#arcturus — Public Fediverse posts

5 Celestial Wonders In The Largest 2D Map of Universe Created By DESI Legacy Imaging Survey: In Pics

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://in.mashable.com/science/112802/5-celestial-wonders-in-the-largest-2d-map-of-universe-created-by-desi-legacy-imaging-survey-in-pics

5 Celestial Wonders In The Largest 2D Map of Universe Created By DESI Legacy Imaging Survey: In Pics

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://in.mashable.com/science/112802/5-celestial-wonders-in-the-largest-2d-map-of-universe-created-by-desi-legacy-imaging-survey-in-pics

Stars becoming visible in the evening sky as seen from the mountains of southern New Mexico.

Brilliant Venus is in the lower left quadrant and is the brightest object in the frame.

Along the left edge is the star Spica in the constellation Virgo.

Along the upper edge, left of center is the star Arcturus, and the Big Dipper is in the upper right quadrant.

The lights of the village of La Luz are sprinkled along the floor of the Tularosa basin.

#NewMexico #Evening #Twilight #Photography #Astrophotography #Venus #Spica #Virgo #Arcturus #BigDipper

Stars becoming visible in the evening sky as seen from the mountains of southern New Mexico.

Brilliant Venus is in the lower left quadrant and is the brightest object in the frame.

Along the left edge is the star Spica in the constellation Virgo.

Along the upper edge, left of center is the star Arcturus, and the Big Dipper is in the upper right quadrant.

The lights of the village of La Luz are sprinkled along the floor of the Tularosa basin.

#NewMexico #Evening #Twilight #Photography #Astrophotography #Venus #Spica #Virgo #Arcturus #BigDipper

Critique requires work. This is a truth understood by the AMG reviewer, Hegel, and Labor of the Negative. An international black metal project, Labor of the Negative derives its name from Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit, which posits said labor as a cognitive antidote to romantic truths found via intuition. Not content to let Hegel be the only George Friedrich they cite, the band references The Triumph of Time and Disillusion, a Händel oratorio, for the title of their debut. Arriving via I, Voidhanger Records—the perfect home for Labor of the Negative’s heady brand of avant-garde black metal—the album draws philosophical inspiration from more than Hegel: Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, and especially Durkheim (as we’ll see).1 But I’ll be sticking with Hegel, letting his infamous dialectic—thesis, antithesis, synthesis—guide my analysis and evaluation of The Triumph of Time and the Disillusioned.

But first, some context. Boasting members from Portugal, the UK, Norway, and Egypt, Labor of the Negative cross-reference genre luminaries in assembling their own bizarre bricolage. Claiming roots in the avant-garde black metal of Virus, Arcturus, and Dødheimsgard, guitarist S. and drummer T.Z. lay a foundation of trem riffs and blast beasts, phaser-drenched disso-melodies and double-bass-fueled tom-work. Thankfully, bassist J.H. doesn’t get lost in the mix, especially in making pulsating shifts from menacing to jazzy gears. In these softer sections, brass instrumentation (presumably from guest musician S.L.) takes the spotlight, giving this otherwise chaotic album a counterbalancing sultriness.2 The artsiness of The Triumph of Time and the Disillusioned, however, primarily stems from the deranged vocals of M., who screams, howls, shouts, grunts, and coughs. M.’s performance, wielding the human voice as an abrasively multifaceted instrument, reminds me of how A Forest of Stars and Portal similarly embrace alienating vocals. Not as alienating as one might expect is the production, feeling legibly claustrophobic during the black metal maelstroms and organically spacious during the jazzy reprieves. The guitars do get a little buried at times, and snare pops occasionally prickle the ear. Nevertheless, The Triumph of Time and the Disillusioned succeeds at sounding like sculpted estrangement.

Turning now to my Hegelian thesis means turning to The Triumph of Time and the Disillusioned as a whole. Holistically, the album provides a mostly enjoyable experience, considering its subgenre. At 7 tracks in 34 minutes, Labor of the Negative smartly chose to make their debut a concise burst of avant-garde black metal. Six successive “Epoché”s structure The Triumph of Time, each being of similar, digestible lengths (4–6 minutes). An instrumental interlude (“151 – The Eternal Present and the Endless Dream”) breaks up the procession of epochs with feedbacky noise and variegated drumming. The album consistently ebbs and flows between scathing black metal and soothing jazz breaks that open (“Epoché II”), close (“Epoché IV”), and bridge (“Epoché III”) the madness. While this interplay keeps the album sonically dynamic, it also becomes a bit formulaic.

This holistic predictability leads us to my antithesis. When pressed upon, none of the individual tracks on The Triumph of Time and the Disillusioned stand out. Pre-release single “Epoché III” comes closest, with its eerie guitar shimmers and adventurous key changes. But ultimately, the album feels less like a sequencing of memorable songs and more like a collection of cool moments: the squealing brass solo in opener “Epoché I” comes to mind, as does the concluding drumroll of “Epoché VI.” One might think that diving into The Triumph of Time’s concept can clarify how the parts contribute to the whole. Alas, my exploration of the lyrics created more confusion. According to my research, “Epoché IV” twice cites Durkheim to convey crises of belonging and aimlessness. How this relates to a succession of epochs, or a fourth epoch in particular, I am unsure.3

Synthesizing the good album experience and the disappointing songwriting, The Triumph of Time and the Disillusioned ultimately landed for me as a mixed affair. While I never truly disliked any time I spent with Labor of the Negative’s debut, I also never found myself desiring to further unpack this album that, seemingly, invites unpacking. Fans of avant-garde black metal, however, should give The Triumph of Time a go. M.’s maniacal vocals strike me as a worthy intervention into the genre, as does T.Z.’s dexterous drumming. With more ears, perhaps the fruit of this international collective’s labor might positively reveal itself.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: I, Voidhanger Records
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: August 7th, 2026

Critique requires work. This is a truth understood by the AMG reviewer, Hegel, and Labor of the Negative. An international black metal project, Labor of the Negative derives its name from Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit, which posits said labor as a cognitive antidote to romantic truths found via intuition. Not content to let Hegel be the only George Friedrich they cite, the band references The Triumph of Time and Disillusion, a Händel oratorio, for the title of their debut. Arriving via I, Voidhanger Records—the perfect home for Labor of the Negative’s heady brand of avant-garde black metal—the album draws philosophical inspiration from more than Hegel: Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, and especially Durkheim (as we’ll see).1 But I’ll be sticking with Hegel, letting his infamous dialectic—thesis, antithesis, synthesis—guide my analysis and evaluation of The Triumph of Time and the Disillusioned.

