MY ANGEL (VINYL)

This isn't the music you'd listen to before going to bed...

Arcturus, one of the most popular artists in modern Progressive Music have managed to progress amazingly well. None of their releases, unless you count Constellation which sounded a lot like its successor(obviously), were similar at all, meaning mood, sound, as well as feel. My Angel, a really short EP released before the arrival of Garm, with a line-up of three people, two of which would never leave the group(Hellhammer on drums, and main composer keyboardist Sverd who also plays the guitars on this album), doesn't show the group's bright future at all, however, it already reveals the existence of a Norwegian group that isn't afraid to stay away from generic ideas in the air at the time but create their own unique music instead.

The title track My Angel opens the album. It doesn't sound like anything I have ever heard in my life. Describing the 'feel' of the sound is impossible for that reason, but those of you into Funeral Doom should know what it is the closest comparison here. It is a minimalistic, even ambient track with good bass parts, atmospheric appropriately touched keyboards, Hellhammer's neat drumming and vocals full of despair(they're artificial though). The lyrics here are even more minimalistic than the music itself repeating the cheesy line I need you, I love you, you're my angel over and over. What I'm describing doesn't sound pleasant and this really isn't a song one would enjoy. This is really a disturbing journey through a sick desperate mind, and one should listen it to fully form an opinion, although you can't deny it is the most disgusting, scariest 6 minutes of music created on Earth. Morax is the only other track here, very inchohensive and more aggressive than the title track. Some of the moments here hint on what would come later - in fact, I can guess that they returned to this song during their career to take away some parts and form into others. It is interesting because of its historical value, but as a whole is terribly crafted. Sverd plays the guitars here as well, although different people would perform the guitar duties on the other Arcturus albums.

What is left to say is that I simply have no idea how I would rate this album. I could give it any rating from one to four stars that wouldn't really contradict my opinion on the release, however, I've decided to give it the worst rating since nobody would search for this album on his own, since it was released for about 1000 copies more than 10 years ago, and also because it was later remastered and re-released on Aspera Heims Symfonia/Constellation/My Angel(with two others albums), which I suggest for your pre-La Masquerade Infernale Arcturus needs. Interesting, but I am no longer surprised to hear that nobody wants to re- experience this album after listening to it once. I feel strangely tempted to listen to it from time to time, so you can say it is fascinating enough.

"My Angel" is the first official release by Norwegian black metal act Arcturus after they changed their name from Mortem. "My Angel" is a two-song, 12:22 minute long vinyl EP. It was released through Putrefaction Records in 1991. The EP was re-released in 2000 by Spikefarm Records as part of a compilation called "True Kings of Norway" along with early EPs by four other Norwegian black metal bands (Emperor, Immortal, Dimmu Borgir and Ancient). The EP is also included on the Arcturus compilation album "Aspera Hiems Symfonia/Constellation/My Angel (2002)" which was released by Candlelight Records. The lineup for this EP consisted of Marius Vold (vocals, Bass), Steiner Sverd Johnsen (Keyboards, Guitars) and Hellhammer (Drums).

The music on "My Angel" is not yet in the symphonic/avant garde keyboard driven black metal style that Arcturus are mostly known for on later releases. It´s more a slow and repetitive type of death metal. The keyboards provide the music with an almost horror movie like quality at times. The title track features some goth elements too. The vocals on the EP are growls.

The musicianship on the EP are decent. Nothing special or too creative are going on but it´s not bad either. The sound production is a bit murky but again it´s not bad. Upon conclusion "My Angel" is probably mostly of interest to the hardcore fans of the band but it is also an interesting insight into what happened on the early Norwegian black metal scene of the nineties (where most of the bands had strong death metal leanings). I find it more of a curiosity than anything though and a 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted.