(Aftermath Music) Total Time: 73:49
Runemagick were created in 1990 and the first month existed as a one-man band only, project of Nicklas “Terror” Rudolfsson. With inspirations of bands like Bathory, Tiamat Celtic Frost, Candlemass and others of the like Rudolfsson and the participation of the new member, Robert Pehrsson, as a guitarist and singer, Runemagick began to take their first steps into the metal scene. But the future wasn’t promising at all and after many years of efforts, line-up changes, problems and a lot of bad luck we come to the year 2001 when in the fall of the same year Runemagick sign up with Aftermath Music, record a new album called “Requiem of the Apocalypse” and receive great reviews. In 2003 their second guitarist decides to leave the band for personal reasons and since then Runemagick continue their progress into the musical path as a three-piece line-up. After the release of a DVD called “Darkness Death Doom/Pentagram” in the fall of 2003 next in line is “On Funeral Wings” which was released on February of 2004. If I had to characterize the whole album with one word I would say “slow.” Whether this “slow” is good or bad is a whole new subject. If we see it from a Black/Doom metal point of view we have a self-respecting doom metal album. But on the other hand we can’t escape the feeling that Runemagick have settled in one certain style of music with no apparent surprises in the synthesis of their songs. Surely there are some outbursts of speed but they don’t last long. Is this identity or lack of inspiration, I wonder. If you are into slow, doom music you should definitely check out this album but bear in my mind that it demands quite a lot of attention in order to appreciate what it has to offer.
