When I got the word from Peacedog headquarters that the end was nigh for Candlelight records, that we were off their mailing list and I wouldn’t be receiving any more discs from them to review, I found myself on an emotional roller coaster. First, I felt elated to know that my patience, writing skills and overall interest in music would no longer be tested by their endless supply of generic metalcore crapola. “Free at last!” I screamed to the heavens. As the weight of this revelation hit me, I began to have second thoughts. “Maybe you didn’t give those records a fair shot! Maybe they have some great bands on their label and you just haven’t heard them! Don’t you feel bad?” said the little angel who had magically appeared on my shoulder. Yes, folks, I kinda did feel bad. A twinge of regret had poked its way through the dark, bitter depths of my soul. I got “Ruun” from ENSLAVED, knowing that it might possibly be the final disc I’ll ever review from Candlelight, and I promised that little guy on my shoulder that I would do my best to keep an open mind. I would disregard the monumentally stupid album name and any prior conceptions of what I had built up of the label’s output, and I would do my best to give Candlelight USA a nice send off!!

Fuck that. This album sucks. If you’ve read any other reviews that I’ve written about releases from this label, all the same criticisms apply here. Skeletor cackles on the verses, his little buddy sings on the choruses. Formulaic riffs are coupled with standardized musicianship and production, replete with dumb song titles that aspire to Robert E. Howard levels of grandeur. Instrumental passages on songs like “Api-Vat,” and “Heir to the Cosmic Seed” come close to being interesting, but those moments are few and far between.

So that’s it. Good bye, Candlelight! I’m off to eat pizza and blast AC/DC’s “Powerage” for the whole world to hear! And if you ever see that little guy I spoke of earlier, do me a favor and kick him in the balls.

- Broadbent

OFFICIAL SITE: www.enslaved.no

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