It doesn’t seem to be mentioned in the press release below, but included among Candlemass‘ 40th anniversary celebrations is a set later this year at Rock Hard Festival in Greece where they’ll reunite with former frontman Messiah Marcolin for a one-off. Since 2018, and before that as well in a less-on-a-record-type-official-blah-blah capacity, the Swedish doom legends have had vocalist Johan Länquist, who famously sang on their first record but was never actually in the band — inadvertantly becoming part of one of underground heavy metal’s most crucial narratives –out front, but like Länquist, Marcolin is also a big part of Candlemass‘ history, and that’s worth honoring, even if it’s something I’m mentioning in large part because of how unlikely it ever seemed like it would be.

Universe of infinite possibilities, folks.

Black Star is the name of the new Candlemass EP — recorded with Länquist on vocals, as one would expect —  and it’s out May 9 on Napalm Records. The band have a teaser trailer for their anniversary rollout streaming at the bottom of this post, and the PR wire brought details of the release including that it’s got covers of Black Sabbath and Pentagram, which in terms of genre-impact, is keeping company one could only call fitting.

Have at it:

CANDLEMASS CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY WITH NEW EP, BLACK STAR, OUT MAY 9 VIA NAPALM RECORDS — PRE-ORDER STARTS NOW

Swedish godfathers of epic doom CANDLEMASS celebrate their 40th anniversary of pioneering the genre with a four-track EP, Black Star. Packed with craterous riffs, this celebration of doom metal mastery is set for release on May 9 via Napalm Records.

With Black Star, the genre-defying band unveils two brand-new songs alongside two cover versions of timeless classics. The EP will be available in various formats, including a strictly limited vinyl edition featuring a 12-page vinyl booklet, an A3 poster, and a tote bag.

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.”

Get your copy of Black Star here: https://napalmrecordsamerica.com/candlemass

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.

Prepare for 40 years of epic doom and watch the anniversary trailer now: https://youtu.be/4kFc5Qv36GE?si=fXIbCMz8tLf4hK5B

BLACK STAR TRACK LISTING:
“Black Star”
“Corridors of Chaos”
“Sabbath Bloody Sabbath””Forever My Queen”

Black Star will be available in the following formats:

1LP Gatefold BLACK ORANGE SPLATTER (incl. vinyl booklet (12pp), A3 poster, tote bag) – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive, strictly limited to 400 copies
1LP Gatefold BLACK
1CD Digisleeve
Digital Album

More info about Candlemass on tour in Europe here: https://candlemass.se/#live-doom

CANDLEMASS ARE:
Johan Länquist — Vocals
Lars Johansson — Lead Guitar
Mappe Björkman — Rhythm Guitar
Leif Edling — Bass
Janne Lind — Drums

https://www.facebook.com/candlemass
https://www.instagram.com/candlemass_sweden/
http://www.candlemass.se/

https://www.facebook.com/napalmrecords
http://label.napalmrecords.com/

Candlemass, ’40 Years of Doom’ trailer