CANDLEMASS: CHAPTER VI (1992)
1) Dying Illusion; 2) Julie
Laughs No More; 3) Where The Runes Still Speak; 4) Ebony Throne; 5) Temple Of
The Dead; 6) Aftermath; 7) Black Eyes; 8) End Of Pain.
It seems to me that standard critical reaction
to Candlemass albums follows a pretty simple block diagram, consisting of just
one question — «Was there any bad shit going on with the band at the time of
recording?» — and, depending on yes or no, the album is judged as good or bad.
With Chapter VI, there was most
definitely some bad shit going on: after some dispute with Marcolin whose
details I am not interested in, Messiah left the band (or should the correct
phrasing be «ascended away from the band», in this case?) and was replaced by
Thomas Vikström, another relative newcomer to the world of metal — who lasted
for only this one album. And since this was not perceived as an obvious change
for the better, many people bypassed alternate logical choices and declared
this as an obvious change for the worst.
As in the case of Ancient Dreams, I desperately fail to see what is so clearly wrong
with Chapter VI. First, the new
vocalist is in no way inferior to Marcolin. Technically, he can hit all the
right notes, he can growl and scream, and his overtones fit right in with the
band's music. Substantially, it's
all just overblown metal theater, and it's not like either of them are expected
to genuinely awaken your sleeping emotions and bring out your undercover
instincts — but here, too, I will say that at least Vikström has a bit of that
snarly rasp in his voice that brings him closer to «metal punk» Dio or Bruce
Dickinson territory: at his best, he is less of a pompous operatic screamer
than Marcolin and more of a brutal warrior type, even though you'd probably
expect the opposite, given his origins (apparently, he is the son of a real
Swedish opera singer).
More importantly, Chapter VI is generally faster
than all previous Candlemass albums. There is a bit more thrash and power metal
vibe here than usual, which is one reason why it might not appeal to serious
doom metal aficionados. ʽDying Illusionʼ, after a brief atmospheric intro,
opens with the same flying punch as Sabbath's ʽNeon Knightsʼ (perhaps, given
the arrival of a new lead singer, they also felt the need to switch from an
Ozzy-like Master Of Reality vibe to
a Dio-like Heaven And Hell vibe?),
and is a pretty impressive song on the whole, with numerous time and tempo
changes, going from speed metal madness to funeral march and back in a
surprisingly smooth and credible manner. It definitely does not sound like an Epicus-style track — but so much for the better, I'd say.
Elsewhere, there are quite a few decent riffs
as well, such as the ones that open ʽEbony Throneʼ, ʽBlack Eyesʼ, and ʽEnd Of
Painʼ — a bit more complex than usual, a bit less crazy about sounding like
the Hand Of Doom closing in on you, more intent on simply sounding menacing and
foreboding in a somewhat more abstract manner. Actually, I would say that it is
the most traditional Candlemass-style songs that suck the most on here, a
particular nadir being ʽWhere The Runes Still Speakʼ — now that is one truly miserable ode to the magical mysteries of their
mythical Teutonic past; nothing but a leaden guitar tone churning out the same
repetitive slow chords over and over, and tons and tons of overblown
mock-Wagnerian sentimentality. ʽTemple Of The Deadʼ, another lengthy epic, is
at least marginally better due to a faster tempo and a more agile and complex
riff; however, the overall rule of thumb here is that the shorter the song is,
the more chances it has at being successful.
It's not as if I insist that the album deserves
a thumbs up, but I think it will appeal to all those who really really really
love their metal riffage, and I certainly disagree with all those who accuse Chapter VI of low energy or lack of
inspiration (one could certainly accuse Candlemass in toto of a lack of inspiration — or, at least, originality — but
not of low energy). Certainly not the worst chapter in their history, even if,
at the time, so many people believed this, apparently, that the band had no
choice but to break up soon afterwards.
"Substantially, it's all just overblown metal theater,"
ReplyDeleteSo was Rainbow, Dio era, so in itself that's not a problem for me. Let's face it, Gillan in his prime singing Child in Time was overblown metal theater as well. The question is just if it works (and regarding Gillan that's a no brainer).
"even though you'd probably expect the opposite, given his origins (apparently, he is the son of a real Swedish opera singer)"
Actually not. Most metal singers aren't capable of expressing more than just emotion. Opera singers totally are. And for doom to be convincing that's mandatory. It's one reason I think previous albums of Candlemass so boring.
If there are two Russian operas full of doom it's Boris Godunov and Mazeppa. The death scenes of these two couldn't be more depressing. Still they are the opposite of overblown metal theater. If Vikström is the son of an opera singer indeed he undoubtedly realizes this.
This has everything to do with another point: just singing about doom fantasies is not nearly enough for me. I enjoy my Tolkien and Rowling, but Sauron and Voldemort never scared or depressed me. What I think scary is the doom coming from the dark, deep crypts of our mind. Debbie Harry singing "fight emptimess" (Youth Nabbed as Sniper) frightens me more than 99% of the metal singers. That's why Black Sabbath worked in their heydays: Ozzie actually sang about his own mental issues. The silly lyrics were just a means. Vikström seems to understand this as well.
It also helps that the guitar solos don't overuse that stereotypal oversteered sound effect on this album like on previous albums. So call me silly, but I like Chapter VI best. The rhythm section is still quite unimaginative though.