For those unfamilar with Arcturus

[Claus / Intromental]

you kinda wanna see why their gamechanger album (LMI) was such a ridiculously progressive step forward from their beginnings (the Constellation era of Arcturus. AHS was in itself a fairly unconventional Norwegian Black Metal album of the 1990s, but you could still recognize it as NBM.

I think I can use an analogy with Faith No More here.

Constellation/Reconstellation is their WCAL
Aspera Hiems Symphonia is their Introduce Yourself
The Sham Mirrors is their The Real Thing
Sideways is their K4AD,F4aLt/AotY

Disguised Masters is their Songs To Make Love to ep
but LMI is clearly their Angel Dust.

There's this total "Fuck You All We're moving forward with or without you" design, which confused the mainstream.

I LOVE that album, but it's not the right one to give to a newbie.

I don't agree with you very often Ben, but this one I'm 100% on board with.

"LMI" is definitely not an album to throw at a newbie. It's such a strange album for sure.

"TSM" is a brilliant album and would serve best as starting point into Arcturus' music.

And while "AHS" is more rooted in the black metal genres, it is also very much a guitarists wet dream album. Carl August' guitar work on that disc is amazing. Those power/prog fans that likes good guitar worship should definitely be able to get into "AHS" even if there are black metal vocals and stuff...

c.

 

[BenMech]

Sure. However, I would not introduce a newbie via a black metal album at all. The vocals will kill it for them before they even give it a chance. Hell, it did for me. In fact, the dvd doesn't even represent tha era of the band and that is what I would expect at the fest.

Remember who your target audience is....

Why babycoddle them? It's like saying all Opeth sounds like Damnation because that's the first thing they hear. It's misrepresentation, which leads to distrust of the real thing, if you will.

Black metal is part of their sound/history. EMBRACE THAT! If the audience can't handle it, they're pretty immature. Based on your taste and promotional instinct, you know what they need, even when they don't claim to want it. Kinda like a parent tending their young kid who needs to learn to like vegetables or whatever good eats.

 

[Harvester]

Black metal is part of their sound/history. EMBRACE THAT! If the audience can't handle it, they're pretty immature. Based on your taste and promotional instinct, you know what they need, even when they don't claim to want it. Kinda like a parent tending their young kid who needs to learn to like vegetables or whatever good eats.

And thus, the reason you are not a promoter.

 

[BenMech]

Nor do I ask to be

Doesn't stop me from admiring your work, Glenn.

Just sayuing I don't have the . . .patience you try to allow.