Masque  by Kansas

Masque is the third album by the American progressive rock band Kansas, which was released in September 1975. It is considered a transitional work that combined their complex prog structure with more commercial elements, paving the way for their subsequent worldwide success. The production of the work was signed by Jeff Glixman.

Kerry Livgren undertook the majority of the songwriting, as Steve Walsh was experiencing "creative blockage" at the time. Livgren's lyrics had a strong philosophical and existential content. The album is characterized by the dual vocals of Steve Walsh and Robby Steinhardt, as well as the characteristic combination of violin (Steinhardt), keyboards, and strong guitar riffs. The recording took place in 1975 at Studio in the Country in Bogalusa, Louisiana. The studio was literally located in a swamp, with band members describing encounters with alligators and huge mosquitoes during breaks. The cover depicts the painting "Water" by the 16th-century Italian artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo. It is a "surreal" portrait formed entirely from various sea creatures and fish.

Masque reached No. 70 on the American Billboard 200. Initially, it sold about 250,000 copies within the first few months. However, after the massive success of the next two albums, interest in Masque was rekindled, and it went gold in December 1977, surpassing 500,000 sales.