Natalie
candlemass
Info
Candlemass is a doom metal band formed in Stockholm, Sweden in 1984. Candlemass arose from the earlier Nemesis outfit belonging to bassist Leif Edling and guitarist Christian Weberyd. Prior to the dissolvement of the group, Nemesis had released the highly praised 'Day Of Retribution' album in 1984. Debuting Candlemass on the tape trading circuit with the four song 'Witchcraft' demo in 1984, featuring a line-up of Edling, Weberyd and drummer Mats Ekström, and a second demo that November, the band promptly signed to the French Black Dragon label. Having added former A.T.C. guitarist Mats Björkman (a.k.a. 'Mappe') the band began recording what would become the 'Epicus, Doomicus, Metallicus' debut at Thunderload Studios with Ragne Wahlquist, frontman for Heavy Load, manning the desk. During the recording of the album Christian Weberyd opted to leave and by the time it was released the group's newly acquired vocalist, Johan Lanquist, a former member of Jonah Quizz, and drummer Mats Ekström, had also departed. Still, the album, emerging in June 1986, considerably raised the band's profile and impressed many critics with a penchant for specialising in grandiose, Doom laden Metal dirges that, at times, were hideously depressing but always exceptionally heavy. With Doom being scarce on the Metal landscape in 1986 many reviewers simply tagged the band as BLACK SABBATH clones but record buyers soon put this assumptions aside, recognising the band as an original force. Having taken well over a year to put a new line-up together, and having to pass on the offer of a tour with Black Dragon label mates HEIR APPARANT and SAVAGE GRACE, Edling, with Björkman still retained, settled on new drummer Jan Lindh. Also joining the fold were ex-MACBETH and HEXAGON guitarist Lars Johansson and erstwhile MERCY vocalist Eddie 'Messiah' Marcolin (real name Jan Alfredo Marcolin). The latter, a rather portly chap, cut a strange figure on stage, choosing to wear a monk's habit, although his remarkable, near Operatic, vocal style quickly became the band's trademark. In March 1987 this fresh unit demoed up two tracks, 'Bewitched' and 'Battle Cry'. Having split from Black Dragon CANDLEMASS enrolled the help of former Shades Records man Dave Constable in a management capacity and, by the end of 1987 CANDLEMASS had recorded a brand new album, 'Nightfall', which was issued that November through the newly established Axis label Unfortunately, CANDLEMASS had to postpone their debut show in Britain, pulling out of a scheduled support slot to KING DIAMOND at London's Hammersmith Odeon in November 1987 due to Johansson breaking his arm. CANDLEMASS finally appeared on British shores at the end of March the following year with a three date tour, comprising two London Marquee shows and a gig in Birmingham. CANDLEMASS had created quite a buzz with 'Nightfall' both in Britain and Europe and, following their successful appearance at the Dynamo festival later that year several record companies put in bids for their signatures. However, the band remained loyal to Axis, who changed their name to Active for legal reasons, with the albums being issued in America through Metal Blade. The group rounded out a magnificent year by supporting SLAYER in Norway and Sweden after original act NUCLEAR ASSAULT had pulled out. The band's third album, November 1988's 'Ancient Dreams', was more successful yet, even denting the North American national Billboard charts. Regrettably under produced, with guitar grunt being particularly diluted, 'Ancient Dreams' nonetheless hosted such monolithic menhirs of metal as ‘The Bells Of Acheron’ and ‘Mirror Mirror’. CD variants included an additional track, namely a BLACK SABBATH medley moulding together 'Symptom Of The Universe', 'Sweet Leaf"' 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath', 'Into The Void', 'Electric Funeral', 'Supernaut', 'Black Sabbath'. To capitalize on their achievements to date, a live show in the band's native Stockholm, at the Fryshuset on June 9th, was recorded and released as 'Candlemass Live' in 1990. UK and US editions, on Music For Nations and Metal Blade Records respectively, featured different cover art. Its studio follow-up, 'Tales Of Creation' released in 1989 and co-produced by former GRAND SLAM guitarist Mats Lindfors, found the band working harder than ever on the live circuit with a full European tour as headliners before hitching up with KING DIAMOND to tour Europe once more. The archive NEMESIS album 'Day Of Retribution' was re-released through Active Records at the height of CANDLEMASS' fame during 1990 with the addition of bonus tracks 'Blackstone Wielder' and 'Demons Gate'. These songs featured on the very first CANDLEMASS demo recorded in 1985 featuring a line-up of band leader Edling, guitarist Mats Björkman, second guitarist Klas Bergwall and drummer Mats Ekström. The train came off the rails somewhat with the departure of their vocal and focal point Messiah Marcolin, although the big man was never quite able to match the profile he had in the ranks of CANDLEMASS on a journey through two albums with MEMENTO MORI and then forming STILLBORN. Initially the band pulled in Johan Lanquist, the ex-CANDLEMASS singer from the debut 'Epicus, Doomicus, Metallicus', but this union lasted just one rehearsal tryout. After lengthy auditions throughout 1992 ex-TALK OF THE TOWN and SPEEDY GONZALES singer Thomas Vikström landed the job to record 'Chapter VI'. Vikström had also fronted 80s Glam act OCTAGON under the pseudonym 'Tommy Senseless'. However, CANDLEMASS fragmented soon afterwards, with Leif Edling forming the experimental ABSTRAKT ALGEBRA with former TREAT and SWEDISH EROTICA vocalist Mats Leven. Johansson teamed up with VENI DOMINE vocalist Fredrik Ohlson to form a Metal project titled ZOIC in 1995, which resulted in an album released the following year. Thomas Vikström, meantime, featured as guest vocalist on the 1996 album by BRAZEN ABBOT, titled 'Live And Learn'. Strangely, in 1997 CANDLEMASS chose to return to the fray in rather odd circumstances. It transpired that Leif Edling had gone into the studio to record a projected second effort for ABSTRAKT ALGEBRA, but as recording progressed a name switch to CANDLEMASS was felt to be more the order of the day in terms of how the music was shaping. The 1997 line-up of the band thus comprised Edling alongside ex-GONE vocalist Björn Flodquist, former CARCASS and ARCH ENEMY guitarist Mike Amott (who also touted his trade with ARMADEDDON and SPIRITUAL BEGGARS), ex-BRICK guitarist Patrick and ABSTRAKT ALGEBRA's drummer Jejo Percovich. Erstwhile EUROPE man Ian Haugland also guested on drums. CANDLEMASS returned with the primitive sounding 'Dactys Glomerata' in April 1998, after which the band pulled in guitarist Mats Stahl. The band delved even further back into the primeval 70's Rock soup for 1999 album 'From The 13th Sun', the album even including a drum solo. Messiah Marcolin forged a union with CAUTERIZER and BLOODSTONE guitarist Michael Samuelsson and keyboard player Peter Moore entitled REQUIEM, issuing a three track demo. The classic CANDLEMASS line-up would be tempted into a reunion invitation for the 2002 'Sweden Rocks' festival. The reunited band, which featured vocalist Messiah Marcolin, bassist Leif Edling, guitarists Mats Björkman and Lars Johansson with drummer Jan Lindh debuted at the 'Black Lucia' Christmas party held by 'Close Up' magazine in Stockholm on December 13th 2001. Meantime the newly created Powerline label would re-release the first four classic CANDLEMASS albums. Also issued would be a collection of demos entitled 'The Black Heart Of Candlemass' and credited simply to LEIF EDLING. The band would put in a long overdue UK performance at th
Onslaught Radio is operated by Plastic Box. VAT number 902 3364 57