La Masquerade Infernale

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La Masquerade Infernale
La Masquerade Infernale.jpg
Studio album by
Released27 October 1997
RecordedDecember 1996 – May 1997
StudioJester Studio
Genre Progressive metal, avant-garde metal, symphonic metal
Length45:12
Label Music for Nations
Producer Kristoffer Rygg, Knut M. Valle
Arcturus chronology
Aspera Hiems Symfonia
(1996)
La Masquerade Infernale
(1997)
Disguised Masters
(1999)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Chronicles of Chaos 10/10 [2]
Kerrang! Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]

La Masquerade Infernale is the second studio album by Norwegian avant-garde metal band Arcturus. Released by Misanthropy Records in 1997, the album marks a change from the slow, nature-influenced symphonic black metal of their debut Aspera Hiems Symfonia . Most of the songs revolve around the themes of theatre, literature, and Satan. The screams characteristic of black metal utilized by Kristoffer Rygg on Aspera are replaced by a gruff, low-toned, clean vocal style. [1] The album also features operatic singing and bizarre high-pitched singing from guest vocalist Simen Hestnæs, who nine years later would replace Rygg as the band's frontman. It was reissued by Candlelight Records in 2003.

Contents

In 2021, it was elected by Metal Hammer as the 12th-best symphonic metal album of all time. [4]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Master of Disguise"6:42
2."Ad Astra"7:40
3."The Chaos Path"5:33
4."La Masquerade Infernale" (instrumental)2:00
5."Alone"4:39
6."The Throne of Tragedy"6:33
7."Painting My Horror"5:59
8."Of Nails and Sinners"6:06
Total length:45:12

Personnel

Arcturus
Additional musicians
Other credits

References

  1. 1 2 https://www.allmusic.com/album/r376690
  2. Schwarz, Paul (14 April 1998). "CoC: Arcturus – La Masquerade Infernale : Review". Chronicles of Chaos . Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  3. Cooper, James (25 October 1997). "Albums". Kerrang! . No. 671. UK: EMAP. p. 45.
  4. Davies, Hywel; Dome, Malcolm; Goodman, Eleanor; Chantler, Chris; Gordon, Connie; Grady, Spencer; Rees, Adam; Selzer, Jonathan (17 November 2021). "The 25 best symphonic metal albums". Metal Hammer . Future plc . Retrieved 2 January 2022.