"who never became "more" than a metal band"

oh, I have to disagree with that. There is no band that even sounds close to them in times like "La Masquerade Infernale". It might be metal but it is very unusual stuff. And don't forget the "Deception Genesis". That was to that time even more out of order than Ulver. (I know, a remix album...but still).

Disguised Masters is a great album rife with mind-blowing renditions and technical examinations, true enough. A groundbreaking work in its context.

arg... "Disguised Masters" of course.

♫ ♪ I had too much to work last night. Too much to work... ♪ ♫

Heh, you too are addicted to that? Definitely that psyche-covers album needs to exist. Soon.

And the Sunn O)))-Album, and the Nattens Madrigal and the Black Metal Comeback-Album

So...girlfriend arrives, amusement starts.

Have a good weekend guys!

Just relax.

OK, Arcturus went from being visionaries in the late 90's to an ecclectic theatrical metal band after Rygg left. Still unique throughout their career, of course. But what I meant is that they, besides the remix album, never really left the metal scene. Just like, for example, Solefald, a band that also hovers on the fringes of the metal scene, but still is a part of it. Which isn't a bad thing in itself, but from that perspective, it makes them hard to compare them to Ulver.

Listening to the album a second time, I'm more and more starting to feel that abandoning earlier songs for the benefit of the new album on stage was a necessity for them; since Ulver has always been more of a process-based band, the new album feels more like a result of what they experienced touring - as mentioned, the new album has a sound that collects much of what they have been doing sound-wise the past perhaps ten years, and the process of recreating their old works live molded them into one form - the result of that form is Wars of the Roses, which they now perform in its totality (or so I'm told).

Plus, I think Kris Rygg is having troubles with his back (damn ironic considering his name): qouth a guy on their facebook wall who apparently met them at a venue:

- Hard to sing and perform with energy if your back is hurting. Perhaps an explanation.

I don't think so - Sideshow Symphonies is a good album and ICS Vortex is as good as Garm. Also his lyrics are much more clearer and interesting (for me).

Well I have to say something different about what I have readed here. I enjoyed a lot their show in Koko, maybe just because I was really close to the stage and I had all my vision covered by the performance.
It is truth that they made some strange things during the show, such as they finished a song of their new album in a nonprofessional way: Garm said he had a problem with his headphone, I really disliked that. And during the last song they made a kind of an ambient loop, that it wasn't well looped. Anyway I enjoyed their show and their visuals, even more than in Hellfest last year.