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Kalaratri
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:49 am 
 

Swedish epic doom metal legends will release their thirteenth full length, Sweet Evil Sun, on November 18 through Napalm Records. From the press release:

Quote:
After working on this massive piece of art for 18 months in total, with Sweet Evil Sun, Candlemass brings back all the grandness of their early years, exploring themes of ambition and strife, hope and failure. It comes as no surprise that, alongside the band, renowned producer Marcus Jidell captured the band’s massive, smoky guitar tones, powerful drums and larger-than-life vocals, offering a truly unique, high quality sonic experience.

Recorded at NOX studio in Stockholm, Sweden, Sweet Evil Sun impressively showcases that, after almost 40 years in the game, the creativity of these Swedish doom masters sees no bounds. Through the power of wall-shaking riffs, incredible vocal performances and the blood and spirit of classic heavy metal, Sweet Evil Sun shines as a masterpiece of impending legend that truly honors the epic doom metal cult of Candlemass.

The artwork for Sweet Evil Sun was illustrated by the skilled hand of Erik Rovanperä, the architect behind Candlemass’ visual style since Psalms for the Dead (2012).

Leif Edling on the new album: “Sweet Evil Sun is about hope, striving, adoration and failure. It's about all the personal battles that you have, but also the never-ending decay of humanity. The record took over a year to make and there's not a bad track on it! We had a fantastic time recording it and are really looking forward to the release. It's doom, it's metal! It is the essence of Candlemass put into one album!”

Opening track “Wizard Of The Vortex” instantly casts a spell with a riff so powerful, the listener is immediately ensnared. Title track “Sweet Evil Sun” kicks in with warning guitar feedback before sludging a heavy-as-hell riff as Johan Langquist deftly warbles through melancholic, beckoning passages and a hooky chorus. His imposing vocals fit each riff and tone perfectly, emerging as an instrument in itself. Jennie-Ann Smith (Avatarium) lends her beautiful voice to the theatrical, grim "When Death Sighs”, creating a shimmering, intermingled chorus duet eventually backed by rising organs and a marching rhythm. The haunting atmosphere is highlighted by an amazing guitar solo that reads like a story as it bends and descends, marking the sign of death on the listener’s door.


Image

Tracklisting:
1. Wizard Of The Vortex
2. Sweet Evil Sun
3. Angel Battle
4. Black Butterfly
5. When Death Sighs
6. Scandinavian Gods
7. Devil Voodoo
8. Crucified
9. Goddess
10. A Cup Of Coffin" (Outro)

Scandinavian Gods has been released as the first single:
Spoiler: show


The new single sounds pretty good. Johan definitely has a lot of grit and power in his voice. I don't really hear that much of the early sound that they're supposedly bringing back but it is just one track.

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Benedict Donald
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:53 am 
 

oh hell yes! Instant purchase.
New song is solid...

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Ace_Rimmer
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Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2017 11:30 am
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2022 11:34 am 
 

The last one was good, but not great, though I may expect too much when Johan returned to the band.

Spinning the new cut now.

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MetlaNZ
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2022 11:57 am 
 

The new song reminds me of a Judas Priest anthem. Not bad, but not what I was expecting and I doubt it's representative of the album as a whole.

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Slater922
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Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2020 6:24 pm
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2022 12:35 pm 
 

Love that single and album cover! This album's looking to be a highlight for the year.
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Metal_On_The_Ascendant
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2022 1:24 pm 
 

Generic as hell. Candlemass hasn't moved me much in a long time but we'll always have the iconic old albums.
Their album art tends to be bland but they make it work haha, I love it (seriously, this is like a slight update to King of the Grey Islands) - the paintings on Nightfall and Ancient Dreams is the style that worked best for their covers imo.

New My Dying Bride, when???
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Benedict Donald
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2022 1:32 pm 
 

Metal_On_The_Ascendant wrote:

New My Dying Bride...

A new MDB is always a special event, and always the highlight of the year in which it's released.

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Ace_Rimmer
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2022 2:25 pm 
 

Liked the new cut. Looking forward to this one.