But first, some context. Boasting members from Portugal, the UK, Norway, and Egypt, Labor of the Negative cross-reference genre luminaries in assembling their own bizarre bricolage. Claiming roots in the avant-garde black metal of Virus, Arcturus, and Dødheimsgard, guitarist S. and drummer T.Z. lay a foundation of trem riffs and blast beasts, phaser-drenched disso-melodies and double-bass-fueled tom-work. Thankfully, bassist J.H. doesn’t get lost in the mix, especially in making pulsating shifts from menacing to jazzy gears. In these softer sections, brass instrumentation (presumably from guest musician S.L.) takes the spotlight, giving this otherwise chaotic album a counterbalancing sultriness.2 The artsiness of The Triumph of Time and the Disillusioned, however, primarily stems from the deranged vocals of M., who screams, howls, shouts, grunts, and coughs. M.’s performance, wielding the human voice as an abrasively multifaceted instrument, reminds me of how A Forest of Stars and Portal similarly embrace alienating vocals. Not as alienating as one might expect is the production, feeling legibly claustrophobic during the black metal maelstroms and organically spacious during the jazzy reprieves. The guitars do get a little buried at times, and snare pops occasionally prickle the ear. Nevertheless, The Triumph of Time and the Disillusioned succeeds at sounding like sculpted estrangement.

Turning now to my Hegelian thesis means turning to The Triumph of Time and the Disillusioned as a whole. Holistically, the album provides a mostly enjoyable experience, considering its subgenre. At 7 tracks in 34 minutes, Labor of the Negative smartly chose to make their debut a concise burst of avant-garde black metal. Six successive “Epoché”s structure The Triumph of Time, each being of similar, digestible lengths (4–6 minutes). An instrumental interlude (“151 – The Eternal Present and the Endless Dream”) breaks up the procession of epochs with feedbacky noise and variegated drumming. The album consistently ebbs and flows between scathing black metal and soothing jazz breaks that open (“Epoché II”), close (“Epoché IV”), and bridge (“Epoché III”) the madness. While this interplay keeps the album sonically dynamic, it also becomes a bit formulaic.

This holistic predictability leads us to my antithesis. When pressed upon, none of the individual tracks on The Triumph of Time and the Disillusioned stand out. Pre-release single “Epoché III” comes closest, with its eerie guitar shimmers and adventurous key changes. But ultimately, the album feels less like a sequencing of memorable songs and more like a collection of cool moments: the squealing brass solo in opener “Epoché I” comes to mind, as does the concluding drumroll of “Epoché VI.” One might think that diving into The Triumph of Time’s concept can clarify how the parts contribute to the whole. Alas, my exploration of the lyrics created more confusion. According to my research, “Epoché IV” twice cites Durkheim to convey crises of belonging and aimlessness. How this relates to a succession of epochs, or a fourth epoch in particular, I am unsure.3

Synthesizing the good album experience and the disappointing songwriting, The Triumph of Time and the Disillusioned ultimately landed for me as a mixed affair. While I never truly disliked any time I spent with Labor of the Negative’s debut, I also never found myself desiring to further unpack this album that, seemingly, invites unpacking. Fans of avant-garde black metal, however, should give The Triumph of Time a go. M.’s maniacal vocals strike me as a worthy intervention into the genre, as does T.Z.’s dexterous drumming. With more ears, perhaps the fruit of this international collective’s labor might positively reveal itself.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: I, Voidhanger Records
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: August 7th, 2026

O joy! What an honor and privilege to have witnessed so much! Day four of #beyondthegatesfestival started with a high for us thanks to the always excellent #gaahlswyrd #arcturus and #alcest We expected #emperor to close the festival in style but frankly we were not prepared to be awed so much. Majestic, powerful, sometimes going for the jugular, this was Emperor at its very best, #blackmetal royalty showing what it’s all about from the early days to the more progressive parts of its catalogue. Seeing Faust and Mortiis on stage made the whole thing even more brilliant. We left #grieghallen whistling tunes and smiling like idiots.

Now here’s a band with pedigree! Norway’s black metal squad Mortem have been around since 1987, right at the forefront of the infamous second wave. Though their heyday produced only the Slow Death demo and their debut record, Ravnsvart, took until 2019 to release, their individual band members have kept themselves busy. Consisting of guitarist/keyboardist Steinar Sverd Johnsen, vocalist Marius Vold, drummer Jan “Hellhammer” Blomberg, and newcomer bassist Tor Stavenes, Mortem’s genealogy traces lines through the likes of Mayhem, Arcturus, Thorns, 1349, Emperor, and way too many other bands. Now, almost forty years since their inception, Mortem are unleashing their sophomore album Mørketid, promising in their promo “eight tracks of savage, eerie, and often epic black metal.” Will Mortem’s collective experience translate to top-shelf black metal, or will Mørketid’s time under the sun be short-lived?

“Mørketid” is the Norwegian word for polar night, where the sun stays below the horizon for weeks during the winter months. It’s an eerie time that Mortem capture well on Mørketid. Between the persistent tremolos and rasps across Mørketid, an unsettling and understated melody gives the project an uncanny feel. Mortem’s keyboard presence does a lot for Mørketid’s texture, bestowing a creepy music box melody to “Aftermath” and a beefy Dimmu Borgir symphonic gothicness to “Ditt Ødes Ære.” But overall, if you’ve heard Mayhem’s early stuff, you know what to expect from Mortem. Buzzsaw guitars, phlegmy rasps, and drawn-out staggering through the dark are the name of the game here, highlighted on songs like “The Mighty Odious” and “Mørkets Ormebol.” Mortem have been around long enough to get these fundamentals down pat.

