Arcturus - Disguised Masters - VINYL LP

Gatefold LP (black vinyl) incl. Padded inner sleeve and protection sleeve. It is never easy to follow up with another album, especially considering the impact made by the complex wild flight of musical fantasy of InchLa Masquerade InfernaleInch. Arcturus elegantly solved this conundrum by releasing the comparatively more straightforward third full-length, InchThe Sham MirrorsInch in 2002. This does not mean that the Norwegians had lost their appetite for experiments. The vocals by Garm (ULVER) are more soaring and wide-ranging than ever on this , while main man Steinar InchSverdInch Johnsen keeps adding classic prog rock excursions to his repertoire. Yet, the guitars are more often set to a more conventional metal mode on InchThe Sham MirrorsInch. Still complex, still avant-garde, Arcturus clearly consolidated their compositions on InchThe Sham MirrorsInch and while still using many sonic elements, those rather serve each individual song than try to stick out.

Gatefold LP (black vinyl) incl. Padded inner sleeve and protection sleeve. On their sophomore full-length InchLa Masquerade InfernaleInch (1997), Arcturus took their musical experimenting three ambitious steps further. The Norwegians succeeded in wedding a devilish concept loosely based on the characters of Faust and Mephistopheles with an eclectic range of surreal sound elements into an album that is rightfully considered a prime example of what later came to be known as avant-garde metal. From quoting Edgar Allan Poe in operatic paraphrases by frontman Garm (ULVER) or the additional high notes from the unmistakable I.C.S. Vortex (BORKNAGAR) via the spaced-out electronic samples, classical instrumentation, and an even increased use of psychedelic guitar riffage alongside more InchtraditionalInch black and death metal elements. Brilliant guitarist Knut Magne Valle replaced Carl August Tideman, which brought stability to this position of the band's line-up. Arcturus aimed dangerously high with InchLa Masquerade InfernaleInch - but remarkably pulled off the extremely difficult feat of forging such widely differing elements into a wildly fascinating, over the top listening experience that has stood the test of time and surely deserves to be labelled a InchmasterpieceInch.

Pop Evil - Versatile [COMPACT DISCS] Deluxe Ed date 05/21/2021