Although now widely recognised as a cogent and cardinal force of the genre, the original incarnation of ARCTURUS was put together in Oslo merely as a side project in 1989 by members of Death Metal combo MORTEM. After a 1989 demo cassette, 'Slow Death', MORTEM took on the new name of ARCTURUS. The 1991 7" single, 'My Angel', featured MAYHEM's Hellhammer (Jan Axel Blomberg) on drums, keyboard player / guitarist Steinar Sverd Johnsen and bassist Marius Vold on vocals and bass. Issued through French label Putrefaction Records, 'My Angel' was pressed in 1100 copies and made all the more collectable by being clad in three different coloured sleeves, yellow, blue and green. Shortly afterward, ARCTURUS was put on ice, as both Sverd and Hellhammer busied themselves with EMPEROR, but the band persevered and evolved to comprise of BORKNAGER and ULVER's Garm (a.k.a. Kristoffer Rygg) naming himself after the Norse dog guardian of Hell, on vocals and Samoth (Tomas Thormodsæter Haugen) from EMPEROR on guitar. The 1995 symphonic Doom imbued 'Constellation' EP, through Samoth's custom Nocturnal Art Productions, was a limited edition of 500 copies. Taking an unconformist skew on the normally rigid Black Metal rubric, 'Constellation' employed clean vocals and a palette of keyboards to temper the ferocity of the guitars.

In 1994 Samoth was interned, found guilty of his part in the Norwegian church burning episode and was replaced by Carl August Tidemann from TRITONUS. ARCTURUS also added a second guitarist in the form of Skoll (Hugh Steven James Mingay) from FIMBULWINTER, ULVER and VED BUENS ENDE.

'Aspera Hiems Symfonia' (Latin for "Harsh Winter Symphony") arrived in 1995 as the sophomore release through Ancient Lore Creations, this full-length album set reprising the 'Constellation' material, re-titling 'Icebound Streams and Vapours Grey' as 'Wintry Grey', and enhanced with fresher cuts.

The 1997 album 'La Masquerade Infernale' saw VED BUENS ENDE and BORKNAGER man Simen Hestnæs contributing alongside Garm, as well as new face, Knut Magne Valle, on guitar. Recording for this intrepid endeavour commenced in December 1996 into May of the following year, being conducted at Garm's own Jester Studios. Carl August Tidemann again donated his skills to two tracks, the seven minute instrumental 'Ad Astra' and 'Of Nails And Sinners' whilst ULVER's Erik Olivier Lancelot (AiwarikiaR) performed flute. Also in evidence was a string quartet comprising Vegard Johnsen on violin, Dorthe Dreier on viola, Hans Josef Groh on cello and Svein Haugen on double bass. An exercise in dulcet despondency, 'La Masquerade Infernale', was positively pastoral when compared to the prior output. From the rendition of Edgar Allan Poe's 'Alone' and Joen Hernik Svaeren's 'Throne Of Tragedy', Garm's searing castrati and subterranean bellows to the reliance on vocal-less bridges the album placed Arcturus firmly into the avant-garde. Originally intended to be issued through the elite Misanthropy label, that imprint's financial woes necessitated a license through the established Music For Nations concern.

Sverd helped assemble Black Metal 'Supergroup' COVENANT with Hellhammer and DIMMU BORGIR's Nagash for the 'Nexus Polaris' album but quit shortly after. Garm set up Jester Records and busies himself as a producer under the pseudonym Vargnatt Inc. Garm also performed with BORKNAGER under the title Fiery G. Maelstrom and ARCTURUS as G. Wolf.

As well as the ARCTURUS remix album 'Disguised Masters' (which includes contributions from WHEN's Lars Pedersen) 1999 found Garm also making his presence felt on ULVER's sprawling 'Themes From William Blakes's The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell'.

During 2000 Simen Hestnæs joined DIMMU BORGIR as bassist. The same year found Sverd guesting on FLEURETY's 'Department Of Apocalyptic Affairs'.

The 1995 'Aspera Hiems Symfonia' album would bear witness to a lavish re-release through the British Candlelight label in 2002. Remixed by Garm the record added the complete tracklistings from the highly collectable 'Constellation' and 'My Angel' EPs.

ARCTURUS, with Garm now seeking recognition for "voices of ghosts and monkeys and general manipulation" and re-labelled Trickster G. Rex, returned in April with 'The Sham Mirrors'. Once again the group, dubbing themselves wryly as "The institute of common oblivion", plundered historical prose, lifting Samuel Beckett for closing track 'For To End Yet Again'. Now installed on bass would be Dag F. Gravem whilst EMPEROR's Ihsahn contributed "spitting voice" on the song 'Radical Cut'. Incessant in their desire for experimentation, ARCTURUS furnished an album with soothing qualities yet paradoxically dominated by Hellhammer's drum flurries.

Garm bowed out of ARCTURUS in early 2003 to prioritise ULVER, being replaced by SPIRAL ARCHITECT singer Øyvind Hægeland. However, ARCTURUS got off to a difficult start in 2005 with the departure of Hægeland in early January. He would be swiftly replaced by ex-band member and scene veteran, the DIMMU BORGIR, BORKNAGAR and LAMENTED SOULS credited Simen Hestnæs (a.k.a. ICS Vortex). The revised band, having contracted to the French Season of Mist label for a new album 'Sideshow Symphonies', unit re-debuted on 27th January at the London 'Inferno' festival. Mainly composed by Sverd, 'Sideshow Symphonies', recorded at the band's own Mølla studios, saw a guest female singer, Silje Wergeland of OCTAVIA SPERATI. Alter egos abounded once again, Sverd as "Ship captain", Hestnæs as "Alien translator", Knut Valle as "Space navigator", Hugh Mingay as "Warcraft engineer" with Hellhammer delegated as "Turret gunner". Joining the established unit for this record would be the STREET LEGAL, RAIN, JORN LANDE and CARNIVORA credited guitarist Tore Moren.

September shows in Europe and Scandinavia had ARCTURUS headlining a package comprising CONFESSOR, NATTEFROST, RED HARVEST and TSJUDER. European and Scandinavian touring commencing late September had the band in alliance with RED HARVEST and KILL THE THRILL for the 'Shipwrecked In Europe' dates.

Bassist Hugh James Mingay damaged his spine in an accident during April 2006. Hestnæs enrolled as frontman for CODE in January 2007. ARCTURUS performed Australian shows in April 2007 but at the closing concert in Melbourne revealed the band was to fold. Subsequently an official statement read "A lot of rumours have been going around after our gig in Melbourne. Simen Hestnaes opened the concert with the words 'Welcome to the last ARCTURUS show ever.' This is a decision we made some time ago. We all have a lot of things going on in our carreers and our lives, and therefore cannot find the time to continue working with this band."

In 2009 Russian production team Aspherical Asphyxia is compiled a triple tribute to EMPEROR / VED BUENS ENDE / ARCTURUS entitled 'Old Crown, New Spawn'.