Though Mortem clearly put in the work, there are yet few standout performances on Mørketid. Outside of some surprisingly shreddy solos across Mørketid’s back end (“Den Sanne Gud,” “Aftermath”), Johnsen’s riffs are murky and standard-issue black metal, and while I appreciate Stavenes’ pronounced bass presence and the punchiness that comes with it (“Skyggeånd”), it nonetheless stays too firmly in the pocket. Similarly, Vold’s rasps are thick and gritty but rarely venture off from his slow-n-low mode, making his vocal presence seep into the background. Johnsen’s keyboards and Hellhammer’s drumming deserve note, however, as spidery key runs on “Mørketid” and “Mørkets Ormebol” do the heavy lifting in building mood and identity on their tracks, and shifting grooves and blasts all across Mørketid are its most varied and exciting asset. Mortem’s songwriting approach likely contributes to the muted performances: they’re hellbent for murk. But Mortem have ludicrous talent in their ranks, and I think a few more standout moments would’ve easily elevated Mørketid.

And therein lies Mørketid’s biggest issue: memorability. Besides “Blodvassen Grunn,” where Mortem open the blinds a smidge for a touch of lightness in their style, Mørketid is monotonously dark. Over-repetition plagues many of Mørketid’s tracks, watering down the vitality of songs like “Mørkets Ormebol” and “Skyggeånd” while inflating Mørketid’s runtime. None of Mortem’s songs are extraordinarily long, sitting around four to six minutes on average, but I often found myself checking the time halfway through each song anyway. Production owns some of the blame here; though everything’s clearly audible, everything sounds crushed and undynamic, wearing on both the ears and mind. There are times when Mortem flirt with variety, like the darkly groovy second half of “Aftermath” and the time “Den Sanne Gud” gets quiet and threatens to veer into an Iron Maiden epic,1 but these are few and far between on Mørketid. I don’t think I can give high marks to something I can’t remember after many listens.

It’s crazy to think that a band whose line-up is as storied as Mortem’s could struggle with a sophomore slump this far into their career, but here we are. Mørketid isn’t a bad record, but one that’s played too safely to truly stand out. Production issues and monotonous songwriting knock it down a notch further. Mortem occupy a space in metal’s history where a subpar record isn’t going to blemish their legacy. They were instrumental in founding one of its most iconic sub-genres. But Mørketid wasn’t released in 1987, and so has to stand up against the scores of other black metal releases from the decades since then. Sadly, it doesn’t.

Rating: Disappointing
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps MP3
Label: Peaceville Records
Websites: facebook.com/mortemnorway | bandcamp.com/album/morketid
Releases Worldwide: July 3rd, 2026

Now here’s a band with pedigree! Norway’s black metal squad Mortem have been around since 1987, right at the forefront of the infamous second wave. Though their heyday produced only the Slow Death demo and their debut record, Ravnsvart, took until 2019 to release, their individual band members have kept themselves busy. Consisting of guitarist/keyboardist Steinar Sverd Johnsen, vocalist Marius Vold, drummer Jan “Hellhammer” Blomberg, and newcomer bassist Tor Stavenes, Mortem’s genealogy traces lines through the likes of Mayhem, Arcturus, Thorns, 1349, Emperor, and way too many other bands. Now, almost forty years since their inception, Mortem are unleashing their sophomore album Mørketid, promising in their promo “eight tracks of savage, eerie, and often epic black metal.” Will Mortem’s collective experience translate to top-shelf black metal, or will Mørketid’s time under the sun be short-lived?

“Mørketid” is the Norwegian word for polar night, where the sun stays below the horizon for weeks during the winter months. It’s an eerie time that Mortem capture well on Mørketid. Between the persistent tremolos and rasps across Mørketid, an unsettling and understated melody gives the project an uncanny feel. Mortem’s keyboard presence does a lot for Mørketid’s texture, bestowing a creepy music box melody to “Aftermath” and a beefy Dimmu Borgir symphonic gothicness to “Ditt Ødes Ære.” But overall, if you’ve heard Mayhem’s early stuff, you know what to expect from Mortem. Buzzsaw guitars, phlegmy rasps, and drawn-out staggering through the dark are the name of the game here, highlighted on songs like “The Mighty Odious” and “Mørkets Ormebol.” Mortem have been around long enough to get these fundamentals down pat.

Though Mortem clearly put in the work, there are yet few standout performances on Mørketid. Outside of some surprisingly shreddy solos across Mørketid’s back end (“Den Sanne Gud,” “Aftermath”), Johnsen’s riffs are murky and standard-issue black metal, and while I appreciate Stavenes’ pronounced bass presence and the punchiness that comes with it (“Skyggeånd”), it nonetheless stays too firmly in the pocket. Similarly, Vold’s rasps are thick and gritty but rarely venture off from his slow-n-low mode, making his vocal presence seep into the background. Johnsen’s keyboards and Hellhammer’s drumming deserve note, however, as spidery key runs on “Mørketid” and “Mørkets Ormebol” do the heavy lifting in building mood and identity on their tracks, and shifting grooves and blasts all across Mørketid are its most varied and exciting asset. Mortem’s songwriting approach likely contributes to the muted performances: they’re hellbent for murk. But Mortem have ludicrous talent in their ranks, and I think a few more standout moments would’ve easily elevated Mørketid.

And therein lies Mørketid’s biggest issue: memorability. Besides “Blodvassen Grunn,” where Mortem open the blinds a smidge for a touch of lightness in their style, Mørketid is monotonously dark. Over-repetition plagues many of Mørketid’s tracks, watering down the vitality of songs like “Mørkets Ormebol” and “Skyggeånd” while inflating Mørketid’s runtime. None of Mortem’s songs are extraordinarily long, sitting around four to six minutes on average, but I often found myself checking the time halfway through each song anyway. Production owns some of the blame here; though everything’s clearly audible, everything sounds crushed and undynamic, wearing on both the ears and mind. There are times when Mortem flirt with variety, like the darkly groovy second half of “Aftermath” and the time “Den Sanne Gud” gets quiet and threatens to veer into an Iron Maiden epic,1 but these are few and far between on Mørketid. I don’t think I can give high marks to something I can’t remember after many listens.

