tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post2220312889424765047..comments2024-03-02T07:40:22.786+03:00Comments on Only Solitaire blog: Candlemass: Chapter VIUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-43643484832508762902017-04-20T21:37:29.760+03:002017-04-20T21:37:29.760+03:00"Substantially, it's all just overblown ..."Substantially, it's all just overblown metal theater,"<br />So 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).<br /><br />"even though you'd probably expect the opposite, given his origins (apparently, he is the son of a real Swedish opera singer)"<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.MNbnoreply@blogger.com