Candlemass
Formed: 1985
From:
Stockholm,
Sweden
Last Known Status: Regrouped
Background
After Leif Edling dissolved the band Nemesis, he started his own band under the name Candlemass. The first Candlemass album was Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, released in 1986 and now considered a milestone in the doom metal scene.
The next release was Nightfall (1987), considered by some as one of the greatest doom metal albums ever.The line-up had now changed: new members were Messiah Marcolin (vocals), Lars Johansson (lead guitar) and Jan Lindh (drums). This line-up is generally considered the most important and the most successful in the band's history. [citation needed] The next two albums were Ancient Dreams (1988), that is now considered an apogee of doom metal classics,and Tales of Creation (1989), where the band moved beyond the edges of classic doom metal and made its touch to progressive metal. This album is distinguished from previous releases by adding some speed-up patterns into the band's original sound, usually used in progressive metal. In 1990, a live album was released. Shortly afterwards, a dispute between the band members resulted in Messiah Marcolin's decision to leave.
After the departure of Marcolin, Candlemass recruited vocalist Thomas Vikström and recorded Chapter VI (1992). Candlemass then disbanded, partly because the album was unsuccessful [citation needed] and partially because Leif Edling had formed another project under the name of Abstrakt Algebra. With Abstrakt Algebra not doing well, Leif suddenly recruited a new line-up under the name of Candlemass and recorded the album Dactylis Glomerata, which was a combination of songs for a new Abstakt Algebra CD and some new material. A couple of years later the Black Sabbath-inspired album From the 13th Sun was released.
In 2002, the members of the classic Candlemass line-up decided to reform. They performed some well-received live shows and released another live album. Other albums released by the reformed band were remastered versions of Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, Nightfall, Ancient Dreams and Tales of Creation. A DVD called Documents of Doom has been released as well. The band was working on a new album, with some new songs recorded, and searching for a record label, but differences arose again,[4] resulting in Candlemass disbanding again. In the meantime, Leif Edling started a new project, Krux, with former Abstrakt Algebra singer Mats Leven and two members of Entombed.
In November 2004, the band announced that they have re-united for the second time. They have recorded a new album, named simply Candlemass, with the classic line-up. It was released in May 2005. This CD was named in the top 20 of 2005. They won a Swedish Grammy in 2005.
In 2006 the band announced that a new album was in preparation, to be released sometime in 2007. After much uncertainty regarding Messiah's participation, in October 2006 it was settled that Messiah was out for good. The band found a new vocalist in the person of Robert Lowe (Solitude Aeturnus)[5][6] who recorded the band's new album King of the Grey Islands, released on June 22, 2007. The new album is self-produced except for four songs produced by Andy Sneap.
Current Lineup:
* Robert Lowe - Vocals
* Mats Mappe Björkman - rhythm guitar
* Lars Johansson - lead guitars
* Leif Edling - bass
* Jan Lindh - drums
Latest Candlemass News
Below is our complete Candlemass news coverage, including columns and articles pertaining to the band. Some articles listed may be indirectly related, such as side projects of the band members, etc.
Note: We began associating news directly with bands in late 2003. Therefore, earlier band news may not be listed on this page.
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Candlemass Premiere New Single “Black Star”
Doom metal legends Candlemass have unveiled the title track from their upcoming EP, “Black Star”, alongside a newly released visualizer.
Set to arrive on May 09th via Napalm Records, Black Star celebrates the band’s 40th anniversary. The EP will feature not only this title track and another new song, “Corridors Of Chaos”, but also covers of Black Sabbath’s “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” and Pentagram’s “Forever My Queen”.
Speaking on the track, the band described it as: More...
Report
Push Ups And A Orchestra. Brutal Assault Day 3.