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RainyTheBusinessPerson
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2016 10:50 pm
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2022 9:25 pm 
 

Pretty nice song, looking forward to hear the full album when it comes out.
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thehawksfuckingdead
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Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2020 2:19 pm
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2022 3:52 am 
 

I didn't really enjoy Scandinavian Gods but I really hope that the new album will be good.

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Benedict Donald
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2022 7:25 am 
 

Ace_Rimmer wrote:
The last one was good, but not great, though I may expect too much when Johan returned to the band.



Their material has certainly been less exciting since the Rob Lowe era ended, but they've never disappointed, IMO.

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Twisted_Psychology
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2022 10:38 pm 
 

I’m expecting it to be in the same favorably meh ballpark as the last one. I’m more interested in the upcoming Avatarium.
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Oxenkiller
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2022 11:58 pm 
 

It's kind of strange with me and this band. In my opinion their 2005 "White album" was by far their best work. I like some of their early stuff from the 80's but it's hit or miss, and nothing they did after the 2005 album really sounded very interesting to me either. I might still give this a chance though.

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77hjrttfred
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Joined: Thu Jun 10, 2021 7:15 pm
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 21, 2022 7:33 pm 
 

I have to say that the albums with Robert Lowe were had some of the best stuff in their career. The last album was a slight dip in quality, but still pretty good.

I quite like the new song.

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Benedict Donald
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 11:45 am 
 

77hjrttfred wrote:
I have to say that the albums with Robert Lowe were had some of the best stuff in their career.


Undeniably. The more time passes, the more I think the Lowe years were as good as, or perhaps even better than, their iconic 80s material.

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soul_schizm
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 12:58 pm 
 

Benedict Donald wrote:
77hjrttfred wrote:
I have to say that the albums with Robert Lowe were had some of the best stuff in their career.


Undeniably. The more time passes, the more I think the Lowe years were as good as, or perhaps even better than, their iconic 80s material.


The only vocalist that could really fill Messiah's shoes. An argument can be made he was better, although just for historical/trailblazing purposes Messiah is the choice.

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cultofkraken
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 3:14 pm 
 

Anyone else find that song just kinda shitty? Like the vocals are fine but that drumming and the riff… just bland and meandering. It went nowhere.
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Benedict Donald
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 3:49 pm 
 

cultofkraken wrote:
Anyone else find that song just kinda shitty? Like the vocals are fine but that drumming and the riff… just bland and meandering. It went nowhere.


it's kinda bland, yes.

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Sonic Death
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2022 8:27 pm 
 

Honestly, this new song is nothing special or innovative, this is typical Candlemass, although I will listen to their new album when it comes out so I'll see what happens, although for me post-Messiah albums have never been anything special even though there were good songs here and there, Psalms for the Dead was an interesting album to be totally honest, although nothing compared to the old stuff, but that's just my opinion

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Kalaratri
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 10:29 am 
 

The title track is now out:


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Kaleva
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Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2021 12:41 pm
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 10:57 am 
 

This album is about to become one of the biggest disappointments of the year. It is the same Johan Längqvis who sang on Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, but it is not the same register. If above some dull riffs we could have some singing that stood up, It could be a good album, Leif knows his bussiness, but there is nothing charismatic about Längqvis voice anymore.

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Metal_On_The_Ascendant
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 12:52 pm 
 

Bland, inoffensive track with a very unremarkable chorus. Johan is trying to sing like Robert Lowe it seems. No high hopes for this album so far...
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Benedict Donald
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 5:30 am 
 

I really liked it. Concise, cool chorus, stripped down production/sound, and a solo that stands out. Definitely inoffensive as stated above, but not failing because of that.

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Hexenmacht46290
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 11:23 am 
 

Am I the only one who thinks that this cover looks like an Affliction t-shirt? Music is okay, but, like everyone else said, messiah and Lowe were better singers.
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Twisted_Psychology
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 11:49 am 
 

Sounds like this'll be on the same *fine* tier as The Door to Doom, albeit a bit more upbeat going by the singles. I swear Johan is just here for name recognition; it's one thing to have your voice change with age but another thing entirely when you sound like a completely different person. His voice just has the same gritty timbre as Leven and Lowe at a lower pitch. Where's the reverb-soaked weirdo holding a torch and gesturing you into a dark catacomb?
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Runko
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 1:25 pm 
 

Did someone dare them to make the most boring songs ever or something?

