Arcturus "La Masquerade Infernale"

La Masquerade Infernale (French for The Infernal Masquerade) 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 symphonic black metal of Aspera Hiems Symfonia. The album has a dark, brooding sound, featuring heavy use of synthesizers and samples. 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. 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. La Masquerade Infernale is regarded by many as Arcturus' masterpiece and one of the foremost examples of avant-garde metal. It was reissued by Candlelight Records in 2003.

The hybridization of electronic music, progressive metal and the avant-garde would have a profound influence on the writing and production of the Ulver album Themes from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, which was released the following year.

Lyrics of "Alone" are taken from a poem by Edgar Allan Poe.

"The Throne of Tragedy" is based on the poem «Tragediens Trone» by Jørn Henrik Sværen, is translated to English by the undersigned, and hereby dedicated to Kristoffer Garm Rygg.


CD is actually 01:27 longer because of the hidden pretrack on song #1.

Recorded at Jester Studio between December 1996 & May 1997, excluding the drum takes, which were engineered between 15th & 20th of December 1996 at Fløystøy, and string takes, which took place on 1st of May 1997 at Endless.
Mixed between 2nd & 12th of June 1997 at Major Studio.

Mastered at Strype Laboratories.