If any of you happened to read my Road Report of Brutal Assault Day 2, I pointed out that today (Day 3) was going to be extremely busy day. I wasn’t lying. By the end of the night, I had stage hopped 10 bands and it was exhausting. Not in an I couldn’t take it anymore sort of way but more of feeling that I survived the day. If you were expecting to read about all ten bands in detail, well, I have some bad news...that’s not going to happen. I wouldn’t be doing the bands justice with a two-sentence report on each one. However, what I’m going to write about is who the most memorable bands from Day 3 were and what made them stand out from the rest that played that day.
I have never been motivated to see any band that plays during the hours of breakfast. That is just asinine. Today, that all changed. After only getting 3 hours of sleep (we arrived back at our hotel room around 2:30 a.m.) my wife and I woke up at 6 a.m. and I somehow inexplicably convinced her to skip breakfast, grab a coffee to-go for the one-hour train ride to Brutal Assault. I absolutely had to be there for the start of the Scottish Death Metal Party Slammers,
Party Cannon.
I normally skip the early start bands because I value my limited and precious sleep more. This was different. The day before their show at Brutal Assault, Party Cannon posted on their socials that they wanted to break a “world record” for the largest push-up pit (Yup, you read that right) ever recorded at a concert. The only way to find out if it happened was to be there. I’m a sucker for shit like this and fuck my life that I was going to do it.
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Party Cannon fans ready to get their exercise on!
The sun was already blinding and was a tad bit warm by the time we arrived at the festival grounds. To my surprise, there was already a large crowd gathering around the stage where Party Cannon was set to play. I guess they were excited to get their work-out on that would include copious amounts of moshing, head banging and push-ups. I observed dozens of early risers chugging Pilsners waiting for Party Cannon to take stage. My best guess is that they were most likely carb-loading, pre-workout. This crowd was obviously laden with fitness freaks.
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Skeletor egging on the Party Cannon crowd
A short time later, someone wearing a bright green Skeletor mask and draped in the Scottish flag started prancing around the stage with a neon-colored cardboard craft sign that simply said, “Party.” That’s all it took for the crowd to into full workout mode. Party Cannon entered the stage and then the only way I can describe the energy was likening it to a hurricane making landfall sans water and winds. This was at least a category four event.
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Stony of Party Cannon
What I love about Party Cannon is they egg on their pits non-stop. That’s just their MO and I think the music is secondary. That’s just how they roll. There were plenty of blow-up pool toys flying about, maybe not as many as you might see at a Gutalax show, but enough to at least fill an Olympic sized pool. There were also plenty of crowd surfers and beers flying all over the place. What really caught my eye was a large dude being cradled in a yellow blow-up pool raft. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt with a fuzzy green bear headpiece and headbanging the whole time while the pitsters (Is that a word?) underneath him carried him around the pit like he was the emperor of Party Cannon shenanigans.
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Proof that Party Cannon plays music
As advertised, the push up pit happened during their final song. I’m not sure if it broke any “record” per se, but I guesstimated that there were almost 100 or so getting their Party Cannon push up work-out on. There was even a wrestling match that took place for a wayward drumstick after the show. That side-show lasted about two minutes without a single injury to either competitor. Party Cannon couldn’t be any prouder of the amount of calories burned that day. And for us? It was a great start to a brutal day of stage hopping that awaited us.
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Amateur wrestling match after Party Cannon More...
70000 Tons Confirms First Third Of 2025 Lineup
There are your standard Heavy Metal festivals – and then there’s 70000 Tons Of Metal.
Envision this: Lounging on a Caribbean island, soaking up the sun on a pristine white beach. Later on, you feel the warm wind blowing in your face, now sitting in a hot tub on a giant luxurious cruise ship, in front of The Pool Deck Stage, The World’s Biggest Open Air Structure to Ever Sail the Open Seas. Surrounded by Metal fans from all across the globe (known as the United Nations of Heavy Metal at Sea), you headbang to your favorite band. Sounds perfect? Well, it is. Get ready for 70000 Tons Of Metal 2025!
