| My Angel | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | 8 July 1991 | |||
| Genre | Death/doom, symphonic black metal, experimental metal | |||
| Length | 12:22 | |||
| Label | Putrefaction | |||
| Producer | Arcturus | |||
| Arcturus chronology | ||||
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My Angel is an EP and the debut release by Norwegian avant-garde metal band Arcturus. It was released on 7" vinyl [1] on 8 July 1991, through the record label Putrifaction Records. [2] The EP is notable for being one of the earliest releases to be labelled symphonic black metal.
Arcturus's first work published on an actual record label, My Angel represents a halfway point between band leader Steinar Sverd Johnsen's original project Mortem, a death metal band, and Arcturus's later symphonic black metal and avant-garde metal albums. Although symphonic metal and black metal elements are evident throughout the EP, the overall style is gloomy, down-tempo death/doom metal with low, growled vocals by Mortem's vocalist Marius Vold. Although the songs are simplistic compared to Arcturus' later works, traces of what would become the band's signature style are evident.
My Angel was released with three different cover colors: green, yellow and blue. It is unknown how much of each were printed, but 1100 copies of the EP were printed in total.
Along with four other Norwegian bands this EP was later repackaged as the True Kings of Norway compilation in 2000 by Spikefarm Records
Joel McIver, author of Extreme Metal II, described the album as "a dark work focusing less on traditional black metal fury than on the ambient bombastics of the synths." [3]
Emperor is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1991, regarded as highly influential by critics and emerging black metal bands. The group split up in 2001, but reunited from 2005 to 2007 for a few festival dates and brief US tours, and again reunited in 2013 to 2014. Emperor reformed for the third time in 2016. The group was founded by Ihsahn (guitar/vocal) and Samoth.
Peccatum was an avant-garde metal band from Norway. Their influences range from black metal, progressive metal, industrial music, symphonic metal and gothic metal to European classical music and contemporary music.
The Kovenant is a Norwegian industrial metal band from Hamar. The band originally formed as a symphonic black metal act known as Covenant in 1993, but in 1999 were forced to change their name to The Kovenant due to a dispute with a Swedish electronic band of the same name. The band's name change also marked a change in sound/style as well, as the band from there on began to focus more on an aggrotech/industrial metal sound heavily influenced by Europe's EBM scene. Despite their style change, The Kovenant did however later reissue their early albums under The Kovenant name.
Arcturus is a Norwegian avant-garde black metal band formed in 1991. Their name, which means "Bear Guardian", references the Behenian fixed star Arcturus.
Season of Mist is an independent record label and record distributor with subsidiaries in France and the United States. The record label was founded in 1996 by Michael S. Berberian in Marseille, France. From the start releasing black metal, pagan metal and death metal records, the label moved on to releasing albums of avant-garde metal, gothic metal and punk bands as well. The label has two offices, one in Marseille, France and one in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Sham Mirrors is the third studio album by Norwegian avant-garde metal band Arcturus. It was released on April 9, 2002.
Jan Axel Blomberg is a Norwegian heavy metal drummer, known professionally as Hellhammer. He is best known as the drummer of Mayhem, which he joined in 1988. In 1987 Blomberg formed the avant-garde black metal band Arcturus with Steinar Sverd Johnsen, which broke up in April 2007 and reunited in 2011. He named himself after the Swiss extreme metal band Hellhammer. Praised as a talented musician, Blomberg is a three-time winner of the Spellemannprisen award.
Arcturian is the fifth studio album by the Norwegian avant-garde metal band Arcturus. It was released on May 8, 2015 and was the first album by the band in ten years. The album features Simen "ICS Vortex" Hestnæs as the principal vocalist. The first single for the album, "The Arcturian Sign", was released on March 27, 2015.
Sideshow Symphonies is the fourth studio album by the Norwegian avant-garde metal band Arcturus. It was released on 19 September 2005. It is the first to feature Simen "ICS Vortex" Hestnæs as the principal vocalist and Tore Moren as second guitarist, as well as the first Arcturus album released by Season of Mist. It marks yet another change in Arcturus' sound, with a cold, dreamy aesthetic featuring relatively quiet guitars, more prominent vocals, and a slightly reduced use of synthesizers.
Nexus Polaris is the second studio album by the Norwegian metal band Covenant, and was released in 1998 through Nuclear Blast.
Fleurety is a Norwegian avant-garde metal band. The band was formed in 1991 by Svein Egil Hatlevik and Alexander Nordgaren.
Simen Hestnæs, better known by his stage name I.C.S. Vortex or simply Vortex, is a Norwegian musician. He is the vocalist of the similarly named band ICS Vortex, the avant-garde metal band Arcturus, and the doom metal band Lamented Souls. He is also the vocalist and bass guitarist to the progressive black metal band Borknagar, and the former bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir.
Department of Apocalyptic Affairs is the second album by the Norwegian avant-garde metal band Fleurety. The band used many guest musicians from the Norwegian music scene.
The Shadowthrone is the second studio album by Norwegian black metal band Satyricon. It was released on 12 September 1994, through Moonfog Productions.
Aspera Hiems Symfonia is the debut studio album by the Norwegian avant-garde metal band Arcturus. Aspera is the only black metal album Arcturus released, though it still contains many of the experimental elements that would be expanded upon on their following albums, which saw the band shift permanently into the genres of avant-garde and progressive metal. Four of the album's songs are re-recorded versions of tracks from the Constellation EP, whereas the other four are new songs.
Disguised Masters is a compilation album by the Norwegian avant-garde metal band Arcturus. The album has two new songs: "White Tie Black Noise" and "Deception Genesis". Other tracks are re-mixed versions of songs from La Masquerade Infernale and "Du Nordavind" from Aspera Hiems Symfonia. Some songs received particularly significant overhauls, such as the gangsta rap version of "Master of Disguise". Due to the significant changes to several of the band's songs, it is not a typical compilation album, and is therefore more suited to existing fans of the band than new listeners.
Steinar Sverd Johnsen is a Norwegian keyboardist and composer, born 1972. Sverd plays keyboards and synthesizers in Arcturus and was also the main composer for the band. He formed the band with Jan Axel Blomberg of Mayhem in 1987, originally under the moniker Mortem. The band split up in April 2007, but reformed in 2011.
My Own Wolf: A New Approach to Ulver is a tribute album to the Norwegian band Ulver. It features twenty-six different artists from around the world covering material from almost every Ulver release, ranging from the demo Vargnatt up through the album Blood Inside.
Constellation is the first EP released by Norwegian experimental black metal band Arcturus. It was released on CD on 14 August 1994, through the record label Nocturnal Art Productions, limited to 500 copies. The EP is the band's only release with guitarist/bassist Samoth, who was sentenced to 16 months in prison for his role in the arson of Skjold Church in Vindafjord, and the first with Ulver frontman Kristoffer Rygg on vocals, a position he would hold until his departure in 2002.