Candlemass

AFTER DECADES OF TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS, THE FIRE BENEATH THESE SWEDISH DEATH METAL GODS BURNS BRIGHTER THAN EVER

- Adam Kovac

IF BEING IN a band is like being in a relationship, Candlemass has had a bumpier ride than all the Kardashians combined. Over the course of almost 40 years, the Swedish doom metal gods have gone through half a dozen vocalists and broken up and reunited twice. But the last few years have seen the quintet reach a level of peace that is completely at odds with the furious noise that has made them a fan favorite across the globe. “Well, we’ve been around for a while, and there’s been a change of vocalists here and there. The guitars, bass and drums have not changed, so the sound still remains,” says lead guitarist Lars Johansson.

According to bassist Leif Edling, it was the return of vocalist Johan Langqvist, who originally had a short mid-Eighties stint with Candlemass, that brought on this new era of stability. 

“It’s been the four of us for a long time now,” Edling says. “We know each other inside out, we know what we can do and what we can’t, so we’re incredibly stable. And now that Johan is back, we have the best solid lineup we’ve ever had! We have had so many ups and downs as a band during these 35-plus years; we’ve always been able to come back, no matter how impossible it has looked. You just can’t kill us! We’re the cockroaches of epic doom metal! We will never go away!”