CoC : Runemagick - The Supreme Force of Eternity : Review

Runemagick - _The Supreme Force of Eternity_
(Century Media, 1998)
by: David Rocher (5.5 out of 10)

Featuring in its line-up Peter Palmdahl of Dissection and Nicky Terror of Swordmaster (very cunningly appearing under his real name Nicklas Rudolfsson, probably in order to disconcert metal audiences), this project is what you could describe as "old school" Swedish dark metal, i.e., no frills, in-your-face low-case riffs and battering drums, simplistic song structures, no wimpish keys or sissy female vocals, just four hairy people indulging in a tense, electrified wall of sound and hateful songs whose simplicity is clearly voluntary. Recorded in the much-acclaimed Fredman studios, this opus has the sound to match its heavy claims; this is for the good news. The not-so-good news is that simplicity seems to be an excuse for often not very inspired songwriting and bass/guitar work, and even though Runemagick have their high times, on the whole, this baby grunts and saws its 40 minute long way through the listener's ears in an irksome, annoyingly minimalistic way, and... that's about all _TSFoE_ is about. Add to this the outrageously feeble, cliche, meaningless lyrics ("Memories of twisted faces / Morbid voices in a race / They fade away as I travel away / ... away"), and you haul sixteen tons of a globally monotonous metal lump that, despite featuring some enjoyable material, definitely does nothing to live up to the expectances the names Peter Palmdahl and Nicklas Rudolfsson may awaken.

(article published 16/1/1999)

ALBUMS
27/4/2008	Q Kalis	8.5	Runemagick - Dawn of the End
15/8/2004	A Wee	8	Runemagick - On Funeral Wings
3/7/2002	A Wee	8	Runemagick - Requiem of the Apocalypse
15/1/2000	P Schwarz	5	Runemagick - Enter the Realm of Death