Only one year after the masterpiece "Ancient Dreams" CANDLEMASS returned to try to take up with "Tales Of Creation" where they had left off.

At first I had thought that they had not fully reached the level of "Ancient Dreams", but "Tales Of Creation" just need a few more rotations to take up the compositions. In the end also the third CANDLEMASS-album turns out to be a classic of epic Doom Metal, just like the album before and the following one.

The sound of the Swedes is borne, like before, by epic, broadly arranged, grand arcs of melodies, very varied songs and the majestic voice of Messiah Marcolin. Majestic is a good word to describe CANDLEMASS, because they have got nothing in common with the "dirty" Doom of ST.VITUS and consorts, apart from the speed.

The proof, how varied and gripping Doom Metal can be, is made by the highlights "The Edge Of Heaven", "A Tale Of Creation", both absolutely brilliant songs and also "Through The Infinite Halls Of Death", in which you can hear, where bands like MEMORY GARDEN, SOLITUDE AETURNUS or SORCERER had found their roots. Also quite amusing, "Into The Unfathomed Tower" is, despite its seven parts, the shortest song of the album (apart from intros) and is a surprisingly fast instrumental with great arpeggiated guitars.

In the end I can only repeat what I had already written about "Ancient Dreams", a masterpiece, again with a great cover, which every Doom-fan just has to have!