This release is sure to piss off a lot of people in the scene today, since most will consider it "commercial trash". Well, once you put your "True/Elite" image aside, what you have here is a brilliant piece of work. "Disguised Masters" mostly consists of remixes of old Arcturus songs. In fact, the only new material on this album is the intro (written for Arcturus by WHEN), and a new track entitled "Deception Genesis". If I had to compare this to anything, it would be more along the lines of "La Masquerade Infernale", since there are barely any grim vocals (in fact, the only song with grim vocals is the remix of "Du Nordavind")...mostly just Garm's (now known as Trickster G.) regular singing voice. But, unlike "La Masquerade Infernale", this album is musically much more experimental. Everything ranging from Jungle (Drum & Bass), Break Beats, Trip Hop, and Trance...all mixed with the typical Arcturus style. Being a fan of all types of Techno music myself, I can say that Arcturus does an excellent job in creating such music...and at the same time coming up with something completely original while mixing it with their old music. While this release is DEFINITELY not for everyone, I would recommend it to people who have an open mind to experimental music. In my opinion, "Disguised Masters" and Ulver's "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" are the most innovative and brilliant releases to come out in years. After all, how much can you truly express yourself by cloning "Transilvanian Hunger" album after album? This isn't Black Metal by any means...it's not like anything...it's ARCTURUS. In one word: Brilliant.

© 1998 atrox666