CANDLEMASS — Psalms for the Dead (review)

CANDLEMASS — Psalms for the Dead album cover

Album · 2012 · Doom Metal

2/5 · 2012-09-14
Warthur

Apparently, this is and isn't Candlemass' swansong: whilst they've not ruled out further live activity, apparently they're not going to make any more studio albums after this. This isn't a unique situation in metal: Bolt Thrower made a very respectable choice to refrain from producing new studio albums unless and until they felt they had a set of new material of comparable quality to their best work. The difference is that Bolt Thrower ended on a high, producing Those Once Loyal - an album which, despite feeling a little formulaic at points, was at least true to the Bolt Thrower spirit and was a decent epilogue to their studio career.

The same cannot be said for Psalms For the Dead. The thing about the best Candlemass albums was that, despite playing in (and arguably helping to define) the traditional doom metal subgenre, their material never felt generic. There was never the impression that the band were following someone else's formula - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus or Nightfall might have owed a lot to Black Sabbath, but there was never the sense that Sabbath - or Saint Vitus, or Sleep, or anyone else for that matter - could have made those albums. They had their own unique Candlemass-y personality which set them apart.

Sadly, this isn't the case here. To be blunt, the songwriting and performances here are outright generic. Rob Lowe certainly throws his weight into the vocals but he doesn't seem to believe in them; compare to the perfect note of despair he hits on the opening track to King of the Grey Islands, for instance. Musically, this could really be any latter-day Sabbath revival band chugging away. The unique atmosphere and personality in evidence both in the classic early Candlemass albums and in their recent efforts has entirely departed, and what is left is competent but repetitive generic supermarket brand doom metal. In short, not the way legends like Candlemass should have taken their final bow.

more than 2 years ago
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UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

He he I like the Bolt Thrower album a lot too :-). I´ve written a more positive review of "Psalms of the Dead" that´ll bring another view. I´m always intrigued when someone has another opinion though and welcome it.

Vic wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Me neither, I think you are being too harsh on the band and I am of the opinion that you can hear that classy doomy quality that Leif brings. And Robert Lowe could sing the phone book for all I care, his vocals will always be godly to my ears.

Funnily enough, my main objection concerns Bolt Thrower. Those Once Loyal is not a decent epilogue. It's a monumental epilogue, ranking among my 3 favorite albums by that (beloved) band.

UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I can´t say I agree. I think it´s another great album by the band :-)