ARCTURUS Sideshow Symphonies (WHITE VINYL) 2 x LP

ARCTURUS Sideshow Symphonies (WHITE VINYL) 2 x LP

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(Back On Black)
*** This is a new and unplayed item, direct from the CRUCIAL BLAST shop. ***


DESCRIPTION FROM CRUCIAL BLAST:
     Along with that killer new album, we also just restocked this double Lp release of Arcturus's 2005 album Sideshow Symphonies, now available at a lower price. Packaged in a deluxe gatefold jacket and pressed on white vinyl, this is a gorgeous limited edition release of what had been up to that point the final album from these legendary avant-garde black metal alchemists. Here's my original writeup on the CD version:
     Never stocked this cd before, but I've been on a bit of an Arcturus kick lately and decided to pick it up at long last since I'm constantly getting orders for all of the other back catalog titles from this Norwegian avant-black metal super group. Featuring members of Ulver, Mayhem, Covenant, Borknagar, and Ved Buens Ende, Arcturus were a band unto themselves, starting off as a slightly proggy, symphonic black metal outfit but over the course of several albums evolved into something like a blackened version of Faith No More, with their majestic metal augmented by strange genre-hopping that might include bits of drum n' bass and electronica, theatrical arrangements, bizarre left-field forays into hardcore rap, trip-hop, and industrial music. 2005's Sideshow Symphonies would actually be the band's last studio album, and found the band shifting their bombastic and theatrical sound into a more focused (but no less dramatic) direction. One of the changes that stands out on this album is the arrival of new singer Simen "ICS Vortex" Hestnæs (ex-Borknagar, Dimmu Borgir) who replaces former front man Garm (Ulver); Hestnæs's soaring, phantasmal voice was an interesting addition to Arcturus's sound, definitely way more over the top and melodramatic compared to Garm's singing, but it fit perfectly with their majestic futuristic prog-metal.
     Musically, you can barely hear any of their black metal origins, the nine tracks instead sounding like a spacey, symphonic, strangely New Wave-tinged power metal, sorta, and there are parts of the album that sound to my ears almost like Kansas, fer petes's sake. Not that they went soft for Sideshow; the lush analogue synths, symphonic strings, and operatic singing are still backed by chugging heavy guitars, blazing double-bass drumming and triumphant metallic crunch. The music isn't as schizo as their past releases, where Arcturus would veer from drum n' bass to black metal to orchestral pomp and Portishead-style trip-hop, but there is still some of that Mr. Bungle weirdness going on, albeit very subtly, with some touches of dark jazzy ambience (like on "Nocturnal Vision Revisited"), electronica, and classical elements appearing on various tracks. Definitely a high point in the field of progressive post-black metal heaviness.   © CRUCIAL BLAST
THIS IS A NEW, UNPLAYED ITEM. Please note that for LP vinyl orders, we usually remove the vinyl from the jacket prior to shipment in order to avoid seam splits or any other kind sleeve/jacket damage that might occur during transit. This may require that we open the shrinkwrap on the record in order to carefully remove the vinyl from the inside of the jacket (if the record was originally shrinkwrapped). Feel free to contact us with any questions regarding this policy.

Crucial Blast is an independant underground label, online shop and micro-press specializing in cutting edge, transgressive, experimental heavy music and related cultural artifacts, with a particular focus on avant-metal, black noise/industrial, dark ambience, infernal psychedelia, and hardcore improv/free-jazz. You'll find everything from art-damaged European metalcore to amplifier-exploding psychedelic drones to earth-shaking post-Ayler destructo-jazz in our listings, which we update roughly every two weeks with both brand new releases and rare finds from the vaults.

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::: SHIPPING AND PAYMENT INFO :::

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Don't forget to check out all of our other CRUCIAL BLAST-approved avant-metal/black industrial/trasngressive art items and releases that are available in our Ebay store and on auction. We also have many out-of-print and rare items available in our catalog as well... CRUCIAL BLAST: An online shop specializing in experimental metal, black industrial, black psychedelia, noise rock, dark ambience, and other forms of cutting edge and left-field heaviness. We also carry a carefully curated selection of books and other printed materials from the realms of black surrealism and transgressive thought.


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