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Metal_On_The_Ascendant
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 2:15 pm 
 

Twisted_Psychology wrote:
Sounds like this'll be on the same *fine* tier as The Door to Doom, albeit a bit more upbeat going by the singles. I swear Johan is just here for name recognition; it's one thing to have your voice change with age but another thing entirely when you sound like a completely different person. His voice just has the same gritty timbre as Leven and Lowe at a lower pitch. Where's the reverb-soaked weirdo holding a torch and gesturing you into a dark catacomb?


I know, right? I miss him too.

Runko wrote:
Did someone dare them to make the most boring songs ever or something?


LOL

Candlemass hasn't been magical in a long time but they were never quite this faceless. Then again, Napalm Records is where bands come to die nowadays or something.
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aloof
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 13, 2022 10:08 am 
 

not pertaining to the album, but it can go here... Messiah and Mappe of Candlemass live with Anvil!
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HeavenDuff
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 16, 2022 7:14 pm 
 

I listened to the newest track, When Death Sighs, and it's not impressive. It's inoffensive, and doesn't really sound like Candlemass. Somehow, Johan sounds like of like Roy Khan (ex-Kamelot) but doesn't really deliver as much of a passionate and vibrant as Khan did on Kamelot's best material.

The back vocals are also not bringing much to the music, and are actually distracting on occasions.

The whole band seems to be just kind of going through the motion.

I had not listened to the other two singles before now, and they are kind of in the same vein, but they are all kind of weak. The riffs are tame, and the band is at their lowest during the choruses, which is never a good thing. Candlemass sounds more like a generic old men's alternative rock band on this then they sound like the epic doom metal band they once were.

I have very low expectations for the whole album

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Frank Booth
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 16, 2022 10:42 pm 
 

I quite liked The Door to Doom, but these singles absolutely sound like Leif wasn't feeling it but had to put something together to promote when fest season hits (even though they won't play more than one song off it). Not a good look.

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Metal_On_The_Ascendant
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 16, 2022 11:00 pm 
 

The new song is pretty bad and sounds like Disneyfied doom with those backing vocals in the chorus. Johan sounded dramatic as hell on Epicus too but he had raw emotion in there as well. This sounds like Candlemass parodying themselves - unremarkable riffs and passages and faceless vocals that sound like any of their past three singers.
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Frank Booth
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2022 7:38 am 
 

What's more frustrating is that they still have it live - I saw them back in April and they put on a fantastic show and very clearly wanted to be there. I don't get why they're putting out dreck like this that clearly isn't inspired.

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Twisted_Psychology
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2022 4:55 pm 
 

I managed to get some early listens before it releases tomorrow. Yeah, it's pretty meh. The Door to Doom with even more diminishing returns.
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Benedict Donald
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 18, 2022 11:55 am 
 

It's not bad, but it's probably the weakest thing they've released in decades.

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HeavenDuff
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 18, 2022 1:23 pm 
 

The singles gave me no interest in listening to the whole thing whatsoever. What a disapointment... I might try the whole thing at some point, but for the time being, I don't think I can muster enough interest in this to actually sit through a little less then an hour of mediocre alt rock with a few doom metal riffs scattered throughout.

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Metal_On_The_Ascendant
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 3:08 pm 
 

Twisted Psychology wrote a very good review that echoes my feelings about this album now that I've bothered to hear it in full. It is such a nondescript album and there's really far better bands currently doing the epic doom thing if you need that itch scratched.

also, Angel Battle is so bad. What the fuck?
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MRmehman
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 3:32 pm 
 

Yet another mid album from Candlemass that sounds like Leif wrote it on autopilot.

I am finally tired of life it seems...
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Metal_On_The_Ascendant
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 3:34 pm 
 

MRmehman wrote:
Yet another mid album from Candlemass that sounds like Leif wrote it on autopilot.

I am finally tired of life it seems...


Bro :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:
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Runko
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Sep 11, 2014 1:38 pm
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 22, 2022 7:26 am 
 

Even From The 13th Sun was better than this, and that had some weird nasal guy who could barely sing.

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matras
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 22, 2022 8:06 am 
 

Well that was 53 minutes I'll never get back...

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