Arcturus – Sideshow Symphonies
Season of Mist – SOM100 – September 20th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
“Always change. Never stay the same.” That’s not exactly how the phrase goes, but
Arcturus decided to follow its advice anyway. On
Sideshow Symphonies, just like every release by this supergroup, a bevy of changes have been instated. The most controversial being Garm/Trickster G. Rex (
Ulver, ex-
Borknagar) handing over the microphone to Vortex (
Dimmu Borgir, ex-
Borknagar). As for me, I’ve loved everything
Arcturus has released, and
The Sham Mirrors nearly topped my 2002 year-end list.
Sideshow Symphonies, I’m sorry to say, is much weaker than the other links in this chain.
Fans would be up in arms if certain characteristics didn’t migrate from album to album, so rest assured that plenty of nuances are in full force on the latest record. For instance, the carnival-like atmosphere and synthesizers make cameo appearances time and again, Hellhammer’s (
Mayhem,
Age of Silence,
Winds) drumming is less captivating but still present, and the overall
Arcturus “sound” pervades every single composition. Debatably, the greatest triumph of
Sideshow Symphonies is Vortex’s return to the vocal forefront, as his talents simply command a frontman’s post. Alas, he’s not as dynamic as I recall him being on previous recordings, but he is a welcome addition nevertheless. I do miss Garm, though. The music, understandably, aligns itself with
The Sham Mirrors: spacey, keyboard-heavy instrumentation is punctuated by whimsical vocals, masterful drumming, and a fucked up presentation. While
The Sham Mirrors was composed of seven, individual masterpieces,
Sideshow Symphones is comprised of none, despite select tracks being unsurprisingly solid. In brief: the disc is just a weaker affair, especially when held up to the supergroup’s past excursions.
It’s true that
Arcturus are complex, and thus not immediately likeable, but
Sideshow Symphonies was a letdown for me. The band haven’t strayed too much from the formulas they used upwards of five years ago (the beginning of the recording of
The Sham Mirrors, which was ultimately finished in ’02). However, the inspiration, or pizzazz, or whatever it can be labeled, took too many smoke breaks during this Norwegian recording. Hardly essential, but those in awe of the group’s most recent output should give it
at least one listen.
7.5/10
Official Arcturus Website
Official Season of Mist Website
