Entry 097 - Acrturus - La Masquerade Infernale

 

I hate writing summaries about albums like this. They are way to complex and there is way too much history to get in a short summary.

On La masquerade Infernale, Arcturus tapped into something special. This sounds like the soundtrack to someone losing their sanity. The music has so many random twists and turns that its hard to keep up with.

At its core this is avant-garde black metal - without harsh vocals. The music has bizarre riffs combined with chaotic drumming and truly insane vocals. On occasion they are accompanied by electronics and classical instrumentation (typically violins).

The end result is a unique slice of metal - certainly at the time and it still holds up to this day. The chaotic and unpredictable nature of the songs take some getting used to. Since the music does not compromise, you are the one who must bend to its will.

That is way to simple an overview to an album that truly has to be heard to understand its scope. It remains as fond a memory now as when I first discovered it 20 years ago.