It’s crazy to think that a band whose line-up is as storied as Mortem’s could struggle with a sophomore slump this far into their career, but here we are. Mørketid isn’t a bad record, but one that’s played too safely to truly stand out. Production issues and monotonous songwriting knock it down a notch further. Mortem occupy a space in metal’s history where a subpar record isn’t going to blemish their legacy. They were instrumental in founding one of its most iconic sub-genres. But Mørketid wasn’t released in 1987, and so has to stand up against the scores of other black metal releases from the decades since then. Sadly, it doesn’t.

Rating: Disappointing
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps MP3
Label: Peaceville Records
Websites: facebook.com/mortemnorway | bandcamp.com/album/morketid
Releases Worldwide: July 3rd, 2026

I initially stumbled across Germany’s Maladie last year with the fifth installment of their Symptoms EP series and immediately fell for their sax-forward, avant-garde black metal. A quick glimpse through Maladie’s back catalog revealed how late I was to the game. Formed in 2009, the band has already released seven full-lengths and five EPs since 2012. Now, eighth LP The Dance of Tragedies is upon us, continuing Maladie’s magnificently nutty approach to black metal by braiding strands of diverse aural fabrics into a singular tapestry that’s far-reaching, fascinating, and fancifully fun. Yet we mustn’t take for granted that just because a band does many things well, they’ve avoided pitfalls along the way. Does Maladie juke major missteps during The Dance of Tragedies?

My first time through The Dance of Tragedies was both exactly what I anticipated from Maladie and an abrupt detonation of my expectations. The outfit’s signature sound persists, finding Hauke Peters slinging the sax with soulful swagger while the rest of the band skitters between full-on black metal fury (the end of “Vortex of Monotony”), AOR tunefulness (“Behind All Suns”), and brief flashes of electronica (“Embrace Our Curse”). The brooding intensity rife throughout Symptoms V subsides on The Dance of Tragedies, dispensing understated moments of levity that delightfully buoy the music in sharp contrast with Maladie’s typically self-serious style.1 This direction surprised me, and though it took several listens to fully digest the album, the result is beautifully refreshing.

As usual, performances across The Dance of Tragedies captivate with titillating zeal. The multi-pronged vocal attack cuts with a serrated edge via emotive cleans, dry barks, and some of the phlegmiest rasps I’ve heard this side of Stenched (“Vortex of Monotony”). Shared by Alexander Wenz and Déhà, the primary vocals inhabit unconventional stylings alongside traditional ones. “Vortex of Monotony” features several variants, including a hip-hop flavored spoken word in the latter half, while “The Dance of Tragedies” runs a marathon of deliveries that keeps The Dance of Tragedies handsomely off-kilter. Björn Köppler plays jack-of-all-trades, supplying chameleonic drums alongside sundry keys and strings, while Déhà contributes even more keys in addition to singing.2 Köppler and Alex Spalvieri share guitar duties, mostly strumming in tasteful restraint while sporadically unfettering a few bars of unbridled shredding (“Too Old to Die”) before yielding the spotlight to other instruments. In totality, The Dance of Tragedies enthralls with an assortment of performances that pulse with intrigue and vivacity, transporting listeners to a vibrant world all Maladie’s own.

Not uncommon for Maladie, The Dance of Tragedies clears the seventy-minute mark without feeling overlong. Sections of lengthier tracks, particularly “The Unknowable” and “On Inaccessible Paths, Pt. II,” dabble in passages that extend to the brink of their charm, yet never run out of gas. I credit this to Maladie’s exploration of atmosphere as they allow rippling riffs and melodies to play out like a stone cast into the middle of a lake, where the ensuing furrows stretch across the smooth horizon until they run their course. Bolstering the momentum of The Dance of Tragedies is the vast array of sounds the band conjures. The refrain played midway through “The Unknowable” reminds me of Mossgiver’s “The Cleansing Waters,” “Behind All Suns” summons comparisons to Hail Spirit Noir, and “Embrace Our Curse” and “On Inaccessible Paths, Pt. I” recall Pensées Nocturnes and Arcturus. Through it all, Maladie never ceases to sound like themselves, grazing other bands as reference points while never jeopardizing their own unmistakable identity.

There’s something about The Dance of Tragedies that ineffably connects with me on an emotional level. Despite the gravity Maladie typically instills in their compositions, The Dance frolics in the face of Tragedies and injects a dimension of playfulness and hope that leaves me spellbound each and every spin. This is an album that works best when absorbed in a single session, and though time is precious, Maladie rewards listeners with utter diversity, meticulously crafting a vibrant musical experience. Swelling strings, electrifying sax, dynamic pacing, and stirring songwriting unite for an absolute blast of avant-garde metal. While it might be weird enough not to appeal to everyone, when it hits, The Dance of Tragedies shakes the room with thunderous abandon. So break out your dancing shoes and get ready to boogie—Maladie has the cure for what ails you.

Rating: Great
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Apostasy Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 29th, 2026

I initially stumbled across Germany’s Maladie last year with the fifth installment of their Symptoms EP series and immediately fell for their sax-forward, avant-garde black metal. A quick glimpse through Maladie’s back catalog revealed how late I was to the game. Formed in 2009, the band has already released seven full-lengths and five EPs since 2012. Now, eighth LP The Dance of Tragedies is upon us, continuing Maladie’s magnificently nutty approach to black metal by braiding strands of diverse aural fabrics into a singular tapestry that’s far-reaching, fascinating, and fancifully fun. Yet we mustn’t take for granted that just because a band does many things well, they’ve avoided pitfalls along the way. Does Maladie juke major missteps during The Dance of Tragedies?

My first time through The Dance of Tragedies was both exactly what I anticipated from Maladie and an abrupt detonation of my expectations. The outfit’s signature sound persists, finding Hauke Peters slinging the sax with soulful swagger while the rest of the band skitters between full-on black metal fury (the end of “Vortex of Monotony”), AOR tunefulness (“Behind All Suns”), and brief flashes of electronica (“Embrace Our Curse”). The brooding intensity rife throughout Symptoms V subsides on The Dance of Tragedies, dispensing understated moments of levity that delightfully buoy the music in sharp contrast with Maladie’s typically self-serious style.1 This direction surprised me, and though it took several listens to fully digest the album, the result is beautifully refreshing.

