Arcturus was originally formed in 1987 as a death metal act, named Mortem. They released a demo tape in 1989, titled "Slow Death". The line-up consisted of Hellhammer (Jan Axel Blomberg) on drums, Sverd (Steinar Sverd Johnsen) on keyboards, and Marius Vold on bass/vocals.
In 1990, they changed their name to Arcturus, which is the name of a star, meaning Bear Guardian. "My Angel", their debut EP, was released on 8 July 1991.
In 1993 the original line-up was changed when bassist/vocalist Marius Vold was taken out of the band. Arcturus soon became labeled a black metal supergroup, consisting of Garm (Kristoffer Rygg of Ulver) on vocals, Carl August Tidemann on guitar, Skoll (Hugh Stephen James Mingay) on bass, and the two other original members, Hellhammer on drums, and Steinar Sverd Johnsen as main composer/keyboards player.
In 1995, Arcturus released "Aspera Hiems Symfonia". Acclaimed to be one of the most innovative black metal album ever, it is a mix of early 1990s Norwegian black metal, classical melodies and a refined touch of nordic coldness. The lyrics concentrate on the themes of winter and the darkness of night.
In 1997 Arcturus released the much acclaimed "La Masquerade Infernale" album. The theatrical, almost carnivalesque, style built around Sverd's keyboards was introduced by the large vocals range of Garm, becoming their trademark.
After a remix album "Disguised Masters", Arcturus offered their third major effort with "The Sham Mirrors", whose keyboards' dynamic melodies also received good reviews.
In 2004, after three full-length albums, Kristoffer Rygg left the band. He was initially replaced by Øyvind Hægeland from the band Spiral Architect. Øyvind performed live with the band, but did not appear on any recordings. In 2005 the band announced that Øyvind had moved too far away for his continued involvement to be practical and they had parted ways. In 2005 Simen Hestnæs (aka ICS Vortex of Dimmu Borgir), who had previously performed guest vocals on three Arcturus tracks ("Master of Disguise", "The Chaos Path", and "Painting My Horror") on "La Masquerade Infernale", became the new vocalist of the band.
With "Sideshow Symphonies", released in 2005, Arcturus moved towards more progressive tones and a strong lunar sound, leant on a space trip concept narrated by Simen's ethereal voice. A DVD, "Shipwrecked in Oslo" was released in June 2006.
The band split up after the successful tour of Australia in March 2007.
In early September of 2009, after being ejected from Dimmu Borgir, Simen released a statement on his blog with the following quote: "There is another meeting also planned with Arcturus members to discuss about the future of the band and a possible reunite.".
In 2011 ICS Vortex confirmed an Arcturus reunion show at ProgPower USA 2011 Festival. In addition, Vortex also said "Beloved freaks! ProgPower USA 2011 will host the first Arcturus concert in 5 years. This is our first performance in the United States, and since we're all retarded, probably the last.". The show was later cancelled due to "hibernation sickness" and "outdated parts".
Arcturus was supposed to play its first reunion show at Avant-Garde Night vol. 2 in Poland, but it was cancelled and they rescheduled show to January. They played a show September 9th, 2011 at the KICK Nattklubb & Scene in Kristiansand, Norway. When asked about it by a fan on his facebook, Vortex said "yes I can confirm once again that Arcturus is on" In an interview published by Lords of Metal webzine, ICS Vortex said Arcturus were working on a new album. The band's fifth album, Arcturian, was released in 2015.
Official Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/arcturusnorway
Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/arcturusnorway
La Masquerade Infernale
Arcturus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[is translated by the undersigned, and hereby dedicated to Kristoffer Garm Rygg]
Hear!
From this day forth
Are the heights of Horeb broken
And the sea of sulphur-ice.
In heaven's chambers:
Souls had fled their halls
And closed was the book of life.
And behold!
The great, white throne:
Black
With sacred blood
Our father -
Dead by his own hands:
An epitaph
Worthy no king.
And so is everything
A nameless lie.
Who, my god,
Am I?
Man knows me
As Lucifer, the serpent of old.
The wretched hold my banner high.
Your gift
- all life! -
I grant a grave
Yet I am not your death.
Come carry forth the crown
To your once held throne.
Here is where my suffering should cease
- but alas; I am crowned
In grief unheard of!
In this lone monarchy
- without a friend of foe -
I greet the mourning sun
With strife and a song:
Please speak my name!
And leave me not
In the dust of death.
I am weighed down
Beneath the tragedy crown, -
Nameless,
And alone,
A fatherless son.
[JHS 1996]
The song "La Masquerade Infernale" by Arcturus is a lyrical masterpiece, based on the poem "Tragediens Trone" by John Henrik Svaren. The opening lines of the song paint a vivid picture of a world where the heights of Horeb are broken, and the sea of sulphur-ice is raging. The imagery seems to represent the collapse of all things holy and heavenly. The following lines describe the scene in heaven's chambers, where souls have fled their halls, and the book of life is closed. The concept of blasphemy is introduced, and the great white throne is now black with sacred blood. These lines suggest a loss of faith and a rejection of the divine.
The song continues with the singer reflecting on his own identity. He questions who he is and introduces himself as Lucifer, the serpent of old. It is at this point that the tone of the song takes a turn, and the singer appears to be speaking to human beings, describing the gift of life he has granted them, but also acknowledging the inevitability of death. Towards the end of the song, the singer speaks of his own suffering, appearing to lament his existence, and the fact that he is a fatherless son, weighed down by the tragedy crown. This image is particularly poignant, emphasizing the sense of loneliness and isolation conveyed throughout the song.
Overall, "La Masquerade Infernale" is a complex and multi-layered song, full of religious imagery and philosophical questioning. It explores themes of identity, faith, suffering, and isolation.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear!
