Swedish godfathers of epic doom Candlemass celebrate their 40th anniversary of pioneering the genre with »Black Star« EP!
Swedish epic doom metal legends Candlemass celebrate their 40th anniversary with a brand new four-track EP, »Black Star«, which will be released on May 9th, 2025 via Napalm Records.
Tracklist:
01. Black Star
02. Corridors Of Chaos
03. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (Black Sabbath cover)
04. Forever My Queen (Pentagram cover)
Courtesy of Napalm Records:
Grammy-nominated Candlemass celebrate 40 years of doom metal mastery!
Candlemass, the Swedish godfathers of epic doom, honour their 40th anniversary of pioneering the genre with a four-track EP, »Black Star«. Packed with canyon-deep riffs, this celebration of doom metal mastery is set for release on May 9, 2025 via Napalm Records. On »Black Star«, the genre-defying band unveils two brand-new songs alongside two cover versions of timeless classics.
Title track, »Black Star«, blends haunting melodies with deeply introspective lyrics, brought to life by the dark, romantic voice of vocalist Johan Länquist. Songwriter Leif Edling’s lyrics delve into themes of existential struggle, temptation, and the allure of darkness – creating an intense atmosphere imbued with Candlemass’ signature sound. The second new track, »Corridors Of Chaos«, marks a true old school instrumental containing both classic metal riffing and stunning guitar playing by Lars Johansson, showcasing the band’s mastery of dynamics. Adding to this tribute, Candlemass delivers a cover of Black Sabbath’s iconic »Sabbath Bloody Sabbath«, taking listeners back to 1973. This is followed by their rendition of Pentagram’s classic »Forever My Queen«, further cementing Candlemass’ remarkable contribution to shaping the genre into what it is today.
Candlemass mastermind Leif Edling comments:
“Not all bands get to see their 40th birthday and it certainly hasn’t been an easy ride. But many ups and downs later, we stand here as survivors, veterans even… a bit scarred perhaps? Still ready though to unleash another piece of doom-laden metal upon an unsuspecting world. You have to do something when you turn 40, right? Anyway, as always, it’s been fun recording some new stuff as well as covering a couple of old favorites.”
Pre-order now HERE.
Candlemass Live 2025
20.-21.06.25 DE – Daun Rengen / Der Detze Rockt
25.06.25 NO – Oslo / Tons Of Rock
04.07.25 TR – Istanbul / Headbangers Weekend
20.07.25 IT – Cremona / Luppolo In Rock Festival
30.07.-02.08.25 NO – Bergen / Beyond The Gates Festival
08.-09.08.25 FI – Helsinki / Helsinki Metal Festival
08.-10.08.25 BE – Kortrijk / Alcatraz
12.-13.09.25 GR – Athens / Rock Hard Festival
01.11.25 SE – Stockholm / Berns
06.12.25 UK – Wolverhampton / Bloodstock Winter Gathering
Candlemass is:
Johan Lanquist – Vocals
Lars Johansson – Lead Guitar
Mappe Björkman – Rhythm Guitar
Leif Edling – Bass
Janne Lind – Drums
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well