Swedish Doom Metal!
Swedish Doom Metal!
Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus (Black Dragon) 1986
1. "Solitude" (5:34)
2. Demon's Gate" (9:10)
3. Crystal Ball" (5:21)
4. Black Stone Wielder" (7:34)
5. Under the Oak" (6:52)
6. A Sorcerer's Pledge" (8:20)
One of the earliest Sabbath inspired doom metal bands, along with Trouble. This album has a big underground cult following. Many consider it to be a classic, if not one of the greatest doom metal albums ever recorded. Slow, doomy, heavy, and somber. Candlemass helped define doom metal. Favorites here are the fantastic, epic "Black Stone Wielder" and album opener "Solitude" which is one of the few songs that I would describe as both beautiful and somber at the same time. The vocals a dreary, doomy, and perfect for this album. This song has a cool Black Sabbath medley at the end. Lyrically, early Candlemass is a bit to dark for my liking, digging into spiritual and fantasy based themes. Early demo versions of "Black Stone Wielder" and "Demon's Gate" appear on the Nemesis CD, which was bassist Leif Eidling's first band. At one point the CD was a bit hard to find, but unless I am mistaken has been remastered and rereleased in recent years.
Candlemass - Nightfall (Axis) 1987
1. "Gothic
Stone/The Well of Souls" (8:12)
2. "Codex Gigas" [instrumental] (2:20)
3. "At the Gallow's End" (5:46)
4. "Samarithan" (5:26)
5. "Marche Funebre" [instrumental] (2:18)
6. "Dark Are the Veils of Death" (7:08)
7. "Mourner's Lament" (6:08)
8. "Bewitched" (6:36)
9. "Black Candles" [instrumental] (2:18)
Slow, dark, gothic metal reminiscent of early Black Sabbath and Saint Vitus, while at the same time possessing their own unique style. This was the band's second disc and featured new vocalist Messiah Marcolin, who has a voice that fits well the band's style. I imagine that he would sound just as good singing in a progressive metal band as well. Candlemass' lyrical approach, as seems to be common in doom metal, is of a spiritual nature that is for the most part dark. However, "Samarithan" is based on the the Biblical parable of the Good Samaritan, continuing on to his deathbed where angels come down from heaven and escort him to his eternal resting place. 'Marche Funebre' is an awesome cover of Chopin's 'Funeral March'.
Candlemass
- Ancient Dreams (Powerline) 1988
DISC ONE
1. "Mirror, Mirror" (6:07)
2. "A Cry from the Crypt" (5:14)
3. "Darkness in Paradise" (6:38)
4. "Incarnation of Evil" (7:47)
5. "Bearer of Pain" (7:14)
6. "Ancient Dreams" (6:54)
7. "The Bells of Acheron" (5:14)
8. "Epistle No. 81" (4:30)
9. "Black Sabbath Medley" (6:14)
DISC TWO
1. "Mirror, Mirror" [live] (5:20)
2. "The Bells of Acheron" [live] (5:02)
3. "Bearer if Pain" [live] (6:11)
4. "A Cry from the Crypt" [live] (3:36)
5. Interview (23:51)
6. "Mirror, Mirror" [video]
Ahhh, more "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus"! The band doesn't steer far from the sound that they are known for. I"m not sure that "Ancient Dreams" quite reaches the level of "Nightfall" or the follow-up "Tales of Creation", but it is a fine example of epic and majestic doom metal. Messiah's vocals are outstanding here. The "Black Sabbath Medley" is a CD-only track that play homage to the band that obviously had a huge impact on Candlemass. "Epistle No. 81" is a rendition of a Swedish national classic funeral song, penned by a poet/songwriter named Carl Michael Bellman. The remastered 2 CD set contains a bunch of live songs, an interview, a music video and extensive liner notes.
Candlemass - Tales of Creation (Enigma/Metal Blade) 1989
1. "The
Prophecy" (1:28)
2. "Dark Reflections" (4:57)
3. "Voices in the Wind" (0:20)
4. "Under the Oak" (6:04)
5. "Tears" (4:13)
6. "Into the Unfathomed Tower" [instrumental] (3:00)
i. Dance of the Fay
ii. Magic/Entering the Tower
iii. Dance of the Fay (reprise)
iv. Souls Flight
v. Towards the Unknown
vi. Choir of Angels
vii. Outside the Gates of Heaven
7. "The Edge of Heaven" (6:31)
8. "Somewhere in Nowhere" (3:47)
9. "Through the Infinitive Halls of Death" (5:05)
10. "Dawn" [spoken word] (:30)
11. "A Tale of Creation" (6:50)
"Tales of Creation" is hailed by some as a failed attempt at recreating the masterwork "Ancient Dreams". I just don't see it that way. Rather I see this as the third epic tale of dooooooom since Messiah has joined as vocalist. The sound is typical of these Swedes. They are epic, melodic, dark, with varying degrees of slow to mid paced riffs, crushing guitars and the majestic vocals of Messiah Marcolin. A 2-CD version of this album has also been released, with Disc 2 containing bonus demo tracks and interviews.
Candlemass - Live (Metal Blade) 1991
1. "The
Well of Souls" (5:24)
2. "Dark Are the Veils of Death" (4:05)
3. "Bewitched" (4:30)
4. "Solitude" (5:40)
5. "Dark Reflections" (4:45)
6. "Under the Oak" (6:05)
7. "Demon's Gate" (8:55)
8. "Through the Infinitive Halls of Death" (5:35)
9. "Samarithan" (5:20)
10. "Mirror Mirror" (5:30)
11. "At the Gallows End" (5:40)
12. "A Sorcerer's Pledge" (10:00)
Almost seventy minutes of slow brooding metal madness from everybody's favorite doom bad recorded live in Stockholm. I was a bit sceptical about picking up this disc after hearing the horribly recorded Helstar disc. However, Candlemass Live is an excellent recording and a excellent show to boot.
Related
collections:
Nemesis