The Sham Mirrors

Infobox Album | Name = The Sham Mirrors
Type = Album
Artist = Arcturus


Released = April 9, 2002
Recorded = 2000 - 2002
Genre = Avant-garde metal
Symphonic black metal
Experimental music
Length = 43:13
Label = The End Records
Producer =
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:bq1m96oojep5 link]
Last album = "Aspera Hiems Symfonia/Constellation/My Angel"
(2002)
This album = "The Sham Mirrors"
(2002)
Next album = "Sideshow Symphonies"
(2005)
|

"The Sham Mirrors" is the third full-length 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-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.

Track listing

#"Kinetic" (G., Johnsen, Rex) – 5:25
#"Nightmare Heaven" (G., Johnsen, Rex) – 6:05
#"Ad Absurdum" (G., Johnsen, Rex) – 6:48
#"Collapse Generation" (H., Hellhammer, Johnsen) – 4:13
#"Star-Crossed" (G., Johnsen, Rex) – 5:01
#"Radical Cut" (H., Hellhammer, Johnsen) – 5:08
#"For to End Yet Again" (G., Johnsen, Rex) – 10:33

Credits

*Trickster G. Rex - Vocals
*Steinar Sverd Johnsen - Keyboards
*Hellhammer - Drums
*Knut M. Valle - Guitars
*Dag F. Gravem - Bass
*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"