La Masquerade Infernale Explained

La Masquerade Infernale
Type:Album
Artist:Arcturus
Cover:La Masquerade Infernale.jpg
Released:October 27, 1997
Recorded:December 1996 – May 1997 at Jester Studio
Genre:Symphonic metal, post-black metal,[1] avant-garde metal[2]
Label:Music for Nations
Producer:Kristoffer Rygg, Knut M. Valle
Prev Title:Aspera Hiems Symfonia
Prev Year:1996
Next Title:Disguised Masters
Next Year:1999

La Masquerade Infernale (Misspelled French for The Infernal Masquerade. The correct spelling would be La Mascarade 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. 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.[3]

Track listing

Personnel

Arcturus
Additional Musicians
Other Credits

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The 10 essential post-black metal album . O'Boyle . Tom . May 14, 2019 . . March 2, 2020 .
  2. Web site: Arcturus - La Masquerade Infernale - Nordic Metal . October 4, 2021 .
  3. Web site: Davies . Hywel . Dome . Malcolm . Goodman . Eleanor . Chantler . Chris . Gordon . Connie . Grady . Spencer . Rees . Adam . Selzer . Jonathan . The 25 best symphonic metal albums . . . 2 January 2022 . 17 November 2021.