Arcturus - La Masquerade Infernale - VINYL LP

LP (black vinyl) incl. Insert, padded inner sleeve and protection sleeve. With InchDisguised MastersInch released in 1999, Arcturus delivered a striking and for some even provocative afterthought to their previous works. The WHEN intro 'White Tie Black Noise' was followed by the new track 'Deception Genesis' and a re-recording of the classic 'Du Nordavind' before the Norwegians launched into an adventurous re-visiting of six InchLa Masquerade InfernaleInch tracks that got unapologetically treated with EBM, trip-hop, rap, ambient, and other musical means. Drawing up fresh angles onto their music, the re-imagined songs revealed the wide open mind of Arcturus.

After releasing their early EPs, My Angel (1991) and Constellation (1994), Norwegian avant-garde metal pioneers Arcturus unveiled their debut full-length album, Aspera Hiems Symfonia, in 1996. The band, named after the brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere, emerged from Norway's explosive black metal scene but quickly set themselves apart with their bold, experimental vision. The lineup for Aspera Hiems Symfonia featured prominent figures from the Norwegian extreme metal underground, including Garm (vocals, also of Ulver), Hellhammer (drums, known from Mayhem), and new additions Carl August Tidemann (guitar) and Hugh InchSkollInch Mingay (bass, also of Ulver), replacing Samoth from the earlier EPs. This talented ensemble blended the raw intensity of black metal with progressive and avant-garde elements, creating a sound that was both haunting and innovative.Aspera Hiems Symfonia stands out for it's daring departure from traditional black metal. Piercing vocal shrieks coexist with eerie, operatic melodies, while Sverd's cinematic keyboards weave atmospheric tapestries. Tidemann's technical guitar solos add a layer of sophistication, and the rhythm section, driven by Hellhammer's relentless precision and Skoll's dynamic basslines, provides a solid yet adventurous foundation. This fusion of aggressive roots with progressive experimentation-marked by unconventional song structures and a theatrical flair-established Arcturus as trailblazers in the Oslo metal scene and beyond, cementing their legacy as progressive innovators.

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.