I remember a time long ago when I had just discovered Heavy Metal music. Every good album I discovered seemed to bring on a special feeling or vibe. Nowadays that doesn't happen very often and to quote
Freak Kitchen "We've heard it all before...", but when I listened to this new
Candlemass album for the first time I recognised that old feeling of discovering something new and exciting. Yeah, I'm a
Candlemass-newbie and while I have heard about the band before I never actually listened to any of their music. For some reason it never became their turn before now, with this self-titled reunion album.
The Doom genre was the one thing I connected with
Candlemass and expecting a slow, plodding pace I was taken by surprise as the album opener
Black Dwarf kicked the album off in a pace that is anything but slow and plodding. The song has a forceful guitar riff which has a really evil feel to it and the intensity level is kept at maximum level through the song. Lead singer Messiah Marcolin displays a commanding presence and he has a captivating voice that has bewitched me since I first heard it.
The music has an indefinable quality to it that keeps drawing me back for one more listen. It has been a long time since I have heard music that contained this much cooped up energy. The album has a claustrophobic feel to it and it is as if there are things lurking beneath the surface, ready jump out and scare you at any moment. The guitar solos need a special mention. They are just very satisfying all the way through the album.
The second song
Seven Silver Keys is more in tune with what I expected. The grinding and ultra heavy guitar riff along with Messiah's agonized voice manage to create an atmosphere that is both otherworldly and slightly insane. A sluggish but completely brilliant song.
Continuing with the highlights,
Born In A Tank has a great guitar solo but is otherwise ruled by the ultra heavy riffs, which make it impossible not to bang your head, especially during the chorus.
The superb
Spellbreaker has a horror story feel to it and is captivating from start to finish. The tempo goes up and down but the intensity level stays high. Am I the only one hearing flutes in the verses? The sinister horror mood continues in
The Day And The Night. The opening moment is the highlight of the song where a ton of atmosphere will crush you into your chair and make you stay there.
The bonus track
Mars and Volcanos is an uptempo smasher which does earn the label "Bonus track" as it doesn't really stand apart.
The instrumental
The Man Who Fell From The Sky, the strangely familiar
Copernicus and
Assassin Of The Light make up the low point of the album for me. These are the only songs that haven't hit me right in the face. Though
Assassin Of The Light has some great parts, especially the guitar solo, the song misses something overall.
Unfortunately the album has been mastered so loud that distortion occurs several times through the CD. This is especially noticeable in the beginning of
Seven Silver Keys where the opening guitar riff starts scratching like it is just too loud to cope with. This is not very professional and it might also explain why the sound on the album is very shrill.
I must say that after a month of listening to the album the novelty wore of and now I have to be in a particular mood to get the most from it. I'm still hooked and when I'm in the right mood I find the music to be enchanting and completely bottomless. This is not something to throw on the stereo at your next party, that's for sure, and the album demands patience if you're new to this kind of music. But that patience will be rewarded and if you are into Black Sabbath, Doom music in general or just looking for a fling with the dark and atmospheric side of Metal then give this album a chance. I know I will be hunting down the other
Candlemass albums in the near future.
You can watch the video for
Black Dwarf right here if you have
Real Player installed.
Written by
Steen Saturday, May 7, 2005
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