As usual, performances across The Dance of Tragedies captivate with titillating zeal. The multi-pronged vocal attack cuts with a serrated edge via emotive cleans, dry barks, and some of the phlegmiest rasps I’ve heard this side of Stenched (“Vortex of Monotony”). Shared by Alexander Wenz and Déhà, the primary vocals inhabit unconventional stylings alongside traditional ones. “Vortex of Monotony” features several variants, including a hip-hop flavored spoken word in the latter half, while “The Dance of Tragedies” runs a marathon of deliveries that keeps The Dance of Tragedies handsomely off-kilter. Björn Köppler plays jack-of-all-trades, supplying chameleonic drums alongside sundry keys and strings, while Déhà contributes even more keys in addition to singing.2 Köppler and Alex Spalvieri share guitar duties, mostly strumming in tasteful restraint while sporadically unfettering a few bars of unbridled shredding (“Too Old to Die”) before yielding the spotlight to other instruments. In totality, The Dance of Tragedies enthralls with an assortment of performances that pulse with intrigue and vivacity, transporting listeners to a vibrant world all Maladie’s own.

Not uncommon for Maladie, The Dance of Tragedies clears the seventy-minute mark without feeling overlong. Sections of lengthier tracks, particularly “The Unknowable” and “On Inaccessible Paths, Pt. II,” dabble in passages that extend to the brink of their charm, yet never run out of gas. I credit this to Maladie’s exploration of atmosphere as they allow rippling riffs and melodies to play out like a stone cast into the middle of a lake, where the ensuing furrows stretch across the smooth horizon until they run their course. Bolstering the momentum of The Dance of Tragedies is the vast array of sounds the band conjures. The refrain played midway through “The Unknowable” reminds me of Mossgiver’s “The Cleansing Waters,” “Behind All Suns” summons comparisons to Hail Spirit Noir, and “Embrace Our Curse” and “On Inaccessible Paths, Pt. I” recall Pensées Nocturnes and Arcturus. Through it all, Maladie never ceases to sound like themselves, grazing other bands as reference points while never jeopardizing their own unmistakable identity.

There’s something about The Dance of Tragedies that ineffably connects with me on an emotional level. Despite the gravity Maladie typically instills in their compositions, The Dance frolics in the face of Tragedies and injects a dimension of playfulness and hope that leaves me spellbound each and every spin. This is an album that works best when absorbed in a single session, and though time is precious, Maladie rewards listeners with utter diversity, meticulously crafting a vibrant musical experience. Swelling strings, electrifying sax, dynamic pacing, and stirring songwriting unite for an absolute blast of avant-garde metal. While it might be weird enough not to appeal to everyone, when it hits, The Dance of Tragedies shakes the room with thunderous abandon. So break out your dancing shoes and get ready to boogie—Maladie has the cure for what ails you.

Rating: Great
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Apostasy Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 29th, 2026

Can't unhear that it's a sheep doing the vocals at the beginning of Arcturus - Master of Disguise. Or maybe it's Stevie Nicks.

#Arcturus #metal #StevieNicks #sheep

Can't unhear that it's a sheep doing the vocals at the beginning of Arcturus - Master of Disguise. Or maybe it's Stevie Nicks.

#Arcturus #metal #StevieNicks #sheep

creates semantic nodes and clusters #ARCTURUS #EXPEDITION semantic-search.aepiot.com/advanced-sea... #TATAR #TERM multi-search-tag-explorer.headlines-world.com/advanced-sea... AÉPIOT: INDEPENDENT SEMANTIC WEB 4.0 INFRASTRUCTURE (EST. 2009): headlines-world.com

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Playing #Arcturus : The Curse and Loss of Divinity. The precursor game to #RagnarokOnline (a very popular MMORPG in the Philippines back in the day) by Gravity and the game that influenced #TrailsInTheSky. Very memorable and good RPG back in the day

Nice, there will be a new #Arcturus record.

Nice, there will be a new #Arcturus record.

Arcturus for the TI-99/4A

https://youtu.be/TxjRq8MS3ns?si=tcLOfl4-lt87kto8

#Arcturus #TI994A #Action #Shooter #Shootemup #Shmup #ZaxxonClone #Exceltec #BillBies

Arcturus for the TI-99/4A

https://youtu.be/TxjRq8MS3ns?si=tcLOfl4-lt87kto8

#Arcturus #TI994A #Action #Shooter #Shootemup #Shmup #ZaxxonClone #Exceltec #BillBies

Mars, rather faint, low in the evening sky of southern New Mexico.

The second graphic is a finder chart from planetarium software.

Because of the bright star mnemonics I learned long ago, I imagine a big arch in this part of the sky.

Starting with the Big Dipper, follow the curve of the handle...it's the "arc to Arcturus". Then keep on spikin' to Spica (which is a bit left and higher than orange-red Mars).

#NewMexico #Twilight #Photography #Astrophotography #Mars #BigDipper #Arcturus #Spica #Virgo #Bootes

Mars, rather faint, low in the evening sky of southern New Mexico.

The second graphic is a finder chart from planetarium software.

Because of the bright star mnemonics I learned long ago, I imagine a big arch in this part of the sky.

Starting with the Big Dipper, follow the curve of the handle...it's the "arc to Arcturus". Then keep on spikin' to Spica (which is a bit left and higher than orange-red Mars).

#NewMexico #Twilight #Photography #Astrophotography #Mars #BigDipper #Arcturus #Spica #Virgo #Bootes

Charting the course to 2026: reflecting on 70000tons of Metal 2025 Artist Spotlight: Arcturus:

#Arcturus #70000tons #70000tonsOfMetal #ArtistSpotlight

Link: https://metalinsider.net/columns/artist-spotlight/charting-the-course-to-2026-reflecting-on-70000tons-of-metal-2025-artist-spotlight-arcturus

På full fart ned i #Arcturus-kaninhullet igjen.. Aspera i går, La Masquerade til frokosten, og nå The Sham Mirrors (Qobuz-stream). Ei plate jeg ofte glemmer nå for tiden, men som jeg omtrent spilte høl i i hine hårde. Et helt annet beist enn de foregående skivene, og den første scifi-/verdensrom-inspirerte skiva. Klinisk og kynisk, men fortsatt umiskjennelig Arcturus. Garm briljerer i sin siste opptreden for bandet.

