Candlemass - 'Black Star' (official music video)

Το 1985 θεωρείται ως το έτος δημιουργίας των Candlemass, τυπικά τουλάχιστον καθώς υπήρχαν από το 1982 (ως Nemesis). Κάτι το οποίο πρακτικά σημαίνει ότι η μπάντα συμπληρώνει φέτος σαράντα έτη "ζωής" και καλλιτεχνικής ύπαρξης (τυπικά είναι λιγότερα βέβαια καθώς οι Candlemass έκανα" και κάποια... διαλείμματα). Για να γιορτάσουν τα γενέθλια θα κυκλοφορήσουν τον επόμενο μήνα ep τεσσάρων τραγουδιών: δύο νέα και ισάριθμες διασκευές, με το δελτίο τύπου να μας δίνει τις λεπτομέρειες:

«Candlemass, the Swedish godfathers of epic doom, honour their 40th anniversary of pioneering the genre with a four-track EP, Black Star.

Packed with canyon-deep riffs, this celebration of doom metal mastery is set for release on May 9, 2025 via Napalm Records. On Black Star, the genre-defying band unveils two brand-new songs alongside two cover versions of timeless classics.

Title track, “Black Star”, blends haunting melodies with deeply introspective lyrics, brought to life by the dark, romantic voice of vocalist Johan Länquist. Songwriter Leif Edling’s lyrics delve into themes of existential struggle, temptation, and the allure of darkness - creating an intense atmosphere imbued with Candlemass’ signature sound.

The second new track, “Corridors Of Chaos”, marks a true old school instrumental containing both classic metal riffing and stunning guitar playing by Lars Johansson, showcasing the band’s mastery of dynamics.

Adding to this tribute, Candlemass delivers a cover of Black Sabbath’s iconic “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”, taking listeners back to 1973. This is followed by their rendition of Pentagram’s classic “Forever My Queen”, further cementing Candlemass’ remarkable contribution to shaping the genre into what it is today.»

Band: Candlemass
Country of origin: Sweden
Location: Stockholm
Formed in: 1985
Genre: Epic Doom Metal
Lyrical themes: Dark fantasy, Religion, Doom, Life, Death, Hell
Years active: 1982-1984 (as Nemesis), 1985-1994, 1997-2002, 2004-present

Video: "Black Star"
Album: "Black Star"
Type: EP
Release date: May 9th, 2025
Label: Napalm Records
Format: CD, Vinyl, Digital

Track listing:
1. Black Star
2. Corridors of Chaos
3. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (Black Sabbath cover)
4. Forever My Queen (Pentagram cover)

Band members:
Leif Edling - Bass, Vocals
Mappe Björkman - Guitars (rhythm)
Jan Lindh - Drums
Lars Johansson - Guitars (lead)
Johan Langquist - Vocals