1990. Things are tough. Tension and agitation with the manager, conflicts focusing on financial issues and utter miscommunication between the members of the band serving as the icing on the cake was the deal. Messiah Marcolin had one and only answer to everyone’s demands, either big or small: “Fuck off! I’m irreplaceable; you cannot do it without me”. That was the case up until the historical (and utterly amazing) live album of that same year. Since then, their paths stopped crossing one another. Bassist, composer and the overall mastermind behind the band, Leif Edling, decides to become the band’s manager, only to discover that things are only deteriorating as time passes. He invests in Abstrakt Algebra, with whom he releases the self-titled (and excellent) record, with the assistance of Mats Leven, Mike Wead (Mercyful Fate, Memento Mori later and the list goes on), Simon Johansson (Memory Garden), Carl Westholm (Memento Mori, Krux and still works with Edling to this day focusing on the hipster doomsters Avatarium). After all that, Edling comes to terms with Candlemass and starts rehearsing with them. “Chapter VI” is on its way. The final straw was now drawn. The constant misunderstandings with Messiah led Edling to verify the saying “no one’s irreplaceable”. The vacant position behind the microphone was about to be filled by Thomas Vikström . “Chapter VI” is released in 1992, recorded at Montezuma Recording Studios by some guy named Rex Gisslen, Edling’s assistant in production. Edling doesn’t want to hear anything about it. Me, however, the author of this article (and along with me loads of people, from what I know) pay their respects to the record. Could this case be the other way round? With ‘Dying Illusion’, ‘Julie Laughs no More’, the incredibly majestic ‘Where the Runes Still Speak’, ‘The Ebony Throne’…? Basically this record, compared with the first four, more-than classic albums, loses. Bollocks! Yesterday’s news, I’d say! We ostentatiously disregard this opinion. We are carried by Thomas Vikström’s performance, who critically contributed to the creation of a record that today is considered as a heavy metal treasure, even though music in the ‘90s faced adverse times. Pure darkness flows through the veins of the record. The acoustic break before the solo in ‘Aftermath’; Lars Johansson delivering a guitar seminar; the jaw – dropping riffs… The intro of ‘The Temple of the Dead’ and the first riff could easily be used as a soundtrack of a Hammer Horror film, balancing with the epic / oriental lead. In general, the philosophy remains the same, darkness and epicness: a formula that’s necessary to every heavy metal band that respects itself. The keyboard tunes are delicately functioning in the background, adding tension to the atmosphere. The record was wrongfully overlooked, judging by the ways it was formed, nonetheless I believe that it finally regained the place it deserved, as time served as an ally; a place so prominent, respected by both the band and its fans, or at least those who think they‘re seriously involved with extreme music. The rest should first listen closely to “Where the Runes Still Speak”, and when they overcome the first shock, questioning themselves “how would this have sounded if Messiah did the vocals?”, then they’ll definitely enjoy a must have record. The record stands gracefully next to Memento Mori, Abstrakt Algebra, Veni Domine, Solitude Aeturnus and other treasures, that carry the epigram of that genre called “Doom / Power” with pride. A pleasant passage.
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