Five years have passed, since this ''hellish'' and poetic at the same time, release of these open-minded ''blacksters''. Their grandiose piece of art, remains still, an emblem of innovation, along with acts like Therion, In the Woods...and above all the supreme Ulver! The mixture of the extreme sound, with musical instruments such as, the violin or the piano, perplexed horrificaly with classically-styled orchestrations, enhanced painfully with adequate doses of hard, background, electronic sounds, becomes the perfect outfit for the chaotically ''Baudelairish'' symbolic lyrics. Fractal asymmetries spawn upon each song, from the very highlight of the album, ''The Chaos Path'' to the dark alchemical atmosphere of the Gehennal '' Ad Astra'' and the anthemic ''Alone'' (lyrics by E.A.Poe). Of course we must extol and give major credits to the operatically-schizoid, and theatrically embossed with tandric complexities, vocals of Garm ( Trickster G. for the Ulver fans!), that transcend the songs to forbidden and stygian dimensions.Not easily digestible by the casual minds, Arcturus' ''La Masquerade Infernale'' stands as an extravagant ''evil'' opus, for all the free-minders that search for the ultimate cause in this world, the Faustian Gnosis, despite the Mephistofelic costs! An album that portrays unease and the strive for potency in every possible manifestation!

CHAOS ER ALT!!!!