La Masquerade Infernale [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED]

Arcturus

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 12, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: Candlelight
• ASIN: B00009Z4JO
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #25,736 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Reissue of this long out of print and very astonishing album (originally released in 1997). Dark, evocative and symphonic, this album created a new level not just for metal but music altogether. This is essential! Candlelight.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An acclaimed masterpiece, May 3, 2005

By	Herodotos Economides "Bereft" (Limassol, N/A Cyprus) - See all my reviews

Arcturus' first album "Aspera Hiems Symphonia" was a collaboration of "superstars" from the Norwegian Black Metal scene like Garm (Ulver,Borknagar) , Hellhammer (Mayhem,Thorns,Kovenant,Winds) , Samoth (Emperor,Zyklon B) and others . "Aspera Hiems Symphonia" was an album of cold symphonic black metal similar to bands like Emperor or Limbonic Art with a few clean vocals by Garm. While "Aspera Hiems Symphonia" was a very good album for the time's standards no one could expect that the band who released that album could write such a masterpiece like "La Masquerade Infernale". "La Masquerade Infernale" has little to nothing at all to do with metal music. The basis of the music played here is classical music and opera while the symphonic elements of their previous album are still there. The music is consisted of symphonic keyboards, mostly soft guitars and Garm's alternating but ever so colorful voice. The whole album also seems to inspire a theatrical sense to its music. Garm's performance is amazing especially on tracks like "Alone" and "Painting My Horror" where he reminds me of a madman singing. I must also comment on the magnificent instrumental "Ad Astra", a superb example of how neoclassical and metal music can co-exist, with Sverd showing his colleagues how keyboards should be played. I will not waste any more words on this masterpiece since the only thing they do is reduce its greatness. I will just add that if you plan on buying one music CD in your life...well then...buy this one!!!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Progressive Black, January 21, 2004

By	telamonides "telamonides" (houston, tx USA) - See all my reviews

This work is based on the premise of satan as the trickster (you could also supply any similar god from any mythos, ie. Loki from Asatru, etc.). The music is an incredible blend of black metal, trip hop, carnivale with progressive stylings (that is progressive in the since of prog rock and not the electronic d.j. variant). This is definitely not for the hard core true black metal fans since these musical themes are rather subdued and few and far between. The music is quite melodic, but the cacophonous vocals will probably make most prog metal fans cringe. However, no collection should be without this unique metal album that will compliment anyone's extreme metal collection with some near brilliant musical and lyrical writing as well as the virtuoso performances including Garm's vocals.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars truly beyond metal, August 14, 2004

By	J. Holmes "blood+whiskey" (yokohama, japan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

what a strange and amazing band Arcturus is! i first heard the song "Wintry Grey" on a compilation and it stood out from all the other songs so much that i went out the next day and bought "Aspera Hiems Symfonia." which is a unique, albeit raw black metal album.but as many fans of Arcturus know, the weirdness found on that album is only the tip of the iceburg for this band. things get much much stranger...maybe a little *too* strange sometimes...which leads up to "La Masquerade Infernale." to those out there who have never heard this album and are about to listen to it for the first time, i recommend that before pushing "play"...take a deep breath. now sit down and forget every single pre-conceived notion you may have about metal or much of music in general. now...push play. now that you've pushed that button now take a minute and hit the rewind button until your cd counter will read -1:26. that's how weird this album is...you have to rewind it before the beginning of the first song to start the album. (or is just a matter of the hidden bonus track being at the beginning of the cd rather than at the end?) i don't know. in fact...most of the time i listen to this cd, i have no idea what is going on. it's all a dizzying display of carnival sounds, proggy keyboards, a few industrial-styled beats, spacey melodies, trip hop, and the singer singing like he's in a stage play...and all of this hapenning sometimes all at once in the songs! if you can get a handle on it all and keep up with all the musical ideas that are popping up all over the place, then you can enjoy it for the twisted masterpiece that it is. but be warned...it may take a few listens. there is not really any trace of black metal here on this album. which is neither a good thing or a bad thing...but it is interesting considering that the last Arcturus album contained so much high-pitched shrieking and heavy dark guitars. the closest track to something like that on here would be "Throne of Tragedy" or "Painting My Horror." but this band does their own thing and this album is pretty much the pinnacle of their extreme experimental period. in other words...this is their weirdest album yet. Arcturus' next offical album after "La Masquerade..." is "The Sham Mirrors" which is much more of a subdued affair. but this is the one for those with a taste for the very outrageous and undefineable metal...well....not quite metal...but something great.