Candlemass: Epicus Doomicus Metallicus

MP3, Peaceville Records

Track list: Solitude - Demons Gate - Crystal Ball - Black Stone Wielder - Under the Oak - A Sorcerer's Pledge - The Well of Souls (live) - Demons Gate (live) - Crystal Ball (live) - Solitude (live) - Bewitched (live) - A Sorcerer's Pledge (live) - Black Sabbath Medley (live)

There's few different styles of doom metal. Candlemass represents the original, the one that sounds like Black Sabbath, but a tad heavier and slower (Cathedral, often called doom metal, sounds to me exactly like Black Sabbath, which makes it heavy metal in my books). Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, an album with a remarkable silly name, is their debut from 1986, now reissued. Despite the silly title, it's a true masterpiece of doom metal.

It's a very, very strong album, with several excellent tracks. The guitar riffs are low and slow, while the drums beat ominously. The vocals, mostly clear and dramatic, deliver the gloomy lyrics. While most people seem to prefer the band's next vocalist Messiah Marcolin, Johan Landquist does a great job here. Occasionally the band picks up the speed a bit and shifts in a more aggressive gear. Excellent stuff, metal doesn't get much better than this. *****