#metallheimen #norsktut #allheimen

På full fart ned i #Arcturus-kaninhullet igjen.. Aspera i går, La Masquerade til frokosten, og nå The Sham Mirrors (Qobuz-stream). Ei plate jeg ofte glemmer nå for tiden, men som jeg omtrent spilte høl i i hine hårde. Et helt annet beist enn de foregående skivene, og den første scifi-/verdensrom-inspirerte skiva. Klinisk og kynisk, men fortsatt umiskjennelig Arcturus. Garm briljerer i sin siste opptreden for bandet.

#metallheimen #norsktut #allheimen

Arcturus - La Masquerade Infernale

It's never too late to get a physical copy of a classic, but this felt long overdue. My record collection isn't exactly overflowing with progressive/symphonic/avant-garde/whatever-you-want-to-call-it metal, but this is so good. And a very nice vinyl pressing as well.

#Arcturus #metal #vinyl

Arcturus - La Masquerade Infernale

It's never too late to get a physical copy of a classic, but this felt long overdue. My record collection isn't exactly overflowing with progressive/symphonic/avant-garde/whatever-you-want-to-call-it metal, but this is so good. And a very nice vinyl pressing as well.

#Arcturus #metal #vinyl

this must be one of the best performances ever recorded 🇳🇴
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx_TfmEDgas

#Arcturus #AvantgardeBlackMetal #Metal #Norway

this must be one of the best performances ever recorded 🇳🇴
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx_TfmEDgas

#Arcturus #AvantgardeBlackMetal #Metal #Norway

🛟 Salvamento Marítimo wurden gestern drei Personen gemeldet, die südöstlich des Leuchtturms von #Trafalgar versuchten, #Cádiz 🇪🇸 an Bord eines „Spielzeug“-Schlauchbootes zu erreichen. 🚢 Salvamar #Arcturus ⚓🇪🇸 fand sie schließlich etliche Meilen vom Leuchtturm entfernt im Bereich der Banco del Hoyo [einer Ankerzone vor der Küste außerhalb der spanischen Hoheitsgewässer] und brachte sie wohlbehalten nach #Tarifa.

https://cadenaser.com/andalucia/2025/03/26/trasladadas-tres-personas-hasta-tarifa-a-bordo-de-una-toy-al-sureste-de-trafalgar-radio-algeciras/

🛟 Salvamento Marítimo wurden gestern drei Personen gemeldet, die südöstlich des Leuchtturms von #Trafalgar versuchten, #Cádiz 🇪🇸 an Bord eines „Spielzeug“-Schlauchbootes zu erreichen. 🚢 Salvamar #Arcturus ⚓🇪🇸 fand sie schließlich etliche Meilen vom Leuchtturm entfernt im Bereich der Banco del Hoyo [einer Ankerzone vor der Küste außerhalb der spanischen Hoheitsgewässer] und brachte sie wohlbehalten nach #Tarifa.

https://cadenaser.com/andalucia/2025/03/26/trasladadas-tres-personas-hasta-tarifa-a-bordo-de-una-toy-al-sureste-de-trafalgar-radio-algeciras/

a pitstop maintenance hall
for the mind
satanic protectors
of my kind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLDRmv3JLZk
#Arcturus #AvantGuarde #Metal

a pitstop maintenance hall
for the mind
satanic protectors
of my kind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLDRmv3JLZk
#Arcturus #AvantGuarde #Metal

Am I in Trouble? – Spectrum Review

By Dolphin Whisperer

Tagging systems and organizational hierarchies tend to steer our ideas of genre classifications toward ins and outs, yeses and nos, boxes next to boxes, tags next to tags. In reality, though—and much in the way people go about describing things as being between x band and y band—genres do have their own spectrums. And in that spirit of living in an accumulation of converging aisles rather than following the merchandising plan, sole mind Steve Wiener (Negative Bliss, Ashenheart) debuts his Am I in Trouble? project as an homage to idiosyncratic acts of this splatter art nature. From his listening youth in the oddball ’00s black metal scene to his modern existence as an experienced, colorful auteur, will Wiener’s first outing as Am I in Trouble? earn him a spot at the top of the charts or in the time-out corner?

With one hand holding the play and whimsy of progressive music and the other gripping the flight of post-leaning drama, AIiT inserts various borrowed extreme elements as it sees fit across Spectrum’s prismatic run. At the cut of blackened melodies that sing with an Agallochified, sullen heart (“White,” “Black”) and the turn of spacey, eerie prog-Coded tails (“Pink,” “Blue”), AIiT finds many ways to show passion and reverence with a heart full of play. All too often, acts can get caught in their own lore, but as a project set out to recapture a remembered and studied sound, Spectrum swirls with its own shades in established, albeit eclectic, lines. In turn, Wiener possesses an equally shifting pipe set—never quite as goofy as early Arcturus bobblehead croons or as blood-freezing as searing Emperor cries—that remains unique enough to make the sound his own. And, with a few helping hands, cementing a more modern barked edge here and there keeps Spectrum from sounding dated in its tribute.

What continues to strike me most about Spectrum, though, is the sense of calm that persists around its extreme endeavors. Bookended by the acoustic and wistful melodies of “Yellow” and “Green,”1 AIiT manages to create a peaceful yet darting world with its jovial, marching open and lighthearted, whistling close. This sense of relaxing harmony pervades through fleeting melodies that warp into climbing yet restrained guitar leads (“White”) and heavily layered clean vocal layers that recall the buoyant nature of Lars Nedland at his cleanest (Age of Silence, White Void). Still, Wiener’s sense of stacking lines for atmosphere rather than anthemic impact allows his ventures into harsh switches to wedge a thicker slice of black metal fervor, both with guests2 and his own vicious shrieks (“Pink” and “Black” in particular).

This same floating character about the softer side of Spectrum’s compositions does cause a couple of hiccups along the way. It’s not that the ethereal nature of AIiT’s play with swelling, reverb-drenched chords (“Pink”) and shimmering patch swirls (“Black”) feel out of place in a black metal excursion of this nature—those elements stand as its highlights. With such careful focus on the expositional twinkle and conclusive prance, Spectrum can feel wanting and inhibited in explosive content. At just a touch over thirty minutes, its bursts feel like but splashes of color in the brilliance of cutting riffs and slithering screams. And with not a moment that needs removal—except for the break to silence in “Red” that bifurcates its movement a touch too long for my liking—Spectrum falls in the rare category of albums that could stand from an extra arrangement or two of AIiT’s broad, explorative palette.

