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Rating: For many fans of the darkest metal spawned years ago by Black Sabbath, Candlemass represents a safe haven, a constant, a band from which you can always expect quality, dedication, willpower, and above all, results. Yet there was a moment in their over twenty-year career when they seemed to have lost their way, a downfall that called their very existence into question.
It was 1989, and after four masterpieces (do we even need to name them?), something broke within the Swedish group. The frontman Messiah Marcolin, left the band after "Tales of Creation." It was a dark period for Leif Edling and company because Marcolin had given his soul and body to a dark and massive sound. His undeniable vocal talents, as well as his significant presence on stages across half of Europe, suddenly vanished. In addition, there was the inevitable drop in songwriting, evidently “flattened” after the first four excellent works by Candlemass, which remain their compositional pinnacle.
This difficult period, both artistically and internally for the band, began for some aficionados in 1992 with "Chapter VI," their fifth studio album. In fact, compared to works like "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus," "Nightfall," and "Ancient Dreams," the final result was of a completely different caliber: yet "Chapter VI" flew too far under the radar. Why? Many attributed the "downfall" to Thomas Vikstrom, the singer who replaced Marcolin. Compared to the chubby predecessor, Vikstrom has a much brighter vocal timbre, which some described as "power metal-like," thus not very fitting for Candlemass's doom. There is no doubt that Vikstrom cannot compete with Marcolin, but listening closely to the CD, one can understand that Thomas's performance is not to be discarded but actually fits perfectly with the new “cut” of Bjorkman and Johansson's guitars, more structured and heavier and a hint less doom.
On a formal level, Candlemass remains the same with their roaring doom/heavy sound of guaranteed weightiness, where there is little room for symphonic and atmospheric glimpses. Moreover, while "Chapter VI" did not receive an excellent reception, it is a more than dignified work: the opener "The Dying Illusion" alone would dispel any doubts due to its undeniable quality. It is followed by other excellent doom pieces like "Julie Laughs No More" and the complex and dark "Where the Runes Still Speak," which could easily fit on a platter like "Ancient Dreams."
It is undeniable that from Marcolin's departure to his return in 2005 (with a new farewell shortly thereafter), Candlemass went through an intermediate period in their career that was certainly not up to what came before and after, but for this reason, "Chapter VI" should not be categorized as a poorly executed work; rather, it should be noted as such. To the author, this is without a doubt the best work of the period between 1992 and the release of "Candlemass" (2005). A chapter of their discography that needs to be rediscovered and acknowledged for its value.
1. "The Dying Illusion" (5:53)
2. "Julie Laughs No More" (4:22)
3. "Where The Runes Still Speak" (8:41)
4. "The Ebony Throne" (4:25)
5. "Temple Of The Dead" (7:10)
6. "Aftermath" (5:37)
7. "Black Eyes" (5:52)
8. "The End Of Pain" (4:24)
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
03 Where the Runes Still Speak (08:42)
Rain and thunder, fire and wind
Come with me, I leave with the tide
I wrap my cloak closer `round my shoulders
To keep me warm from the raging storm
The spirits are here to guide my journey
Over the edge of the world
A thousand wounds cry in my soul
Love and pain, a bleeding heart
Where the runes still speak
I`m coming home
Where the runes still speak
Alone I stand on this stony coast
Winds of spring whisper through the trees
The grey horizon gives me life again
Ice, and stone, the voices of the Gods
No woman can show me where the fire burns
No preacher can tell me who I am
My blood is calling me from Asaland
I`m on my way home in the end
Where the runes still speak
I`m coming home
Where the runes still speak
A homeward son will claim his heritage
Walk the soil of this earth
The pen will be his mighty sword
And the truth his defense
I`ve travelled roads that lead to wonder
I`ve seen cities rise and fall
The burden, the cross of a pilgrim
I bear no more, the son is coming home
Where the runes still speak
Son coming home
Where the runes still speak
You closed the door, but I won`t give in
Somewhere my new life will begin
Countless treasures I shared with you
The only one left is my solitude
Where the runes still speak
I`m coming home
Where the runes still speak
Son coming home
Where the runes still speak
Son coming home
Where the runes still speak
I`m coming home
Where the runes still speak
06 Aftermath (05:37)
Black inferno, chaos reigns supreme
A cancerous growth spreading out the dark
Leaving the wounded land in ashes
A civilization in ruins and decay
Nothing left to admire
Nuclear war and the aftermath
Down in flames, a rain of fire
Time has run out
Whores and scavengers violating the dead
Like a filthy flock of hungry wolves
Tortured shapes of steel against the sky
The eve of destruction, the final tragedy
Nothing left to admire
Nuclear war and the aftermath
Down in flames, a rain of fire
Time has run out
Nothing left to admire
Nuclear war and the aftermath
Down in flames, a rain of fire
Time has run out
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