Epicus Doomicus Metallicus

by

Candlemass

Edit

EPICUS DOOMICUS METALLICUS was this recently reformed band's classic debut. Though it's not as sophisticated or refined as the band's later work with singer Messiah Marcolin, this album has a certain power and excitement from start to finish that the later albums seemed to lack. The performance is brutally heavy and dark, yet the songs still retain memorable, well-developed melodies, i.e. "Solitude", "Crystal Ball". The doomier songs on the album, such as "Demon's Gate" and "Black Stone Wielder" avoid the brooding and lethargic feel used on albums like ANCIENT DREAMS. Additionally, EPICUS features some powerful acoustic work that meshes with electric riffs to create great dynamics.

I definitely recommend this album to fans of early 70s Black Sabbath looking for something equally heavy. Candlemass isn't very well known in the U.S., which is a shame because they've got a taste for good songwriting with a dark, heavy, yet still melodic sound. The opener, "Solitude" (not a Sabbath cover), is guaranteed to draw you in the first time you hear it.

I never really understood why this one is held in such high regard at the expense of the three superior records with Messiah Marcolin on vocals. They did shitcan this singer for a reason ya know! The guy's voice is goofy! Nevertheless, it is good stuff, but tunes like Demon's Gate cannot hold a candle *groan* to Nemesis' earlier version! The Tales of Creation version of Under The Oak is king - Messiah brought this song to life and gave it the potential shown here. Blackstone Weilder and Demon's Gate are both mediocre versions of the awesome Nemesis tracks. If you ask me Leif should've started singing after Messiah left instead of that guy on Chaper VI. Oh well.

I am too frightened to listen to the new material on Dactylus Glometera - (spelling is guessed at) the song titles curdle my milk by themselves!