Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 08/14/2007
Run Time: 65:03
Here we go again. With
Messiah Marcolin's second acrimonious exit from the band that made him famous (and he they, in turn),
Candlemass' long-suffering fans must once again contend with conflicting allegiances and emotions regarding the ongoing legitimacy of one of
doom metal's charter groups. Of course, most would argue that it has always been bassist and composer
Leif Edling -- not
Marcolin -- who embodies the essence of
Candlemass, but that doesn't make it any easier for the vast majority of their supporters to live without the operatic spark injected by the twice-departed singer's imposing vocal (and physical) presence. But live without it they must, as the hallowed Swedes forge ahead in their career via their ninth studio album, 2007's
King of the Grey Islands, by welcoming none other than
Solitude Aeturnus frontman
Robert Lowe into the fold. This, as any veteran
doom enthusiast will know, is an intriguing choice to say the least, since
Lowe's former band was frequently described as "America's answer to
Candlemass," therefore only heightening curiosity as to how he'll fare -- especially since, for their part,
Edling and his instrumental cohorts have delivered a selection of songs that's easily as strong and consistent as that of their most recent, eponymous effort with
Messiah at the helm. Even so, it must be said that
Lowe's exceptional pipes still come across like
José Carreras as compared head-on to
Marcolin's booming
Pavarotti in terms of sheer, stupefying power, but
Lowe's range as a stylist is arguably more versatile, as he is capable of exploring softer cadences on songs like
"Of Stars and Smoke" and the curiously
Slayer-ish "Embracing the Styx." The band also achieves truly sterling results on epic old-school crawlers like
"Devil Seed," "Destroyer," and the more energetic
"Clearsight," as well as a few not so good ones like the
Cathedral-styled
"Emperor of the Void" and
"Demonia 6." So even if there's never a satisfying consensus over this whole "
Messiah mess" (and there won't be!),
doom fans can rest assured that
King of the Grey Islands once again proves
Candlemass' enduring relevance and near supremacy in the upper echelons of the
doom field. [The 2007 China edition included bonus tracks.]
~Eduardo Rivadavia, Rovi
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