Candlemass: Epicus Doomicus Metallicus (1986)
In recognition of Pride Month, I’ll be featuring colored vinyl in a rainbow sequence over the coming week ...
After laying a tenuous foundation throughout the 1970s, heavy metal truly coalesced and diversified in the 1980s, showing it was never going away (like it or not) and birthing a plethora of distinct sub-genres -- the most dominant of which, by 1986, were hair metal and thrash.
So, when Stockholm, Sweden’s Candlemass released their monumental debut album, Epicus Doomicus Metallicus (the pidgin Latin was a perfect choice), they were going against the grain in a major way, with a “classicist” doom sound, full of epic, slow, lumbering riffs, right out of the Black Sabbath handbook.
Clearly, band founder, songwriter and bassist Leif Edling was a man out of time, having already proven his dedication to this unfashionable cause (and demoed a few future Candlemass songs) with a formative group called Nemesis, formed in 1982, and disbanded a few years later when they were forced to forgo their name.
So, in ‘85, he made a fresh start with Candlemass, after recruiting rhythm guitarist Mats Bjorkman, drummer Matz Ekstroem, lead guitarist Klas Bergwall (in a session capacity) and, most important to the fledgling band’s unique aesthetic, singer Johan Lanquist and his operatic style.
The jaw-dropping end results were impossible to deny, just as soon as first track, “Solitude,” disposed of its delicate acoustic guitar intro to develop into an absolute monster, complete with manic depressive lyrics and tectonic riffs worthy of Iommi’s “Iron Man.”
And shit was just getting started ...
Ensuing cuts like “Demon’s Gate,” “Crystal Ball” and “Under the Oak” (later re-recorded in its definitive version for the band's fourth album Tales of Creation) trudge by with deliberate, immutable doom, with only Ekstroem’s half-speed double kick-drums betraying their ‘80s provenance, instead of the ‘70s.
Two more, surprisingly well-rounded musical megaliths -- “Black Stone Wielder” and “A Sorcerer’s Pledge” -- confirmed the startling clarity and maturity of young Edling’s vision, even though he had yet to assemble the absolute best musicians to execute it.
That would come next, when he and Bjorkman secured a new drummer in Jan Lindh, a long-term lead guitarist in Lars ‘Lasse’ Johansson, and the perfect frontman and figurehead in the portly Messiah Marcolin, whose classically trained operatic vibrato and monk’s cowl were almost too good to be true.
So good, in fact, that even though Epicus Doomicus Metallicus remains a pillar of 1980s doom, thanks to some of the strongest, irreproachable songwriting of Candlemass’ career, I have to give a slight edge to their sophomore triumph, Nightfall, as the band’s signature statement.
p.s. -- This vinyl reissue incorporated some valuable liner notes courtesy of Leif Edling, see above.
p.p.s. -- Some of these words evolved from my All-Music Guide review of Candlemass’ Epicus Doomicus Metallicus.
More Candlemass: Nightfall, Ancient Dreams, Tales of Creation, Live, Candlemass; plus Krux: Krux II, Krux III: He Who Sleeps Amongst the Stars.
