Arcturus (band)

Arcturus is a Norwegian avant-garde/progressive metal band formed in 1991. They have continuously experimented throughout their career, drawing influences and incorporating elements from a wide range of musical styles, including black metal and classical music, while maintaining their roots as a metal outfit. The band wears what are described as "flamboyant" costumes by Kenny Schticky of MetalSucks, who described their style as "an acquired taste". The band has released five official full-length albums. They have shared band members with Mayhem, Ulver, Dimmu Borgir. AllMusic stated that "with their full-length debut, Arcturus proved that they are some of the best black metallers of the late '90s." Bryan Reesman of AllMusic stated the opinion that the band's album Aspera Hiems Symfonia was one of the best metal releases of all time, describing it as "a graceful mixture of classical majesty and black-metal brooding and aggression." The following album La Masquerade Infernale abandons death growls and shrieks in favor of heavy metal singing that Marc van der Pol of AllMusic called "semi-operatic". The album includes instrumental tracks, jungle beats, and other sounds that have drawn comparisons to industrial music.