Crystalized as a marker for their entrance into an imposing fourth decade this latest EP from Stockholm, Sweden-borne doom metal quintet CANDLEMASS treads the dawn in embrace of the dark, a harrowing reminder of the auld wizards’ power as well as a look back upon a couple of ancient spells that’d brought them alive eons ago. ‘Black Star‘ is essentially a single, albeit a 12″ EP which features two brand new pieces in their undeniable signature style as well as a couple of cover songs which help frame the event as celebratory, a grounding rouse in the face of the path forward. Dedicated heavy metal fandom today doesn’t necessarily need a reminder of their vast influence upon the craft, a week rarely goes by where a new release doesn’t feature some descendent of their legacy’s unique hand, but these songs should prove a reminder that they’re still just as capably themselves after so many years.

The dark mother calls to our protagonist as “Black Star” takes us on a trip which begins with an unraveling existential crisis where self-examination is harsh, purpose is dire and circumstances are daunting… their reason to live is in question. Our resolution comes in turning towards the darkness rather than away from it, our way forward is sublime descent. The endpoint for this piece is a slow walk into the inverted horizon, towards Luciferian light, death and the maw of the destroyer of souls. The form is classic Candlemass wherein tuneful songcraft is threaded into dramatic narrative, keeping the song’s purpose as an ear-gripper but also going somewhere compelling, movements which convey change of scenery or event within said traversal. There is no denying Johan Länquist as the feature here in the mix, the lyrics are brilliantly clear and all bolsters the fellow’s considerable presence.

Much of this production value/focal intent stands in line with what we’d found on ‘Sweet Evil Sun‘ (2022) but without the fuzzier, stonier swing of that album, the impression that I get from this song and its accompanying covers is that this is a moment set to distinctly tribute the dire cadence and storytelling muse of Candlemass, a back to the roots moment which is in line with celebrating their fourth decade in gear. When Länquist joined the band some years ago they’d likewise leaned in this direction for ‘The Door to Doom‘ (2019) but I would argue a bit for “Black Star” being a much closer step towards the ‘Epicus Doomicus Metallicus‘ side of things, shaking off some of their 90’s/heavy rocking edge for a more direct couple of pieces; The rest of the EP is just fine from my point of view with the instrumental “Corridors of Chaos” feeling like a proper extension of the verve introduced by “Black Star” and the two cover songs tributing doom metal foundations.

Of the two cover songs of course the ambitious “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” is a tough one, song that was a stretch even for Black Sabbath at their most straining, iconic primeval step. I’m not sure they’ve fully captured the drift between worlds within the song, the step between rocking narration and chunking downturn, but the notes are there and the drums are particularly sharp on this one. The Pentagram cover kinda requires less parity of performance from my point of view, a real focus on the guitar tone, in order to line-up with the impact of the original and in this case all is starkly crisp to the point that the ghoul-in-the-basement creep of Pentagram doesn’t come across. Of course this doesn’t hurt “Forever My Queen” and its short, simple groove and its infectious quality, only Candlemass haven’t made a big show of it beyond some vibrato on the vocals. The charm is there but as a huge fan of each group I’d always wanted to hear these guys do “All Your Sins” or “When the Screams Come” for their slugged drawl and dual leads.

Though I’m not sure we can consider ‘Black Star‘ the entirety of what the band’ve planned for their fortieth official year in terms of released it does appear that way based on Länquist‘s solo record (as Johan Länquist – The Castle) being slated for release later this year. It is a brief but worth reminder that Candlemass‘ve still got a grip on what makes their legacy notable as an influential and sub-genre defining group. Though I didn’t find the production values contorted beyond the last several releases here I did feel the visual design of ‘Black Star‘ instantly appealing via the general layout and of course the black, gold and grey illustration from maestro Daniele Valeriani per the cover art. In my own experience hanging out with this record did exactly what it ought’ve in terms of gearing up my own fandom for not only the band’s enduring work but also for the ‘epic’ doom metal mind palace they’ve long brought to the greater canon of heavy metal. A high recommendation.

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