The Sham Mirrors
| The Sham Mirrors | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Arcturus | ||||
| Released | April 22, 2002 | |||
| Recorded | 2000–2001 | |||
| Genre | Avant-garde metal, progressive metal | |||
| Length | 43:13 | |||
| Label | Ad Astra Enterprises | |||
| Arcturus chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Chronicles of Chaos | 9.5/10[2] |
The Sham Mirrors is the third studio album by Norwegian avant-garde metal band Arcturus. It was released on April 9, 2002.
The Sham Mirrors is a departure from the band's previous albums; it features a much more modern, "outer space"-influenced sound, as opposed to the classical music-inspired layered melodies of 1997's La Masquerade Infernale, and contains elements of trip hop, ambient music and electronica in addition to the band's typical heavy and black metal sound. Lyrically, the album deals with abstract science fiction-themed subjects, a departure from the Satanic lyrics of earlier work. The album cover depicts a model drawing of the upper part of the Apollo spaceship.
Track listing
All lyrics written by Kristoffer Rygg, except tracks 4 and 6, written by Jørn H. Sværen, all music composed by Steinar Sverd Johnsen.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kinetic" | 5:25 |
| 2. | "Nightmare Heaven" | 6:05 |
| 3. | "Ad Absurdum" | 6:48 |
| 4. | "Collapse Generation" | 4:13 |
| 5. | "Star-Crossed" | 5:01 |
| 6. | "Radical Cut" | 5:08 |
| 7. | "For to End Yet Again" | 10:33 |
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Total length:
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43:13 | |
Credits
Arcturus
- Trickster G. Rex - Vocals
- Knut M. Valle - Guitars
- Steinar Sverd Johnsen - Keyboards
- Dag F. Gravem - Bass
- Hellhammer - Drums
Additional Musicians
- Ihsahn - black metal vocals on "Radical Cut"
- Mathias Eick - Ubu's horn on tracks 3,4 and 6
- Hugh Steven James Mingay - Low frequentation on "Radical Cut"
Production
- Produced By G. & Phantom FX
- Recorded & Engineered By G., Valle & Johnsen
- Mixed By Tore Ylwizaker at Ambrassaden
- Mastered By Tom La Bomba at Strype Audio