The thirteenth edition of 70000 Tons Of Metal will take place from January 30th to February 3rd, departing from Miami, Florida – Cruise Capital of the World – to Ocho Rios, Jamaica and back aboard the Independence of the Seas.
This unique festival will once more see 60 Heavy Metal bands from various subgenres taking the four stages on board, with 3000 metalheads from around the world in attendance. Every band will play twice during the trip, ramping the total amount of shows played up to 120! 70000 Tons Of Metal has revealed 20 of the 60 bands for the 2025 lineup: More...
Candlemass Releases "Angel Battle" Lyric Video
After the amazing reception of their latest album, legendary classic doom icons Candlemass continue the onslaught of epic heaviness with the release of an exciting lyric video for their fourth single, "Angel Battle," from "Sweet Evil Sun!" Following the previous three earth-shattering singles, "Angel Battle" trudges in with a captivating guitar riff, presenting an ominous motif that parallels the story of the battle between heaven and hell with amazing guitar solos signifying the fight between angels and demons. A soft lull comes in as clean guitars and an organ play a small dirge before heavy guitar riffs trumpet once again for one last time.
With "Sweet Evil Sun," recorded at NOX studio in Stockholm, the Swedish force centered around Leif Edling continue their unmatched legacy, following the inimitable "The Door To Doom" (2019) and proving once more that they reign as one of the heaviest metal bands on earth, bringing epic doom to the world of metal. Go and grab a copy of Sweet Evil Sun out now via Napalm Records! More...
Candlemass Premiere New Single & Lyric Video
Doom metal veterans Candlemass premiere a final single ahead of this Friday’s (November 18th, 2022) release of their new full-length “Sweet Evil Sun“. The advance track is titled “When Death Sighs“ and comes along with a lyric video.
Check out now "When Death Sighs" streaming via YouTube and Spotify for you now below.
Candlemass Premiere New Single & Music Video
Doom metal mainstays Candlemass premiere a new official music video for the title track to their new thirteenth studio full-length “Sweet Evil Sun“, due out on November 18th, 2022 via Napalm Records.
Comments vocalist/bassist Leif Edling: More...
Candlemass Premiere New Single “Scandinavian Gods”
Swedish doom metal band Candlemass will have a new record titled “Sweet Evil Sun” out on November 18th via Napalm Records. Today the group premiere a first single off it,named “Scandinavian Gods” streaming via YouTube and Spotify for you below.
Candlemass recorded their 13th studio album alongside producer Marcus Jidell at Nox Studio in Stockholm, Sweden.
Explains bassist Leif Edling: More...
Candlemass Covers Classic Trouble Song
Swedish doom metal legends Candlemass has released a cover of the Trouble classic, "The Tempter," as a way of paying tribute to Trouble's late vocalist Eric Wagner. You can check it out below.
Candlemass: ""Here's our homage to our friend and hero, Eric Wagner (Trouble, The Skull) who sadly died some time ago, way too soon! This is for you Eric, R.I.P."
Wagner passed away in August, after battling the COVID-19 virus. He was sixty two years old. More...
Candlemass Announces Three U.S. Shows
Swedish Grammis award-winning/US Grammy-nominated doom metal legends, Candlemass, will officially hit American shores in 2022. The band will perform at the Sold Out Hell’s Heroes Festival in Houston, TX on April 22, bookended by two other performances featuring support from special guests The Skull and Frayle.
See below for all tour dates and grab tickets when the go on sale this Friday, June 25 at 10 AM, EDT.
Mats Björkman of Candlemass says: “We are really pleased to finally get back to the US of A. Our fans have been waiting and have asked for shows for some years now, and with these three shows we are starting up again in North America. There will eventually be more shows - but that’s still in the works and will not be immediately happening, so come and see us in April if you can make it."