Talent oozes through the meticulous web of studied, diverse black metal architecture that Am I in Trouble? possesses. And through Wiener’s variegated vision of what this style can be, Spectrum shows both its experimental roots and reverent presence. Atmosphere can be double-edged, though—both leaving me wanting more and allowing me to bend gracefully with its bows. I’m never sure whether one hit of Spectrum is enough. What I do know, though, is that I can feel the passion with which Wiener has embarked upon this journey, of one steady mind, and with help from friends, Spectrum makes me smile. I also know that with a debut of this fortitude, an installation of a grander, kaleidoscopic showing hangs in, hopefully, the not too distant future.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Self Release3
Websites: ampwall.com/a/amiintrouble4 | instagram.com/ami_in_trouble
Releases Worldwide: January 3rd, 2025

Show 4 footnotes

1. Guest flute work by Ember Belladonna, also on “White.” ↩
2. Jonathan Hernandez of Negative Bliss on “Red.” Alex Loach of Ashenheart on “Black.” ↩
3. Cassettes available through Negative Wingspan. Vinyl available approximately February 28th, 2025 through Bolverk Collective. ↩
4. Never heard of Ampwall? It’s a cool, new service created by Chris Grigg of Woe as an alternative e-commerce platform for musicians. While other platform expand, sell, and stagnate, Ampwall aims to maintain an artist-first development process. Check it out! ↩

#2025 #30 #Agalloch #AgeOfSilence #AmIInTrouble_ #Arcturus #Ashenheart #BlackMetal #Code #EmberBelladonna #Emperor #IndependentRelease #Jan25 #NegativeBliss #PostBlackMetal #PostMetal #ProgressiveBlackMetal #ProgressiveMetal #SelfRelease #Spectrum #WhiteVoid

Am I in Trouble? – Spectrum Review

By Dolphin Whisperer

Tagging systems and organizational hierarchies tend to steer our ideas of genre classifications toward ins and outs, yeses and nos, boxes next to boxes, tags next to tags. In reality, though—and much in the way people go about describing things as being between x band and y band—genres do have their own spectrums. And in that spirit of living in an accumulation of converging aisles rather than following the merchandising plan, sole mind Steve Wiener (Negative Bliss, Ashenheart) debuts his Am I in Trouble? project as an homage to idiosyncratic acts of this splatter art nature. From his listening youth in the oddball ’00s black metal scene to his modern existence as an experienced, colorful auteur, will Wiener’s first outing as Am I in Trouble? earn him a spot at the top of the charts or in the time-out corner?

With one hand holding the play and whimsy of progressive music and the other gripping the flight of post-leaning drama, AIiT inserts various borrowed extreme elements as it sees fit across Spectrum’s prismatic run. At the cut of blackened melodies that sing with an Agallochified, sullen heart (“White,” “Black”) and the turn of spacey, eerie prog-Coded tails (“Pink,” “Blue”), AIiT finds many ways to show passion and reverence with a heart full of play. All too often, acts can get caught in their own lore, but as a project set out to recapture a remembered and studied sound, Spectrum swirls with its own shades in established, albeit eclectic, lines. In turn, Wiener possesses an equally shifting pipe set—never quite as goofy as early Arcturus bobblehead croons or as blood-freezing as searing Emperor cries—that remains unique enough to make the sound his own. And, with a few helping hands, cementing a more modern barked edge here and there keeps Spectrum from sounding dated in its tribute.

What continues to strike me most about Spectrum, though, is the sense of calm that persists around its extreme endeavors. Bookended by the acoustic and wistful melodies of “Yellow” and “Green,”1 AIiT manages to create a peaceful yet darting world with its jovial, marching open and lighthearted, whistling close. This sense of relaxing harmony pervades through fleeting melodies that warp into climbing yet restrained guitar leads (“White”) and heavily layered clean vocal layers that recall the buoyant nature of Lars Nedland at his cleanest (Age of Silence, White Void). Still, Wiener’s sense of stacking lines for atmosphere rather than anthemic impact allows his ventures into harsh switches to wedge a thicker slice of black metal fervor, both with guests2 and his own vicious shrieks (“Pink” and “Black” in particular).

This same floating character about the softer side of Spectrum’s compositions does cause a couple of hiccups along the way. It’s not that the ethereal nature of AIiT’s play with swelling, reverb-drenched chords (“Pink”) and shimmering patch swirls (“Black”) feel out of place in a black metal excursion of this nature—those elements stand as its highlights. With such careful focus on the expositional twinkle and conclusive prance, Spectrum can feel wanting and inhibited in explosive content. At just a touch over thirty minutes, its bursts feel like but splashes of color in the brilliance of cutting riffs and slithering screams. And with not a moment that needs removal—except for the break to silence in “Red” that bifurcates its movement a touch too long for my liking—Spectrum falls in the rare category of albums that could stand from an extra arrangement or two of AIiT’s broad, explorative palette.

Talent oozes through the meticulous web of studied, diverse black metal architecture that Am I in Trouble? possesses. And through Wiener’s variegated vision of what this style can be, Spectrum shows both its experimental roots and reverent presence. Atmosphere can be double-edged, though—both leaving me wanting more and allowing me to bend gracefully with its bows. I’m never sure whether one hit of Spectrum is enough. What I do know, though, is that I can feel the passion with which Wiener has embarked upon this journey, of one steady mind, and with help from friends, Spectrum makes me smile. I also know that with a debut of this fortitude, an installation of a grander, kaleidoscopic showing hangs in, hopefully, the not too distant future.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Self Release3
Websites: ampwall.com/a/amiintrouble4 | instagram.com/ami_in_trouble
Releases Worldwide: January 3rd, 2025

Show 4 footnotes

1. Guest flute work by Ember Belladonna, also on “White.” ↩
2. Jonathan Hernandez of Negative Bliss on “Red.” Alex Loach of Ashenheart on “Black.” ↩
3. Cassettes available through Negative Wingspan. Vinyl available approximately February 28th, 2025 through Bolverk Collective. ↩
4. Never heard of Ampwall? It’s a cool, new service created by Chris Grigg of Woe as an alternative e-commerce platform for musicians. While other platform expand, sell, and stagnate, Ampwall aims to maintain an artist-first development process. Check it out! ↩

#2025 #30 #Agalloch #AgeOfSilence #AmIInTrouble_ #Arcturus #Ashenheart #BlackMetal #Code #EmberBelladonna #Emperor #IndependentRelease #Jan25 #NegativeBliss #PostBlackMetal #PostMetal #ProgressiveBlackMetal #ProgressiveMetal #SelfRelease #Spectrum #WhiteVoid

Last year ended with some good news for Covid vaccination:
The European Medicines Agency recommended authorization for its first next generation Covid vaccine.

