Delusive Masque

DELUSIVE MASQUE was an Athenian outfit active between 1997-2001. This relatively short life-span was indeed compensated by intense activity, with the band hosting a surprisingly large number of members along the way. Three demos appears to have been released in total, showing a gradual progression both in terms of musicianship and compositional ability.

Stylistically, DELUSIVE MASQUE wandered in the realms of Gothic-tinged melodic Death Metal. Somewhat similar to the German CREMATORY (which D.M. also covered on their second demo) with a lot of elaborate arrangements that in addition to traditional metal instrumentation included use of several vocalists (male/female), keyboards, cello, violin, congas (!), etc.

Over the course of the three demo recordings “The Spectral Storyteller” (1997), “Sick” (1998) and finally “The Things You Haven’t Seen” (2000), the band grew increasingly confident in their craft and it’s a shame they split up before producing a proper full-length album or EP recording. Even though their style may not appeal to the traditional Metal fan, it’s still possible to appreciate their compositional abilities, with songs unfolding in a natural, organic manner closer to progressive Death Metal than their outward appearance of a typical demo-level Gothic Metal band.

Compilation appearances:
* Shadows in Silence Compilation Tape Volume 1 - Dancing with the Shadows [Cass, Comp: Self-released, 1998]