The tour dates are as follows:
April 20 - Boston, MA - The Middle East
April 22 - Houston, TX - Hell's Heroes Festival (Sold Out) *
April 24 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall
* - without The Skull and Frayle
Candlemass Premiere New Single & Lyric Video
Candlemass premiere their new official music video for their single “Porcelain Skull“. The track can be found on their impending new EP, “The Pendulum“, out in stores March 27th. That outing consists of several previously unreleased b-side tracks recorded during the sessions for the group’s latest full-length, “The Door To Doom“.
Comments Leif Edling: More...
Candlemass To Release New EP
Grammy-nominated classic doom icons, Candlemass, don't even need to drop a full-length for every release to prove they belong at the top of an entire genre and beyond. Fully comprised of never-before-heard, unused tracks cut from the "The Door To Doom" recording sessions, the band has just announced the release of a masterful new EP, "The Pendulum," due out March 27 via Napalm Records.
"The Pendulum" perfectly showcases that these timeless Swedish pioneers are the undisputed kings of epic doom. The fully-mastered opener/title track "The Pendulum" charges in with a melodic, head-swinging, thrashy rush - setting the stage for the raw, unfiltered steamrolling demo cuts to follow. Listen to the track’s unadulterated doom heaviness and watch a brand new lyric video for "The Pendulum" below.
Says band mastermind Leif Edling: "The Pendulum' is about hard riffing, epic choruses and total delusion the fanatical way. It is in fact the last thing I wrote for 'The Door To Doom' album but didn't have the time to finish it. Here it is in its grand/mad luster with a great mix by Niklas Flyckt, and produced by Marcus Jidell. It is followed by 5 unreleased demos from the DTD sessions because the whole sha-bang was at first supposed to be a double effort but got trimmed down to a single album eventually.
"I love 'The Pendulum' track, album quality if you ask me, and songs like 'Porcelain Skull' and 'Snakes Of Goliath' are not bad either. They just didn't make it to the final thing. So I hope you like this EP that features the "missing" songs. The last pieces of the puzzle of the 1 year recording that became the album The Door To Doom. Enjoy."
This six track EP leads the listener through a maze of frenzied riffing, accented by Johan Langquist's distinctive vocals and the unique, melancholy sound that has proven Candlemass to be a heavy metal staple. The Pendulum is a must-have for every classic doom record collection, and will stave off the hunger for more until the band's next full-length hits. More...
Seven More Names Added To 70000 Tons Of Metal
The organisers of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise has announced a further seven names for the event, which will be setting sail in less than a week. Joining the already impressive roster are death metal pioneers Possessed, along with traditional metal outfit Striker, groove metal outfit Once Human featuring former Machine Head and Soulfly guitarist Logan Mader, jazz fusion metal combo Without Waves, Boston power metal ensemble FirstBourne, Colombian death metal group No Raza and Belgian thrash/metalcore band Spoil Engine. This brings the number of bands up to fifty seven, with sixty in total to perform. The ship will set sail to Cozumel, Mexico on January 7th and return to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 11th.
The lineup is now as follows:
Aborted
Aeternam
Aether Realm
Archon Angel
At The Gates
Atheist
Axxis
Bloodbound
Brujeria
Candlemass
Carach Angren
Cattle Decapitation
Cruachan
Devin Townsend
Edenbridge
Einherjer
Emperor
Epica
Exodus
Finntroll
FirstBourne
Flotsam And Jetsam
Ghost Ship Octavius
Grave Digger
Haggard
Havok
Ihsahn
Incantation
Kampfar
Kissin' Dynamite
Leaves Eyes
Michael Schenker Fest
Moonsorrow
No Raza
November's Doom
Omnium Gatherum
Once Human
Origin
Orphaned Land
Possessed
Ross The Boss
Seven Witches
Soen
Sortilège
Spoil Engine
Stam1na
Striker
Suffocation
The Agonist
The Faceless
Toxik
Trollfest
Venom
Vio-Lence
Whiplash
Without Waves
Wintersun
Five More Bands Confirmed For 70000 Tons Of Metal
The lineup for next year's edition of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise draws ever closer to completion with the announcement of four more acts for the floating festival. Joining the already stacked lineup are two American thrash metal veterans, Toxik and the recently reunited Vio-Lence, the Mexican cartel of deathgrind Brujeria will also be dealing some brutality, while former Manowar guitarist Ross The Boss will also be on board, along with Canadian metal outfit, Aeternam. This brings the number of bands up to fifty, with sixty in total to perform. The ship will set sail to Cozumel, Mexico on January 7th and return to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 11th.
