Band's List Doom Metal Candlemass Tales of Creation

Since I started listening to doom metal, Candlemass quickly became a respected member of my favorite metal bands and this album is one of my all time favorite metal albums. This is not their best work, but Tales of Creation is strong enough to blow minds of listeners, and bring them the spirit of doom.

Personally, I think that this is their second best album after Epicus Doomicus Metallicus. First of all, this is a concept album, which already means enjoyable. Second, here Messiah Marcolin really sings with power, as is needed in epic doom metal, meanwhile when on the previous album, Ancient Dreams, his vocal were weak, and it seemed like he didn't want to sing. And third, this album has strong and melodic choruses, which makes it's heavenly music even more epic.

When you start this album, you will be met by 'The Prophecy', some kind of intro, but it already expresses many emotions of the album and it lets listeners know what is waiting for them. Here is used the last riff from last track, 'A Tale Of Creation', so it seems that this album starts with this riff and ends with it, so in other words, this is a circle album. Then comes the powerful song 'Dark Reflections'. It isn't remarkable by melodiousness, but the vocal parts are epic and 'doom sounding'.

Then comes filler 'Voices of the Wind' and then the well-known masterpiece 'Under The Oak', but with Marcolin on vocals. Well, his version is very interesting and enjoyable, but I prefer 'Under The Oak' from 'Epicus Doomicus Metallicus'. Johan Längquist sings it with whole emotion and I can't imagine any other version.

Here is the 3 minutes long instrumental called 'Into the Unfathomed Tower'. It has many fast solos, maybe out of concept, but great anyway. Then comes one of the strongest songs, 'The Edge Of Heaven', which contains melodic and 'doom sounding' vocals with a powerful solo. Messiah's voice fits perfectly here.

The concept of this album is a tale of how the chosen one created the world. The last track, 'A Tale Of Creation', crowns this story well. Its outro is something epic, sounding like the final moments of mankind. It feels this way when you realize that this album has just ended.

Aside from everything this is, being heavy, strong and powerful, this album is tragic as well, and after listening to it many times, you don't feel that something is needed and you don't feel emptiness here. As I said, for me this is not their best work, but I love this album most because after listening to it again and again, you feel a wild desire to do it again and again.