Search - Arcturus: Shipwrecked in Oslo on DVD

One cannot be the other

Corneille | Canada | 04/03/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First, I don't know what one of the other reviewer mean by not being able to look at the show in its entirety. It has an option to do so. Maybe the menu navigation his not to obvious. But anyway, this is possible. This DVD has somehow, some flaws. First, it's a little out of synchronism, I mean the sound is a little late to the image. Second, some editors have put visual effects here and there that are more annoying than anything. Third, the crowd seems to be asleep. I've seen some excerpts of other shows from this tour and the crowd was way much alive. But norwegians are very stoic people it seems. That's for the flaws. Arcturus repertoire is one of those that contains only good songs and many great songs. Some folks may complain that Simen Hestnæs voice doesn't live up to this one of Garm. I disagree. Yes, at first I've been a little disoriented by the thinner texture of Simen voice on those songs, but I've kept in mind that Garm is more of a baritone and Vortex is a tenor. I admit the latter does a way better job on the songs designed expressly for his voice, but I would surely not say that he ruined the others. And to continue about the case of Simen, the man is a great entertainer and performer. The peak of his performance is The Chaos Path, both vocally and in his stage persona. Also on the performance level I'm always impressed by the smoothness and fastness of Hellhammer. Really one of the most impressive drummer to watch out there. Knut and Tore are two tight and talented guitarists giving a good show, seeming to enjoy themselves at what they're doing. Hugh and Steinar are more in the shadows. One seemed to be shy, the other looks like an alchemist wizard focused on its keyboard's vessels and test tubes. The musical output is very tight and enjoyable. Yes it has flaws, but as an Arcturus fan, I'm much happy to have this since they are no more."

STELLAR! (pun intended)

Ehron L. Zech | Madison, Wi | 10/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"the DVD features 5.1 surround sound (all regions playing)....everyone is in top form! this DVD is one of my favorites in my collection-easily! I never understood why people even doubted Vortex's vocals, they are phenomenal! he hits every g#@damn note right on and even adds some of his own. The live versions of the songs are stunning. Both guitarists are great players (as is everyone else, although I think Hellhammer is triggered, but that is a small complaint really as he sounds AWESOME) If there is no other dvd you buy this year, you will be very pleased with this one. I know I am....
Track listing:

intro
Ad Absurdum
Nightmare Heaven
Shipwrecked Frontier pioneer
Alone
Deception Genesis
Chaos Path
Tore Guitar solo
Deamon Painter
Nocturnal Vision revisited
Painting my horror
Steinar keyboard solo
Hufsa
Master of disguise
Knut Guitar solo
White noise monster
Reflections
Raudt Og Svart

credits

Bonus:
video clip
Rehearsal
Slideshow

OH MY GOD!
the solos are amazing! (both guitarists and Stinar- keyboards)soooo much feeling and great technique!

the version I got comes in a cool tin box with a sheet that claims:
"Arcturus, the third brightest star in the night sky, crashes to earth this eve, September 17th, 2005. The intergalactic space pirates emerge from their volume vessel and illuminate the landscape of their ancestral earthling's homeland of Oslo, Norway. Witness their infinite space odyssey, performed here during the Sonic Solstice, as they push their art to the outer limits".....

do yourself a favor- buy this!"

An excellent freak circus concert!

Branislav Kolarski | Serbia | 11/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had a chance to view this DVD recently and it is just amazing!
The sound is crystal clear. It has the atmosphere of a live performance, since it has been played live, unlike some DVD releases that have been so obviously re-played in a studio.
The show was spectacular. Band members had excellent costumes. They also had lots of bizarre appearances on the stage, including a fat chearleader that danced with a skeleton and a belly dancer with an old-Persian-like beard and moustache! There are some video effects as well.
This video has an excellent freak circus atmosphere. Arcturus has always inspired me in that way. If someone asked me to visually describe the music of Arcturus, this would be it!
Anyway, I've seen the guys live and I can say that it was one of the best concerts I've been to. There were not as much bizarre visual effects, but they sounded as well as on this DVD. These guys are one of the best in avantgarde/prog metal genre, as they are very talented musicians with excellent playing skills.
This DVD is a must-have for everyone into Arcturus music. Highly recommended!"