The lineup is now as follows:
Aborted
Aeternam
Aether Realm
Archon Angel
At The Gates
Atheist
Axxis
Bloodbound
Brujeria
Candlemass
Carach Angren
Cattle Decapitation
Cruachan
Devin Townsend
Edenbridge
Einherjer
Emperor
Epica
Exodus
Finntroll
Flotsam And Jetsam
Ghost Ship Octavius
Grave Digger
Haggard
Havok
Ihsahn
Incantation
Kampfar
Kissin' Dynamite
Leaves Eyes
Michael Schenker Fest
Moonsorrow
November's Doom
Omnium Gatherum
Origin
Orphaned Land
Ross The Boss
Seven Witches
Soen
Sortilège
Stam1na
Suffocation
The Agonist
The Faceless
Toxik
Trollfest
Venom
Vio-Lence
Whiplash
Wintersun
Exodus And Seven Witches Confirmed For 70000 Tons
The organisers of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise have announced the addition of thrash metal legends Exodus and power metal veterans Seven Witches. This brings the number of bands up to forty five, with sixty in total to perform. The ship will set sail to Cozumel, Mexico on January 7th and return to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 11th.
The lineup is now as follows:
Aborted
Aether Realm
Archon Angel
At The Gates
Atheist
Axxis
Bloodbound
Candlemass
Carach Angren
Cattle Decapitation
Cruachan
Devin Townsend
Edenbridge
Einherjer
Emperor
Epica
Exodus
Finntroll
Flotsam And Jetsam
Ghost Ship Octavius
Grave Digger
Haggard
Havok
Ihsahn
Incantation
Kampfar
Kissin' Dynamite
Leaves Eyes
Michael Schenker Fest
Moonsorrow
November's Doom
Omnium Gatherum
Origin
Orphaned Land
Seven Witches
Soen
Sortilège
Stam1na
Suffocation
The Agonist
The Faceless
Trollfest
Venom
Whiplash
Wintersun
Seven More Bands Confirmed For 70000 Tons Of Metal
The organisers of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise have confirmed a further seven bands for next year's edition of the event. Joining the already impressive lineup are The Faceless, Whiplash, Incantation, Havok, Edenbridge, November's Doom and Ghost Ship Octavius. This brings the number of bands up to forty three, with sixty in total to perform. The ship will set sail to Cozumel, Mexico on January 7th and return to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 11th.
The lineup is now as follows:
Aborted
Aether Realm
Archon Angel
At The Gates
Atheist
Axxis
Bloodbound
Candlemass
Carach Angren
Cattle Decapitation
Cruachan
Devin Townsend
Edenbridge
Einherjer
Emperor
Epica
Finntroll
Flotsam And Jetsam
Ghost Ship Octavius
Grave Digger
Haggard
Havok
Ihsahn
Incantation
Kampfar
Kissin' Dynamite
Leaves Eyes
Michael Schenker Fest
Moonsorrow
November's Doom
Omnium Gatherum
Origin
Orphaned Land
Soen
Sortilège
Stam1na
Suffocation
The Agonist
The Faceless
Trollfest
Venom
Whiplash
Wintersun
Candlemass Speaks On Being Nominated For Grammy
Candlemass are truly the manifestation of pure doom metal. Early 2019 saw the release of their latest album, "The Door To Doom," via Napalm Records - an offering that features an unforgettable pairing with legendary Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi on the track “Astorolus - The Great Octopus”. The song has now been nominated for a 2020 Grammy Award in the “Best Metal Performance” category. This is the first nomination for the band and the first nomination for Napalm Records.
