Candlemass

Formed in 1984 in Upplands Väsby on the outskirts of Stockholm, Candlemass established itself early as one of the central bands of Swedish doom metal, with a slow, massive and melodic sound rooted in classic heavy metal and a marked epic dimension. Around bassist and principal songwriter Leif Edling, Candlemass first released Epicus Doomicus Metallicus in 1986 with Johan Längqvist on vocals, then stabilized into an iconic lineup with Messiah Marcolin for Nightfall (1987), Ancient Dreams (1988) and Tales of Creation (1989). This initial period set the band’s hallmarks: heavy riffs, restrained tempos, solemn guitars and theatrical singing. After Chapter VI (1992) with Thomas Vikström, Candlemass split in 1993, returned in the late 1990s with Dactylis Glomerata (1998) and From the 13th Sun (1999), and reformed again in the mid‑2000s. The group’s trajectory has since been marked by several vocalist changes, notably Robert Lowe and then Mats Levén, before Johan Längqvist returned in 2018. Since then Candlemass released The Door to Doom (2019), featuring Tony Iommi on one track, and Sweet Evil Sun (2022). Still led by Leif Edling, Candlemass continues to perform on international metal stages with a dark, monumental aesthetic faithful to the doom DNA.