Arcturus - Shipwrecked in Oslo (black edition) double LP.

Unfortunately for you, no, none whatsoever. I always warn new Arcturus listeners that it's just a band that isn't for everyone, you know?

I mean, come on... it's an avant-garde metal band, that alone should let people know that it's an acquired taste. I didn't always like them all that much, but they grew on me with a passion, and now as you know they're my favorite band. It's just a very unique band, as in... the epitome of unique. My favorite of their albums is La Masquerade Infernale :D

I could try to describe their later sounds album for album if you'd like, just because you've always been one of my favorite TSS users, haha.

La Masquerade... is an incredibly dark album, both in atmosphere, and lyrically. It's guitars are heavy, yet at times lower in the mix, depending on the mood of each song. The bass is incredible, and always ever so present. Keyboards are really masterful, setting the tone for the entire album and always audible. Drums are beyond amazing, and intricate (such as is expected from Hellhammer). The vocals, while top-notch (as is expected of Garm, one of the best vocalists of all time, in my opinion)... are operatic, and odd sounding. Almost like a shape shifting vocal variation of Lucifer.

The Sham Mirrors is HEAVY as fuck! The guitars are just so... UGGGHHH!! The bass is loud as hell, it's like the guitars and bass are competing on volume and heavy tones, haha. The keyboards are even MORE beautiful than in the previous album. The drumming matches the rest of the instruments in aggression. It's still really complicated, but more relentless this time. The vocals, while even more operatic, are less weird sounding, and would take less of an effort to get used to. They are also louder. The general atmosphere is reminiscent of space and the cosmos.

Then there's their latest full-length effort... Sideshow Symphonies. Great album! Not as good as the others, but I still consider it a masterpiece. It's general atmosphere is also space, but even more so than in the last one. The keyboards are as beautiful as ever, no complaint there. The vocals are operatic, but more soothing this time around, as it is Simen from Lamented Souls who at that point had replaced Garm as vocalist. These vocals take even LESS of an effort to allow them to grow on you, if needed at all. The drums are great, no problem there... the only problem I have with the album, and the thing that keeps it from being as good as the others is the final mixing from the label. They fucked up, and remixed it (I think by accident, not knowing that Arcturus had already done it, but not sure about that "fact"). Anyway, the problem was that the guitars and bass suffered a slight volume problem... I wish I knew what EXACTLY happened... but yeah, they are a lot lower in the mix... which is a shame, because they sound as great and creative as ever.

If you're hesitant on checking them out, but still wish to do so... start with whatever sounds more appealing out of what I just described, that should help! Good luck!