CANDLEMASS

Sweden's Candlemass played a pivotal role in reviving Black Sabbath's slow, crushing riffs for listeners who emerged after the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and thrash eras, effectively drafting the blueprint for today's doom metal scene almost on their own. They surfaced in 1986 via the landmark Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, the album that helped name the style, then delivered four more key records before stopping in 1994. Three years later they regrouped for Dactylis Glomerata, shifting toward a more experimental sound, only to split again soon after. Their official return in 2004 kept them leading the doom metal charge through a series of lauded releases such as Candlemass (2005), Psalms for the Dead (2012), The Door to Doom (2019), and Sweet Evil Sun (2022).

Following the 1984 dissolution of his prior band Nemesis, bassist Leif Edling formed Candlemass with vocalist Johan Lanquist, guitarist Mats Bjorkman, and drummer Matz Ekstroem. Their groundbreaking debut Epicus Doomicus Metallicus arrived the next year and immediately established them in metal circles, yet only the arrival of vocalist Messiah Marcolin on 1987's Nightfall revealed their authentic identity through the singer's singular vibrato-laden operatic style, which remains unmatched. That album also introduced lead guitarist Lars Johansson and drummer Jan Lindh, merging enormous riffs and somber melodies into expansive tracks heightened by Marcolin's sacred themes and his monk's habit stage presence. Candlemass maintained this approach across Ancient Dreams (1988) and Tales of Creation (1989), both marked by clearer production values. The fittingly titled Live closed their classic period after Marcolin left to launch Memento Mori.

Tomas Vikstrom stepped in for 1992's Chapter VI, which carried a more standard metal tone, but fading popularity prompted Edling to disband the group. He launched Abstrakt Algebra in 1994 with stronger Euro-metal leanings, yet after two albums he revived Candlemass. The avant-garde metal of 1998's Dactylis Glomerata diverged sharply from their doom origins, featuring Edling alongside vocalist Björn Fklodkvist, guitarist Mike Amott, keyboard player Carl Westholm, and drummer Jejo Perkovic. Further shifts followed when guitarist Mats Stahl replaced Amott ahead of 1999's From the 13th Sun, after which the band entered another extended pause.

Several years later the classic lineup reassembled for a self-titled 2005 album that claimed a Swedish Grammy. Messiah Marcolin exited soon after its release, clearing the way for Robert Lowe of Solitude Aeturnus, who made his studio bow on 2007's King of the Grey Islands. Lowe also appeared on 2009's Death Magic Doom before departing in 2012. Now on Napalm, the group recruited longtime associate Mats Leven (Yngwie Malmsteen, At Vance, Therion) to handle vocals, yielding Psalms for the Dead. Leven's stay proved brief, as the band reinstated Epicus Doomicus Metallicus singer Johan Längqvist for album number twelve, the punishing The Door to Doom in 2019. The track "Astorolus," featuring Tony Iommi, later received a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance. The Pendulum EP surfaced in 2020, followed by the full-length Sweet Evil Sun in 2022.