Arcturus - La Masquerade Infernale

[General Zod]

"Star Crossed" makes me urinate blood in glee.

That's too funny.

Zod

 

[The.Donut]

Love it, especially Ad Astra (one of my favorite songs of all time).

 

[Dark One]

Say what you will about The Sham Mirrors, but the grand piano sections were PHENOMENAL. If there is ONE thing to take away from that album, it's the piano work. "Star Crossed" makes me urinate blood in glee.

Well there's one thing we more than agree on today, heh. I absolutely place equal weight on both albums, which is to say that both completely rule my world. TSM is way more immediately accessible, but that doesn't take anything away from the overall impact of LMI. In my opinion, all Arcturus albums stand on their own in terms of merit and uniqueness.

If I was FORCED to pick - La Masqerade Infernale by a hair.

 

[JayKeeley]

Thing is, as a whole, I've put all these albums on the backburner: Arcturus, Solefald, Borknagar.....and now you have the third-rate clones: Winds, Age of Silence...

It's become too pretentious. There is nothing genuine about this scene anymore. Oooh let's throw a 'black metal' riff up against a piano segment, and then have a clean vocal section against a fretless bass...it's becoming so scripted just because you know that all it takes is a 2 song demo sent to The End and you're automatically signed the next day.

That's not to take anything away from the originators btw. But seriously, it's like anything Hellhammer touches these days turns to crusty fish vomit.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

I agree about Winds. They are so "OMG LOOK WHAT I CAN PLAY ON THE FUCKIN GUITAR". I disagree about "Age Of Silence" who are great.
I liked Tritonus, Tideman's other band. Prog metal of the basics: Dream Theater, Shadow Gallery - not very technical, and superbe.

 

[J.]

SOlefald never impressed me, really. SOme of Neonism and some of the debut was cool, but Pills Against the Ageless Ills was so fucking lame.

FLeurety still holds the best avant garde black metal album.

 

[Dev]

Does someone own the Demimonde album? Amazing. I'll upload a track , maybe tomorrow

 

[JayKeeley]

As a side note, regarding the debate over digipaks and jewel cases, I have to say, "The Linear Scaffold" is one of the most beautiful digipak releases I've seen.

 

[SonOfNun]

Saying that Garm is boring is insanity.

Or maybe I'm so sane, I just blew your mind. [/Kramer]

 

[Henrik Main]

Probably not.

 

[NAD]

I can't comprehend someone finding Garm's vocals boring, it just doesn't make sense. Does everyone have to like them? Nah. But boring? Zuh?

 

[Demonspell]

As a side note, regarding the debate over digipaks and jewel cases, I have to say, "The Linear Scaffold" is one of the most beautiful digipak releases I've seen.

That album and In Harmonia Universali have awesome cover art. I don't think they've fallen prey to the self-importance of a band like Winds, they're more adevnturous and even on the disappointing Pills they have enough of their own identity

 

[Dick Sirloin]

Last night, around 3.30am, a friend and I were thinking about what to listen to as we fell asleep. We'd been hitting the gravity bong for the past several hours and we needed something... special. We went with LMI. We put on the CD, lay down on the couches, closed our eyes, and drifted. Pure majesty. I heard so many things that I had NEVER NOTICED BEFORE. Weird little guitar lines in the background, all sorts of extra noises, hidden melody lines. Absolutely majestic.

 

[JayKeeley]

Which is the Arcturus album with the hidden track BEFORE song #1? Is it LMI? I have all their CDs (except the new one, but I know it's not on that one) so I'll give it a try. One day.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

LMI is the one.

 

[M.Lehto]

Which is the Arcturus album with the hidden track BEFORE song #1? Is it LMI? I have all their CDs (except the new one, but I know it's not on that one) so I'll give it a try. One day.

Well it is La Masquerade, but only the original pressing.

 

[Nate The Great]

I'm still confused why so many people bashed Sideshow Symphonies. I thought it was great.

What are we talking about here?

 

[Dick Sirloin]

Has anyone else noticed all the buried lead guitar on this album??? I've been listening to this for 3 years and am just beginning to pick up on some parts I've never noticed, especially on "The Throne of Tragedy" and "Master of Disguise." Fucking amazing album 10/10

 

[NAD]

This is one of those albums that requires attention or it'll sound boring.

That's because it is boring.

 

[Dick Sirloin]

Does not compute