ARCTURUS And The Deception Circus Disguised Masters (1999) CD

There are exactly two kinds of people: those who can explain what Arcturus are doing, and those who have actually listened to Arcturus. Both groups are right to be slightly unsettled.

And the Deception Circus / Disguised Masters collects rarities and compilation tracks from Norway's most gloriously unclassifiable band, the same crew whose members scattered across Emperor, Ulver, and Borknagar while somehow also inventing avant-garde black metal cabaret. The industrial gothic undertow here sits alongside orchestral passages and vocal performances that have absolutely no business being this theatrical and yet work completely. This is for the kind of collector who owns everything on that list of recommendations below and still wants more of the weird stuff. Rare, Norwegian, and not for the faint-hearted.

CD, 1999. Genre: Industrial, Avant-Garde Black Metal, Dark Aesthetic. Norway.

Fans of: Ihsahn, Solefald, Sigh, Ulver, Emperor.