Arcturus – ‘La Masquerade Infernale’ CD

‘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 theatre, literature, and Satan.

The screams characteristic of black metal utilized by Kristoffer Rygg on ‘Aspera Hiems Symfonia’ 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.