THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM
CANDLEMASS FOUNDER FINDS REDEMPTION FROM DEBILITATION
Tony Iommi aside, no one has contributed more to the sound and success of doom metal than Leif Edling. As the founder and creative driving force behind Candlemass, the Swedish bassist has long been acknowledged as an inspirational icon, but when he was diagnosed with an extreme form of chronic fatigue syndrome in 2013, it looked very much as if his extraordinary career was about to grind to a halt. Nothing, however, can stop this man from writing riffs. As he gradually returns to a state of health more conducive to making music for a living, Leif has found time to not only complete a third Avatarium album but also the debut album by his new band, The Doomsday Kingdom. An out-and-out salute to the glory days of the early 80s, when a Dio-led Sabbath and NWOBHM reigned supreme, the quartet’s eponymous debut album is thunderous proof that even a debilitating illness will not stop Leif from following his creative urges.
“Being really sick, I could not watch TV or sit in front of a computer or read books, so I needed some musical therapy!” he states, cheerily. “I could pick the guitar up and work on new riffs, 10 minutes here and half an hour there. So from there it all started, back in 2014, and it took two years until everything was in place. I was in bed for the better part of three years, but now I’m getting better and I’m super-happy with this record.”
A typically epic and memorable barrage of prime metal riffing and balls-out melodrama, The Doomsday Kingdom is guaranteed to delight fans of Leif’s work, while the added presence of Wolf vocalist Niklas Stålvind should ensure that some younger metalheads get in on the action, too.
“JB from Grand Magus was actually supposed to sing on the record,” Leif explains. “We’re good friends but he couldn’t do it because he was busy with Magus. I thought of Niklas immediately and I just hoped he wouldn’t be too busy, too! But Wolf were in limbo and Niklas was feeling a little burned out. He brought some vitality and freshness to the whole thing, that early metal vibe, and he was born to sing this stuff! It was fantastic to work with someone so enthusiastic and talented. He fits like a glove.”
Another monstrous triumph in a career full of them, The Doomsday Kingdom’s debut crackles with an intensity that suggests that Leif’s health issues are beginning to recede in his artistic rearview mirror. Ultimately, the restorative powers of the riff have pushed this legend towards a miraculous and very welcome recovery.
“During my sickness I went to the catacombs in Paris and I got some inspiration there. That grew into the thought: ‘Do I have the energy to start something new?’” he recalls. “Luckily, the answer was yes! I also got married and we had a son, so that helped, too. It’s just typical life stuff. You have a lot of bad and a little bit of good, ha ha!”
“I was really sick. I was in bed for the better part of three years!” LEIF EDLING