EP Review: Candlemass - Black Star
Reviewed by Richard Oliver
To celebrate 40 years of doomology, Swedish legends Candlemass are unleashing a tasty little morsel in the form of a four song E.P. “Black Star”. The same line-up returns intact from previous album “Sweet Evil Sun” and the E.P. contains the first new material from the band since that 2022 album with “Black Star” being made up of two brand new songs as well as two classic doom metal cover versions.
The title track opens the E.P. and very much has that classic 80’s Candlemass feel to it playing to the strengths of frontman Johan Länquist switching between softer sections and crushing doom riffs from guitarists Lars Johansson and Mappe Björkman. The song definitely harks back to the sound of the legendary debut “Epicus Doomicus Metallicus” album and is very much the sort of thing the Candlemass die-hards have been craving since Johan rejoined the band in 2018. This is followed by an instrumental ‘Corridors Of Chaos’ which is full of the signature Candlemass doom riffing as well as some killer solos though it would have worked a bit better with some vocals.
The covers which make up the other half of the E.P. cover proto-doom territory with Black Sabbath’s ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ and Pentagram’s ‘Forever My Queen’ getting the Candlemass treatment. Both covers stay fairly true to the original versions with only some vocal differences but these are fitting tributes to the forefathers of doom metal.
“Black Star” is a short and simple release and is probably one for the Candlemass megafan but the title track alone makes this well worth a listen. Whether this is a stop gap release ahead of a new album or not, it certainly whets the appetite for more new material from the band. An unessential but thoroughly enjoyable little release.
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