Authorization for 30 European countries should follow in January or February.
-- And manufacturers plan to apply for approvals in the UK and US this year as well – and perhaps elsewhere, too.

The vaccine is the self-amplifying mRNA vaccine developed by the US company, #Arcturus.

And there’s some evidence that it works better, and for longer, than first generation mRNA Covid vax.

So far, there are results at 12 months.

Buckle up, though, for the turbulence that’s sure to come with it.

An extreme misinformation campaign that accompanied this vaccine’s arrival in Japan, reached into the anti-vax world in the US as well.

Intense fear-mongering for a very new type of vaccine was always to be expected.

Now, if the worst comes to the worst at US health agencies,
and the manufacturers go ahead with an application to the FDA,
who knows what kind of drama lies ahead on top of that?
https://hildabastian.wordpress.com/2025/01/03/some-good-news-at-least-for-the-start-of-the-year/

Last year ended with some good news for Covid vaccination:
The European Medicines Agency recommended authorization for its first next generation Covid vaccine.

Authorization for 30 European countries should follow in January or February.
-- And manufacturers plan to apply for approvals in the UK and US this year as well – and perhaps elsewhere, too.

The vaccine is the self-amplifying mRNA vaccine developed by the US company, #Arcturus.

And there’s some evidence that it works better, and for longer, than first generation mRNA Covid vax.

So far, there are results at 12 months.

Buckle up, though, for the turbulence that’s sure to come with it.

An extreme misinformation campaign that accompanied this vaccine’s arrival in Japan, reached into the anti-vax world in the US as well.

Intense fear-mongering for a very new type of vaccine was always to be expected.

Now, if the worst comes to the worst at US health agencies,
and the manufacturers go ahead with an application to the FDA,
who knows what kind of drama lies ahead on top of that?
https://hildabastian.wordpress.com/2025/01/03/some-good-news-at-least-for-the-start-of-the-year/

Gichi Miskwaabik Anang, the great copper star, is known to me as #Arcturus. It is one of my favourite stars. Just about 40 light-years from here, it is a giant red-orange star that is old and likely approaching or after its "helium flash" burning phase.

Gichi Miskwaabik Anang, the great copper star, is known to me as #Arcturus. It is one of my favourite stars. Just about 40 light-years from here, it is a giant red-orange star that is old and likely approaching or after its "helium flash" burning phase.

Fun fact: I will photograph #ThyCatafalque soon & also photographed a member from #PainofSalvation lol

I already photographed #Ayreon , #Phlebotomized , #Arcturus & #Ihsahn (via Emperor).
Nice recommendations lol

Hackaday Links: March 24, 2024 https://hackaday.com/2024/03/24/hackaday-links-march-24-2024/ #coronalmassejection #HackadayColumns #Hackadaylinks #hackadaylinks #prominence #astronomy #satellite #Arcturus #totality #captcha #eclipse #polymer #shellac #sunspot #Slider #oopsie #human #resin #noaa #NoVA #CME

Hackaday Links: March 24, 2024 https://hackaday.com/2024/03/24/hackaday-links-march-24-2024/ #coronalmassejection #HackadayColumns #Hackadaylinks #hackadaylinks #prominence #astronomy #satellite #Arcturus #totality #captcha #eclipse #polymer #shellac #sunspot #Slider #oopsie #human #resin #noaa #NoVA #CME

Hackaday Links: March 24, 2024 - Way to rub it in, guys. As it turns out, due to family and work obligations we won... - https://hackaday.com/2024/03/24/hackaday-links-march-24-2024/ #coronalmassejection #hackadaycolumns #hackadaylinks #prominence #astronomy #satellite #arcturus #totality #captcha #eclipse #polymer #shellac #sunspot #slider #oopsie #human #resin #noaa #nova #cme

Hackaday Links: March 24, 2024 - Way to rub it in, guys. As it turns out, due to family and work obligations we won... - https://hackaday.com/2024/03/24/hackaday-links-march-24-2024/ #coronalmassejection #hackadaycolumns #hackadaylinks #prominence #astronomy #satellite #arcturus #totality #captcha #eclipse #polymer #shellac #sunspot #slider #oopsie #human #resin #noaa #nova #cme

Nice #dawn this morning, with #Venus (bottom) and #Arcturus (top) showing.

Nice #dawn this morning, with #Venus (bottom) and #Arcturus (top) showing.

Arcturus - Kinetic

https://youtu.be/IyBwJH1WpIg?si=fSmaWktAMjXFRWwt

#WeAreTheRadio #nowplaying #music #musica #musik #musique #pouetradio #tootradio #MastoMusic #arcturus

(Mirroring old account)

Here's an alteration I made of a FANTASTIC flowchart by "Your Local Epidemiologist" on Substack:

https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/state-of-affairs-oct-12

I amended it with TRG's COVID clan nicknames and added an arm (or whatever it's called) for BA.5.

#Covid #Covid19 #CovidIsNotOver #BA5 #BA286 #CovidClans #Variants #Arcturus #Eris #Pirola

(Mirroring old account)

Here's an alteration I made of a FANTASTIC flowchart by "Your Local Epidemiologist" on Substack:

https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/state-of-affairs-oct-12

I amended it with TRG's COVID clan nicknames and added an arm (or whatever it's called) for BA.5.

#Covid #Covid19 #CovidIsNotOver #BA5 #BA286 #CovidClans #Variants #Arcturus #Eris #Pirola