, this CD really impressed me. It is the band's first album with a bonus disk. The entire thing clocks in at about 83 minutes. I'm not sure what is from the first album and what's not, but I do know that the quality of this remastered version is quite wonderful. Right now, I'm listening to the wonderous keyboards in track 7. They are beyond beautiful. You don't hear music like this anywhere - black metal or not. I like to compare them to Dawn of Relic and Lunaris. Arcturus, at least in this release, fits into the sub-genre of black metal that will give you the same feeling that gothic metal does. But by no means at all is this music goth.

For the most part, the music is very beautiful with haunting vocals that are well into the background, much like in the band Summoning. This is also where part of the similarness with Dawn of Relic is seen. In these 3 bands, the voices are very severe and you can't understand what is being sung at all, but they don't draw away from the music at all.

On the first disc, the entire CD's production/quality is wonderful. Halfway through the 2nd disk, the production slips a bit, but the overall powerful sound is still there. So if you are a quality freak especially when comes to black metal, like me, this is a band to keep an eye on. You can very easily hear each instrument as it is being played. The album just has a very clean sound to it.

The other component I feel I should mention is how much of what kinds of vocals are used. Most of the album (both disks) is full blown growls. Sometimes, you will hear a very nice gothic voice, somewhat like what you hear in bands like Paradise Lost and Agathodaimon's clean vocals.

If you are into melodic and atmospheric black metal, or just want to hear something different, this is the band to look at. Once you decide that you like this genre, then go on and look at bands like Dawn of Relic and Lunaris.

When you get the time, go and check out some of my other reviews. Earlier today I reviewed a Dawn of Relic CD, if you're interested.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yet again, an absolutely splended work of art!, July 3, 2002

By 

Icede "icede" (Antelope, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aspera hiems Symfonia/Constellation/My Angel (Audio CD)

2002 Limited edition Import Only Remastered & remixed version of the Norwegian lack metal luminaries 1995 debut album includes new artwork plus the highly collectable 8 rarity tracks on the bonus CD including 'The Deep Is The Skies', 'Cosmojam', 'Raudt Og Svart', 'Icebound Streams And Vapours Grey' (same song as track 2, different title), 'Naar Kulda Ra', 'Du Nordavind', 'My Angel' & 'Morax'.

Well let me put it this way.. I've had it for a week now & it hasn't left my CD player yet. Someone over at Candlelight records certainly did great justice to Aspera, as the remix actually sounds better than the original! Garm's voice is amazing. I mean absolutely amazing. The vocals are clear, and about the screechiest I've ever heard Garm sing. They must have either muffled Garm's voice in the original recording, or this re-release accents his voice. It's not completely overpowering, but it stands out exactly as it should.

The guitars, compliments of Carl Tidemann, are excellent as always... Keyboards and drums of course are excellent.

Overall, the recording is a 11/10. There is absolutely no place in the CD where it's muffled, unclear, etc. Shoot, you can even hear the bass guitar in some parts! I must say, I was a bit skeptical when I heard that Arcturus was having Aspera remastered along with the addition of Constellation, and My Angel put onto a 2CD effort. The first CD is Aspera remixed... They definitely did not skimp on quality when making this CD! The remaster of Aspera is amazing. It brings out new sounds you cannot hear in the original recordings. Garm's voice is crystal clear, along with all other instruments.it is worth every penny, especially if you're an Arcturus fan.

On CD #2, the bonus tracks include two songs that were recorded during the Aspera recordings, but never made it to the final pressing. The first song is very cool, and the second song (although it's quite short) is pretty cool too. The Constellation and My Angel recordings are also on the 2nd CD. These are not remixed, but simply added to this 2CD set. A good buy for anyone who has not been able to afford to buy the original Constellation ('95) or My Angel ('91).

From the liner-notes:
The Original masters were re-visited for this release. They were in terrible shape, so we enhanced their voices slightly (some previously unheard) & did our best to clothe them properly. Their bodies remain the same. We made no attempt, however tempting, to change them. We heard: "Blasphemy!"

* Tracks 9 & 10 culled from the same masters, but never displayed before, as they were at the time (still are) considered prospects; for your amusement only!
* Tracks 11 - 14 were originally released in a limited-edition MCD of 500 copies on Samoth's Nocturnal Art Production, Norway 1994.
* Tracks 15 & 16 were originally released in a limited edition of 1,100
copies as ''My Angel'' 7-inch EP from Putrefaction Records, France in 1991
which is now almost impossible to find!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Norwegian super-group, April 20, 2007

By 

Björn Everfrost (North From Here) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aspera hiems Symfonia/Constellation/My Angel (Audio CD)

After hearing about Arcturus long ago, and hearing that it is melodic black (my favorite genre) with symphonic elements, I rushed to get this. That was 2 years ago, and now, after one again listening to this treasure, I am hooked.

Containing members of Ulver and The Kovenant, you could imagine their sound if you mixed "Nexus Polaris" with "Stormblast" and "Bergtatt". Flurries of cold, Nordic riffs blanketed by sorrowful symphonic melodies dance in your head, while the landscape of black and melodic death metal influences switches back and forth. Even if you dont like folk influenced music, I dare you to try this. I havent liked anything this good since Storm of the Lights Bane and Ashes Againts the Grain.

If you enjoyed this, I suggest Omnium Gatherum, Skyfire, and Insomnium as well.