Listen up, pay attention!
From this day forth
Are the heights of Horeb broken
And the sea of sulphur-ice.
The world as we knew it has collapsed; once grand and lofty places are now ruined and desolate.
And blasphemy!
In heaven's chambers:
Souls had fled their halls
And closed was the book of life.
A great offense has been committed in the highest of realms, with souls fleeing from the sanctity of heaven and even the divine register of life being sealed shut.
And behold!
The great, white throne:
Black
With sacred blood
Behold the once-pure and holy seat of power, now defiled with the blood of someone important.
Our father -
Dead by his own hands:
An epitaph
Worthy no king.
The person who held the highest position of authority chose to end their life, and their legacy is one of dishonor and unworthiness.
And so is everything
A nameless lie.
Who, my god,
Am I?
All that was once held as true and meaningful has been exposed as a meaningless falsehood, and the singer is left to question their very identity and purpose.
Man knows me
As Lucifer, the serpent of old.
The wretched hold my banner high.
The singer is associated with the devil and is seen as a figure of darkness by many, despite their followers' pitiable state.
Your gift
- all life! -
I grant a grave
Yet I am not your death.
The artist is able to end life, but they are not the ultimate end of existence themselves.
Come carry forth the crown
To your once held throne.
Here is where my suffering should cease
- but alas; I am crowned
In grief unheard of!
The artist instructs someone to take their place as the new leader, but even in abdicating they find no relief from their intense and unheard-of sorrow.
In this lone monarchy
- without a friend of foe -
I greet the mourning sun
With strife and a song:
Please speak my name!
And leave me not
In the dust of death.
The artist rules over a kingdom devoid of allies or enemies, and sings to the sun in hopes that something or someone will acknowledge them and prevent them from fading away into obscurity and insignificance.
I am weighed down
Beneath the tragedy crown, -
Nameless,
And alone,
A fatherless son.
The singer is burdened by their position of sadness and grief, and they bear an emblem of sorrow that they did not choose. They feel anonymous and melancholy, with no parental figure to turn to.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TheSheer96
00:00 1. Master of Disguise 6m42s
06:42 2. Ad Astra 7m40s
14:22 3. The Chaos Path 5m33s
19:55 4. La Masquerade Infernale instrumental 2m00s
21:55 5. Alone 4m39s
26:34 6. The Throne of Tragedy 6m33s
33:07 7. Painting My Horror 5m59s
39:06 8. Of Nails and Sinners 6m06s
Still, thank you SilesianWoods for sharing this, with each song duration. :) \m/
LUISTARWIND
TODAY After almost 22 years !!!
This single ALBUM by Itself, transcended space and time by at least 30 years into the future !!
We are nearing the Year 2020 !! And anybody that listens to this album for the very first time, will probably think it came out just recently..
La Masquerade Infernale is just one of those rare albums that will go on forever as a Statement of the Human Psyche a Universal Message for Humanity
Very few musicians or bands for that matter have attained such majestic level of accomplishment..
My life changed completely for better or worse it was the winter time of 1997, when I bought this Album here in NYC. a record store or place that no longer exists, around the village area .
went home took a shower and then around 8pm or so took my precious CD, limited edition Album and started rolling it SONY Carousel remember those>? 5 CD Changer ?? then expecting
something similar to Aspera Hiems Symfonia, I was completely shocked at first , the first 3 tracks I was becoming kind of irritated.
My mind at that time wasn't really ready just yet... After the 6th Try !!! it was like a sudden thunder-strike a SPARK of enlightenment went through my whole mind and body !!
I never felt quiet like this listening to AD-ASTRA !! The feeling was so deep with emotion it gave me a premonition not only in my own future but what was to come to the world right after !!!
to be continued !
Opiekun Dps
"Secret audio information can be found if sought... / Philosophy of the crazed
(Printed inside of the back insert, hinting at a pre-gap track 0 which starts at -1;29
of the first track, so you have to go back in order to access it (you cannot skip to track 0)".
Do You have it?
0. Untitled -1;29
1. Master of Disguise 00:00
2. Ad Astra 06:43
etc...
TheSheer96
00:00 1. Master of Disguise 6m42s
06:42 2. Ad Astra 7m40s
14:22 3. The Chaos Path 5m33s
19:55 4. La Masquerade Infernale instrumental 2m00s
21:55 5. Alone 4m39s
26:34 6. The Throne of Tragedy 6m33s
33:07 7. Painting My Horror 5m59s
39:06 8. Of Nails and Sinners 6m06s
Still, thank you SilesianWoods for sharing this, with each song duration. :) \m/
SilesianWoods Promotions
Times updated now for YT. Thanks for your comment anyway.
S S
Today marks the 23rd anniversary of the release of this majestic masterpiece. At the time this was recorded:
Skoll (bass) was 22 years old
Sverd (keys) was 24 years old
Garm (vox) was 20 years old
Knut (guitar) was 22 years old
Hellhammer (drums) was 27 years old
Fernando Figueredo
Garm 20 years !!!!!! A master the guy, a genius ✊
Rune Richards
ICS Vortex (Back up vox and vox for Chaos Path) was also 23 at the time
Ahmad Bazzari
Happy 25th Anniversary, La Masquerade Infernale! One of the greatest albums ever made!
Tim2049
This album literally changed my life. I was 19 yrs old when it came out & it took my head to places I'd never thought possible. No other piece of art has ever had as strong an effect on me to this day. Now I'm 40 yrs old I'm still living in its philosophical hangover. It'll never leave me...
Obscuring Veil
Nice
Scott A
Well then you shouldn't read themes from William Blake, that album opens up a whole world of eye openers.
Jakke
Ad Astra still gives me the chills after 20 years..