Candlemass

Sweet Evil Sun NAPALM

Sweden’s kings of doom keep it morbid.

Reliable providers of epic doom metal since way back in 1984, Candlemass have been through multiple line-up changes over the years, but founder Leif Edling’s singular vision has never wavered. The return of original vocalist Johan Langqvist in 2018 gave the Swedes yet another new lease of life, and the following year’s

The Door To Doom was easily their finest album since the glory days of Nightfall and Epicus Doomicus Metallicus.

Much is expected of Sweet

Evil Sun, then. And it doesn’t disappoint. With Edling’s riff machine set to relentless, and Langqvist channelling his inner demon priest throughout, the thirteenth Candlemass album is another tour-de-force of postIommian purity. Wizard Of The Vortex and When Death Sighs are momentous, morbid sprawls;

Scandinavian Gods is grinding, ghoulish singalong; Goddess is an unspeakably heavy exercise in theatrical macabre. All of it sounds like a fitting soundtrack to humanity’s looming endgame, but with extra riffs.