Track Listing
1. White tie black noise 2. Deception genesis 3. Du nordavind/Interludium 4. Alone 5. The throne of tragedy 6. La masquerade infernale 7. Master of disguise 8. Painting my horror 9. Ad astra/Postludium 10. Ad astra (Ensemble version) Year: 1999 Label: Music for Nations - Official Site |
Arcturus - 'Disguised masters' - By C. Diamantis
There are two things I�d like to say about this album before starting this review. The first is that this isn�t a normal studio album of the band from Norway (as is stated on the CD �This is not the new Arcturus album. It�s a collection of oddities conceived in the period after La Masquerade Infernale.�), since it�s mainly compiled of remixes of songs from the �La Masquerade�� album. The second is that this album has a very little to do with metal or even rock. So I guess it�s up to you to decide if this review interests you or not. After the release and great approval of their last studio album, the members of Arcturus seemed to be feeling a little playful. So, they invited some of the most renowned members of the Norwegian independent electronic scene and let them work on the material from �La Masquerade Infernale�. Apart from the remixes, in this album we can find a short intro especially composed by When for Arcturus, a brand new song (�Deception Genesis�) which is very close in style with the last album and a re-recording of �Du Nordavind�, a song from their first album, that brings it closer to their new material. The remixes greatly vary from style to style but have all one thing in common. It�s very difficult to recognize the song by just hearing the remix. The songs in this album take more electronic forms and the use of the normal instruments is minimal. Here the things that dominate are beats, loops, programming and generally methods seldom used in rock and metal albums. But don�t misunderstand me, this is definitely not the kind of music you would listen in a club or on TV, it�s just too strange for those places. The great thing about this album is that though all the songs move, more or less, in an electronic direction, its atmosphere remains as haunting and magnificent as it was on �La Masquerade Infernale�. My personal favorites from this album are the version of �Ad Astra� by the Swedish (I think) electro band Magenta and the orchestral version of the same song, which concludes this album. One thing must be understood about this album, to enjoy it or even like it you must be one of those people who doesn�t set limits to the experimentation they�re willing to accept from a band. This is a release that is probably very, very far away from what you usually listen to. If your favorite bands are Manowar or Iron Maiden, then you should probably stay away since I don�t think cursing me for the money you spent is your favorite pastime. If, however, you�re already acquainted with the band, you like albums with remixes or general experimentation in a band, then this should prove to be a very interesting album. So, be very careful and try to listen before buying. Sometimes I wonder how some people can have so much talent� Metal Obsessive Grade: 40% To the average metalhead Metal Obsessive Grade: 90% To me, and a few other crazy bastards |