The Grammy Awards ceremony will be held on January 26 and broadcast on CBS. More...
Atheist Confirmed For 70000 Tons Of Metal
American progressive metal veterans Atheist are the latest band to be confirmed for the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise next year. This brings the number of bands up to thirty six, with sixty in total to perform. The ship will set sail to Cozumel, Mexico on January 7th and return to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 11th.
The lineup is now as follows:
Aborted
Aether Realm
Archon Angel
At The Gates
Atheist
Axxis
Bloodbound
Candlemass
Carach Angren
Cattle Decapitation
Cruachan
Devin Townsend
Einherjer
Emperor
Epica
Finntroll
Flotsam And Jetsam
Grave Digger
Haggard
Ihsahn
Kampfar
Kissin' Dynamite
Leaves Eyes
Michael Schenker Fest
Moonsorrow
Omnium Gatherum
Origin
Orphaned Land
Soen
Sortilège
Stam1na
Suffocation
The Agonist
Trollfest
Venom
Wintersun
Three More Acts Added To 70000 Tons Of Metal
The organisers of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise has announced a further three bands for next year's edition of the event. Joining the ranks will be Israeli veterans Orphaned Land, Dutch symphonic black metal outfit Carach Angren and deathgrind favourites Cattle Decapitation. This brings the number of bands up to thirty five, with sixty in total to perform. The ship will set sail to Cozumel, Mexico on January 7th and return to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 11th.
The lineup is now as follows:
Aborted
Aether Realm
Archon Angel
At The Gates
Axxis
Bloodbound
Candlemass
Carach Angren
Cattle Decapitation
Cruachan
Devin Townsend
Einherjer
Emperor
Epica
Finntroll
Flotsam And Jetsam
Grave Digger
Haggard
Ihsahn
Kampfar
Kissin' Dynamite
Leaves Eyes
Michael Schenker Fest
Moonsorrow
Omnium Gatherum
Origin
Orphaned Land
Soen
Sortilège
Stam1na
Suffocation
The Agonist
Trollfest
Venom
Wintersun
Suffocation Confirmed For 70000 Tons Of Metal
New York death metal titans Suffocation are the latest band to be confirmed for next year's edition of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise in January. This brings the number of bands up to thirty one, with sixty in total to perform. The ship will set sail to Cozumel, Mexico on January 7th and return to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 11th.
The lineup is now as follows:
Aborted
Aether Realm
Archon Angel
At The Gates
Axxis
Bloodbound
Candlemass
Cruachan
Devin Townsend
Einherjer
Emperor
Epica
Finntroll
Flotsam And Jetsam
Grave Digger
Haggard
Ihsahn
Kampfar
Kissin' Dynamite
Leaves Eyes
Michael Schenker Fest
Moonsorrow
Omnium Gatherum
Origin
Soen
Sortilège
Stam1na
Suffocation
The Agonist
Trollfest
Venom
Wintersun
Bloodbound Confirmed For 70000 Tons Of Metal
Swedish power metal outfit Bloodbound are the latest band to be confirmed for next year's edition of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise. This brings the number of bands up to thirty one, with sixty in total to perform. The ship will set sail to Cozumel, Mexico on January 7th and return to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 11th.
The lineup is now as follows:
Aborted
Aether Realm
Archon Angel
At The Gates
Axxis
Bloodbound
Candlemass
Cruachan
Devin Townsend
Einherjer
Emperor
Epica
Finntroll
Flotsam And Jetsam
Grave Digger
Haggard
Ihsahn
Kampfar
Kissin' Dynamite
Leaves Eyes
Michael Schenker Fest
Moonsorrow
Omnium Gatherum
Origin
Soen
Sortilège
Stam1na
The Agonist
Trollfest
Venom
Wintersun