«La Masquerade Infernale» is the second album by the Norwegian band Arcturus and it was released on 27 October 1997 through Music for Nations and Misanthropy Records. The band started in black metal, but here they moved in a completely different direction: theatre, cabaret, classical music and experimentation. Production was handled by Kristoffer Rygg and Knut Magne Valle.
“`Country: Norway
Genre: Avant-Garde Metal
For fans of: Ulver, Emperor, Ved Buens Ende
The sound is hard to fit in a box: circus-like keyboards, heavy guitar walls, theatrical vocals and classical-music passages. Kristoffer Rygg sings like an actor on stage, moving from whispers to screams, while Steinar Sverd Johnsen’s keyboards give the album most of its character.
«Master of Disguise» opens the record and sets the tone immediately. «The Chaos Path», «Ad Astra», «Painting My Horror» and «Alone» also stand out, where the atmosphere turns quieter and more remote.
What makes the album unique is that it does not sound like anything else from its time. The Arcturus took the means of black metal and put them on a stage, without losing their power. It is an album that demands attention and open ears, but it rewards them.
The album was recorded at Jester Studio and has gone through many reissues, some of them adding a new mix to selected tracks. For many listeners, «La Masquerade Infernale» is the moment when Arcturus left behind every label and became a band with a world of their own.
«La Masquerade Infernale» is considered one of the most important albums of avant-garde metal and put Arcturus on a road of their own, far from the scene they started from. More on the Arcturus Bandcamp page.
See also
See also: Sigh – Goh-ka and A Forest of Stars – Stack Overflow in Corpse Pile Interface.
