There are many defining moments in the world of heavy metal. I’d wager that the arrival of Epicus Doomicus Metallicus in 1986 stands in the top ten. Initially, the ground-breaking doom metal album didn’t produce much of a reaction, but look back on that seminal album today, and it’s impossible to ignore the impact that Candlemass’s debut album has had.
Epicus Doomicus Metallicus featured the vocals of (at the time) hired gun Johan Langquist. His return to the band in 2018 for the superb The Door to Doom was unexpected but massively welcomed and after the lockdown releases of The Pendulum EP and Green Valley Live, we are presented with Candlemass’s 13th album, Sweet Evil Sun.
Pinning colours to the mast, it would have to be utterly dreadful for me to dislike a Candlemass album. I love the band’s huge slab breaking riffage, and there’s something I enjoy on every album. So, when the crushing riffs of “Wizard of the Vortex” burst through the brief intro, the smile is instantly engaged. If there’s one thing that Leif Edling can do, it’s write a riff and this is massive. The pace is up, the track pushes along hard with a sweet lead break from Lars Johansson. Langquist brings his unique vocal, adding that melancholic delivery, his gruff edged voice working in tandem. Even the slightly psychedelic ending doesn’t detract from a huge opening song. The title track follows and should be familiar to all by now having been released as one of two early tracks. It’s still a belting song, with another gargantuan riff that levels everything.
As one would expect, there are plenty of longer songs on Sweet Evil Sun. Six of the ten songs are six-minutes plus, with only the title song and closing track “A Cup of Coffin” under four-minutes. So, you really need to get the phones on, sit back and absorb the tsunami of classic riffs that Candlemass throw at you with relentless energy.
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There is plenty of underlying melody to counter the evil delivery with the mellotron adding layered depth to several songs including the powerful “Angel Battle”. Avatarium’s Jennie-Ann Smith, intrinsically tied to Candlemass, adds her stunning voice to “When Death Sighs”. A theatrical song that breaks into a more melodic conclusion with Smith’s vocals working in harmony with Langquist. The dramatic “Scandinavian Gods” slows the pace, the reduced drumbeat, and droning guitar tone see Langquist’s vocals work over the top as he tells tales of Scandinavian mythology. It’s mired in classic rock but with a heavier edge.
Still plenty to pack in and “Devil Voodoo” engages the mellotron to great effect. It’s thick keys providing the perfect backdrop to a song that switches from punishingly heavy riffs to an acoustic segment before more piledriving heaviness slams back with brooding malevolence. By the time you reach the finale “A Cup of Coffin”, which is a short outro accompanied by applause, you’ll be in one of two camps. Those that love this or those that hate it. I don’t think you can be in any other.
For me, with the production of Avatarium’s Marcus Jiddell once more perfectly capturing the Candlemass sound, it’s another album of magnitude. It stands comfortably alongside their existing body of work and whilst there are those who unrealistically will always want the music on those first few records, Sweet Evil Sun captures the band’s current sound without forgetting or ignoring their roots. It’s another masterpiece from the Swedes.
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Sweet Evil Sun is out on November 18th
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