La Masquerade Infernale

La Masquerade Infernale
Studio album by Arcturus
Released	October 27, 1997
Recorded	December 1996 – May 1997 at Jester Studio
Genre	Symphonic metal, [1] post-black metal, [2] avant-garde metal [3]
Length	45:12
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
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[4]
Chronicles of Chaos	10/10 [5]
Kerrang!	[6]

La Masquerade Infernale is the second studio album by Arcturus. Released by Misanthropy Records in 1997, the album marks a drastic musical change from the slow, nature-influenced melodic black metal of Aspera Hiems Symfonia . Most of the songs revolve around the themes of theater, 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. ^[4] 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.

In 2021, it was elected by Metal Hammer as the 12th best symphonic metal album of all time. ^[1]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
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

• The album is actually 1:27 longer than listed due to the hidden track at the beginning of "Master of Disguise".
• The lyrics of "Alone" are taken from a poem by Edgar Allan Poe.
• "The Throne of Tragedy" is divided into 66 parts. At the end of the track, the sub-track counter will have increased to 66, making the display show the number 666.

Personnel

Arcturus Kristoffer Rygg (credited as "Garm") - vocals, samples, electronics, production, mastering Knut Magne Valle - electric guitar, production Hugh Mingay (credited as "Skoll") - bass guitar Steinar Sverd Johnsen (credited as "Sverd") - keyboards Jan Axel Blomberg (credited as "Hellhammer") - drums, percussion Additional Musicians Hans Josef Groh - cello Dorthe Dreier - viola Vegard Johnsen - violin Svein Haugen - double bass Simen Hestnæs - vocals on "The Chaos Path", backing vocals on "Master Of Disguise" and "Painting My Horror" Carl August Tidemann - lead guitar on "Ad Astra" and "Of Nails And Sinners" Idun Felberg - cornet on "Ad Astra" Erik Olivier Lancelot - flute on "Ad Astra"

Other Credits Børge Finstad - mixing Pål Klåstad - technician, engineering (strings) Marius Bodin - engineering (drums) Gandalf Stryke - mastering

References

1. 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.
2. O'Boyle, Tom (May 14, 2019). "The 10 essential post-black metal album". Metal Hammer . Retrieved March 2, 2020.
3. "Arcturus - La Masquerade Infernale - Nordic Metal" . Retrieved October 4, 2021.
4. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r376690
5. Schwarz, Paul (April 14, 1998). "CoC: Arcturus - La Masquerade Infernale : Review". Chronicles of Chaos . Retrieved March 2, 2020.
6. Cooper, James (October 25, 1997). "Albums". Kerrang! . No. 671. UK: EMAP. p. 45.