Death Magic Doom [CD]

Death Magic Doom surpasses its predecessor, King of the Grey Islands, in several aspects, songwriting being the most important one. It is a doomier release with a heavier focus on achieving atmosphere, and is blessed with stronger production. It is a lot more organic sounding, boasting a great degree of dynamics in the arrangements and revealing more details upon repeat listens.

Leif Edling has composed one of the most diverse Candlemass albums to date. This is not full-on Doom Metal. Rather, it moves from doomy sounds to melodic phrases to more aggressive numbers. The writing is truly varied and inspired. On a tune like "If I Ever Die," they weave uptempo guitar rhythms with melodically gripping vocal harmonies and throaty a capella vocals while "Hammer of Doom" is their nod to Black Sabbath. It is populated with myriad elements, from hellish bells chiming to slow, grinding riffs to angry vocals and abrasive fretwork. This is easily the doomiest cut on the album.

The guitar work is phenomenal, perhaps the best in years. Lars Johansson and Mats Björkman once again prove they are the strongest guitar duo in Doom Metal. The lead solos on "The Bleeding Baroness" and "House of 1000 Voices" are trance-like. They send chills up and down the spine and only get better with each listen. They are built very patiently, allowing Lowe to set the tone as he 'duels' with the guitar lines atop Edling's fat bass lines. "The Bleeding Baroness" features an indelible bass figure in the beginning which crops up in the mid-section before an insanely melodic chorus is delivered. Likewise, "House of 1000 Voices" boasts an indestructible opening riff that would make the crowds go wild if Candlemass were to open their shows with it. As the riff progression changes, so does Lowe's tone; he starts singing an octave lower than usual capturing an evil sound -- you've never heard him sing like this before. Then there is the silvery solo; first guitar, then bass, and the guitar again. Fantastic.

These two songs are separated by the secret hit of the album, "Demon of the Deep." At first, this one comes across as filler, but in time, you get to discover its brilliance. The creepy acoustic guitars and death-embracing riffs achieve a unique atmosphere. The vocals in the beginning are powerful beyond words. The guitar sounds like it was tuned deliberately off-key, which lends the piece an extra dimension. It is deep and searing. The discreet organ sounds beneath the main melody are sublime too. All of this is contrasted by quite a melodic vocal passage -- simply perfect.

"Dead Angel" is arguably the catchiest and fastest Candlemass song ever. Though I can't say I am fully convinced it deserves a place on this platter, the rather lengthy instrumental break is worth checking out nevertheless. As the band retreats into doomy sounds with "Clouds of Dementia," the trade-off between guitars and bass also commands your attention as does the bleak acoustic intro of "My Funeral Dreams," which is comprised of glacial riffs mixed with faster-paced stanzas and an infectious chorus.

Robert Lowe joined Candlemass shortly before the band started recording King of the Grey Islands, which was written with Messiah Marcolin on mind. Though he did a great job on it, on this record, he gets to demonstrate his talents as a singer to a greater extent. And although he is not credited for any of the songs, it is obvious Leif Edling composed the material to suit his style perfectly. This album sees his most diverse vocal performance to date. Never before has he sung so aggressively and melodically at the same time. He tries a capella vocals, he lets out deep snarling screams, he whispers -- he does it all. And whatever he does, he gives the songs a raw, palpable energy. This album is his pinnacle from a vocal standpoint.

If you want to buy only one Doom Metal album in 2009, this is it.

I must begin with two observations:

1) Robert Lowe is not as good a singer as Messiah Marcolin. Messiah's voice is an instrument of operatic caliber, and Robert is not so thoroughly trained.

2) Robert Lowe is, however, by far the better vocalist. He doesn't oversing, as Messiah was wont to do. Instead, he brings a layered vocal presence to the band, changing tone and emotion as readily as pitch. Fans of Solitude Aeternus know that Lowe can shift at will from bottomless grief to boundless malice, and from philosophical introspection to baleful imprecation. Moreover, Robert Lowe is a better fit for Candlemass than Messiah was. Even a casual perusal of its classic tracks will reveal that it could use the nuances Robert brings. "Incarnation of Evil" needs a different vocal interpretation from that of "Samarithan," or of "At the Gallows End."

For these reasons, I was quite excited when I learned that Lowe had joined Candlemass, even if I did learn about it a couple of years after it happened. "Death Magic Doom" fulfills my expectations admirably.

Candlemass as a whole are at the top of their form. This album has all of the oppressive atmosphere, so reminiscent of the best of Black Sabbath, that characterized their classic work, but at the same time, the band did not feel the need to be uniformly lead-footed. Like "Ancient Dreams," this album offers a variety of tempos and atmospheres, from the delightfully sinister "The Bleeding Baroness" to the haunting "House of 1000 Voices" to a boisterous "Lucifer Rising." In every case, Lowe shows himself worthy of working alongside the legendary Leif Edling and company.

I give the album as a whole four stars; several songs merit five, such as the aforementioned "Bleeding Baroness" and "House of 1000 Voices," as well as "Hammer of Doom" and "My Funeral Dreams." "Demon of the Deep" is also a potential contender. For me, this is one of the tests to distinguish a good album from a great one: I look for standout songs, ones that come unbidden to mind, but not in an irritating way. When an album has three or more such songs, I consider it an instant classic, and that applies to this album.

Candlemass have delivered what they promised: "Death" in the lyrics, "Doom" in the atmosphere, and "Magic" in the total effect of the album.

A worthy followup to the Robert Lowe debut. It's not Messiah, but I'd rather have a new direction from Candlemass than the guys giving up because Messiah is so unreliable. I think the song structures fit Robert's vocals very well (Bleeding Baroness is a stellar track, btw), and considering Solitude Aeturnus has been one of my favorite doom bands since stumbling upon them in 1993, this is a dream come true. I've been a Candlemass fan since 1987 (got a cassette of Nightfall from Coconuts Records). (I even wrote Leviathan Records for a CD version of Epicus after reading the liner notes to Flotsam and Jetsam's Doomsday for the Deceiver, IIRC.) But don't take a fan's word for it. Buy it. You'll enjoy it immensely if you even have a passing interest in Doom metal (that's not 70's tinged like say, Cathedral, who are great in their own right.)