Candlemass | Black Star (EP)

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.