CANDLEMASS To Perform Entire 'Epicus Doomicus Metalicus' Album At Stockholm Concert

Legendary Swedish doomsters CANDLEMASS will celebrate their 25-year anniversary as a band with an extra-long performance at Debaser Medis in Stockholm on December 18. The band's classic 1986 album, "Epicus Doomicus Metalicus", will be performed in its entirety for the first time with CANDLEMASS' original singer Johan Längqvist.

Commented the group: "[Current CANDLEMASS frontman] Robert Lowe will, of course, also be on stage this evening singing both old and new material at this mega-cool event!!"

"Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" will be re-released on fat 180-gram blood-red vinyl in numbered gatefold sleeve on June 28 via Peaceville Records. The gatefold sleeve features the original artwork (red text and skull not white as on the CD) on a matt-laminated sleeve with logo and text on front in spot varnish. It will also include new sleeve notes written by the band.

According to a press release, "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" is a true classic. Every track is undeniably strong — heavy metal riffs blended with almost neo-classical touches, plus some theatrical elements bringing to mind bands like MERCYFUL FATE (thought to be another influence). This is one of the definitive doom metal releases, immortalizing the band, alongside early developers of the style such as the U.S. band PENTAGRAM.

"Epicus" was recorded at Thunderload Studios in 1986 and was released later that same year. The vocals for this, the band's debut album, were handled by Johan Längqvist, before the iconic vocalist Messiah Marcolin became a solid fixture in the band until the early Nineties.

CANDLEMASS instantly became a great inspiration to countless metal bands upon the album's release in 1986; a time when thrash metal, not doom, was fast becoming the dominant style in both Europe and the U.S. Bands such as PARADISE LOST and MY DYING BRIDE rate the album very highly to this day — PARADISE LOST particularly ranking "Epicus" among their favorite albums ever.

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CANDLEMASS will release a new DVD, "Ashes To Ashes - Live", in North America on June 29 via Nuclear Blast Records (April 23 in Europe). The set will contain footage of the band's performance at last year's Sweden Rock Festival in front of 30,000 people as well as CANDLEMASS' entire October 2009 concert in Athens, Greece. it will also include a 30-minute interview and two photo galleries. The DVD will be released as a CD+DVD, with the Sweden Rock show as the audio CD. For the die-hard fans, Nuclear Blast is putting two sets of double vinyl together (one set Sweden Rock Festival, one set Athens),limited edition (1,000 copies each).

"Death Magic Doom", the latest album from CANDLEMASS, debuted at No. 79 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"Death Magic Doom" entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 52. The group's previous CD, "King of the Grey Islands", debuted at No. 83 back in June 2007.

CANDLEMASS was among the five final nominees that competed for the "Best Hard Rock" honor at the Swedish Grammis awards, which was held January 15, 2010 at Münchenbryggeriet in Stockholm. The bands are all nominated for their most recent releases, all of which came out during 2009.