Arcturus have certainly had a long and illustrious career and their fifth album Arcturian, which is their first full-length in ten years, shows a band at the top of their game – it is an epic and adventurous piece that showcases the band at their strongest.
With Arcturus it’s difficult to pigeonhole them into one specific style and genre, but that’s exactly what makes the band so great. With massive-sounding instrumentation coupled up with a very distinctive vocal sound, it’s a memorable album that will remain in your subconscious for a while to come.
One of the highlights of the piece is the earworm of a fourth track, Warp. The introduction is striking and immediately grabs your interest, before holding it as the track progresses further with powerful clean vocals, and the electronic-sounding riffs and melodies are so catchy they’ll be rattling round your head for weeks. It’s a song that demands to be listened to over and over, and is a song that would definitely come across well in a live environment as well.
In all honesty, there isn’t much that can actually be faulted with this album. It’s a well-rounded and mature offering that will go down a treat with old fans of the band whilst also serving as an excellent introduction to those who may only just be discovering the outfit. Quite simply – this album is fantastic.
9/10
