Candlemass - Candlemass Review

Candlemass Candlemass

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Tracklist:
1. Black Dwarf
2. Seven Silver Keys
3. Assassin Of The Light
4. Copernicus
5. Man Who Fell From The Sky, The
6. Witches
7. Born In A Tank
8. Spellbreaker
9. Day And The Night, The
10.Mars And Volcanos

Ranking: #88 for 2005

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3.8
excellent

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On 3 Lists

1.5
very poor

Arrakakaka USER (31 Reviews)

2005-10-23 | 38 comments | 1,836 views

2 of 6 thought this review was well written

Candlemass, as we all know, is the premier leaders of the doom metal genre. They went strong with the amazing vocalist, Messiah Marcolin. He left, they made a few more landmark albums (including Nightfall), then seemed to die away with a load of shitty attempts, like most bands. They started with such a jump, yet seemed to run out of that creative juice. It's the year 2005, and Candlemass is still looming around. But something special happens; Messiah joins back! (It seems like quite a few metal vocalists have been coming back to their bands..)

There was alot of hype about Messiah's holy return to Candlemass. A few questions I had was, "Is he washed up? Does he still have that vocal kick?!". Yes, and yes. His vocals are a bit different but still strong. Of couse, it's different from his early days, about 19 years ago. His voice seems a bit bland, forced, and painful. But he still manages to pull off some good vocals. The instruments are standard. Nothing special. Candlemass wasn't known for exremely talented musicians, but this is bottom. It's mostly simple riffs played in 4/4. Yeah, theres some catchy parts, but come on.

What really got me was the lack of creativity. It's all that they've done before, nothing less or more. Alright Candlemass, you should lose your rhyming gimmick now. It's been 19 years, and Candlemass has released only a few good albums. Messiah pulls off some very good vocals, especially in Assasin Of The Light. Some lyrics hold their own very good. Like; Mask of shadow's sole, liebst the night he owns. The grace of the beast, the solace of the sleet. A sea of colder rain, gives him life again. To hunt mortality, precious pearls of grief. But of course, they let us down with a shitty chorus. The lyrics are pretty bad; Welcome... Assassin of light. How did you know, I didn't know. Save me, prince of the night. You kill and go, you steal the show. Blackout. Lights out. I also find the riffing utterly boring. I mean, bloody hell boring. I wanted to fall asleep through the generic doom metal riffing in Copernicus. The song is so boring, and even has some bad vocals. Messiah's voice is a little creaky and weak in there. Seriously, I couldn't sit through most of the songs. The solos were weaker than in old Candlemass, very boring. Compare Messiah's amazing vocals in Epicus Doomicus Metallicus to his bland and uninspired singing in this. No comparison.

Candlemass needs a new approach in their music. This CD is pretty bland and boring. The riffing mostly goes in this pattern; Low low.. high high. Or high high, low low. Candlemass just mopes around like a worm-infested hyeena on a hot desert day. They mix it around, but it's extremely painful and boring to listen to. Candlemass needs a new approach on their music, as I'm extremely dissapointed with this. The drummer does nothing special. NOTHING. He just keeps the beat in 4/4 time, hardly doing any fills. How great is that, eh? The bass hugs the guitar, all of the time. And the repitition of already boring riffs gets on my nerves. The Man Who Fell From The Sky is a very good example. It's an example that makes me sad to have been excited about Candlemass's self-title. Messiah uses the same vocal pattern, never taking a new approach. Never using the banshee screechs that he threw in throughout Epicus Doomicus Metallicus. I believe that the only reason they got old washed-up Messiah to re-join is because they thought it would help sales. Well, it's a good trick. Yet it's horrible. Don't waste your money. Nothing that hasn't been done before. The same gimmick. The same boring things we saw in Candlemass's past. They sound like any rip-off doom metal band. If Candlemass doesn't change their approach to music soon, I hope they all get injured horribly in a freak accident.

Meatwads;
- Messiah's voice is strong here and there.
- Some good catchy riffage.
- I actually enjoy some of the lyrics.

Carls;
- Generic riffage.
- Boring reptitition of already boring riffage.
- Messiah's vocal approach is bland and uninspired with hardly any variations.
- Messiah's voice is mostly annoying and boring.
- They don't have much talent or creativity as musicians, and it shows.
- Candlemass has lost their songwriting abilities, totally.
- They use the same approch on every song, hardly any variety whatsoever.
- Most of the riffage is forced.

People, don't buy it. I could send it to you to show you how boring it it. It's a weak waste. Don't buy it.

Yeah, I've been watching Aqua Teen Hunger Force. So Meatwad is the good aspects of the album, Carl is the pooie.

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