Candlemass 2005

"After the more psychedelically inspired "From the 13th Sun" and a hiatus, Candlemass return to their trademark brand of epic doom metal on this eponymous release.

This album also saw the establishment of the format of starting out with an uptempo track in "Black Dwarf" while the rest of the album is considerably heavier - a format also found on the two subsequent Rob Lowe-fronted albums. Speaking of vocalists, Messiah Marcolin returned to take up vocal duties on this album, and with his operatic and grandiose voice, he certainly adds to the epic dimension (but, of course, he would soon be booted from the band for what they considered 'insane behavior').

While the style certainly is reminiscent of the epic releases of the 80s, I think that this album does not qute measure up to classics like "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus", "Ancient Dreams" and "Tales of Creation". That is not to say that this is not a good album - there are plenty of awesome good ole Candlemass doomy things on it, and tracks like the uptempo "Black Dwarf", the epic "Assassin of the Light", the darkly mellow "Copernicus" and the heavy "The Day and the Night" as well as the instrumental "The Man Who Fell from the Sky" are prime examples of what good doom metal should sound like.

So, this certainly is an important release by Candlemass, marking their return to the arena of epic doom metal - and, being the only post Y2K album fronted by Marcolin, it should also be of interest to long term fans of the band and Marcolin.

(review originally posted on metalmusicarchives.com)"