CANDLEMASS "The Door To Doom"

CANDLEMASS

"The Door To Doom"

Did anybody believe Leif Edling when he said Candlemass was done as a recording band? The "retirement" turned out to be more of a light vacation while Leif worked with Avatarium and a solo album. After a "comeback" EP featuring singer Mats Leven, the band is now back in full force with "The Door to Doom". Guess who their singer is now? None other than Johan Langquist, who last sang on the band's 1986 debut "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus"!

Johan's return makes sense because "The Door To Doom" is very much in the style of "Epicus..." but with a more modern production.  It's ponderous Gothic doom with fairly basic riffs...Candlemass' stock in trade. Johan sounds great, like he's never been away. His singing is rich, clear and dramatic. As for the songs, they are as comfortable and familiar as long lost friends stopping by with a bottle of wine. "Splendor Demon Majesty" and "Death's Wheel" have the more aggressive, chugging pace that Candlemass sometimes favors but "Under the Ocean", "House of Doom" and "The Omega Circle" are the epic, tank-like dirges the band is known best for. "Black Trinity" is the heaviest here by far and opens with extremely crushing guitar tones.

A special guest pops up on "Astorolus, The Great Octopus"...none other than the guy who pretty much set the stage for this kind of music, Tony Iommi! To be honest, Tony's guitar solo here is the kind of thing he could do in his sleep, but it's still cool to see his name on a Candlemass album.  To round things off, we get a somber acoustic tune, "Bridge of the Blind" that shows not all doom relies on distortion.

This record is 100% pure Candlemass and doesn't rock the boat in any way, shape or form. Some might say it is a little bit cookie-cutter. I say, if Judas Priest and Iron Maiden can deliver back to the basics albums and get praised for them, why not Candlemass?

NAPALM RECORDS

CANDLEMASS