Sweet Evil Sun

Nearly 40 years into their career, Swedish doom masters Candlemass haven’t lost a step. Since reuniting with vocalist Johan Längquist (who sang on their impeccable 1986 debut, *Epicus Doomicus Metallicus*) in 2018, they’ve been on a prolific streak, releasing two studio albums, an EP, and a live album in just four years. According to bassist and main songwriter Leif Edling, *Sweet Evil Sun* is loosely based around the Greek myth of Icarus. “It’s about the mocking, tempting sun that we desperately try to reach,” he tells Apple Music. “If we’re not careful, we’ll be burned. But we will get there one day, no matter what.” Like many Candlemass albums, it didn’t come easily. “*Sweet Evil Sun* took me about 18 months and a lot of money to make,” Edling says with a laugh. “But the result is what counts. We cut no corners and walked the extra mile. It was worth it.” Below, he comments on each track. **“Wizard of the Vortex”** “The guardian outside the gates of hell. Nothing and no one shall pass. But eventually, his powers and strong morals get weaker, and he lets evil pass little by little.” **“Sweet Evil Sun”** “A song about striving, hope, ambition, and failure. One of the earliest songs I wrote for the album. One of the quickest ones as well—took me maybe an hour. Others took me months to write.” **“Angel Battle”** “Maybe the heaviest song on the record. Also one of my favorites. Opens with a crushing riff, then a nice uptempo chorus. Ends with a fantastic narration done by legendary filmmaker Kenneth Anger.” **“Black Butterfly”** “Another heavy track, but more Black Sabbath on this one. This song took forever to do—nearly a year. One of the first I demoed, but one of the last I finished. Turned out pretty good in the end.” **“When Death Sighs”** “One of the best songs on *Sweet Evil Sun*. Great riff, and I love the chorus. Lovely vocals by \[Avatarium singer\] Jennie-Ann Smith there together with Johan. Nice duet! Great solo by \[guitarist\] Lars \[Johansson\] too! **“Scandinavian Gods”** “A song about the necessity to leave your old gods and the difficulty of doing it. We can’t build a better world if we don’t do it. Out with the old, in with the new.” **“Devil Voodoo”** “Cool track that many people seem to like. Uptempo riff followed by a nice bridge. Pretty intense chorus, including some steel drums that add to the atmosphere. ‘Devil voodoo—there’s still some fire inside you!’” **“Crucified”** “Another uptempo track. We’re riffing like crazy here! Heavy church bells and doom deluxe in the middle part of the song.” **“Goddess”** “One of the heaviest songs on *Sweet Evil Sun*. Took me forever to finish it. It’s about blind, fanatic worship.” **“A Cup of Coffin (Outro)”** “I couldn’t have ‘Goddess’ as the last thing that happens on the album. I felt I needed to take the energy down a bit before the album could end. So, I came up with ‘A Cup of Coffin’ as the last piece of music that we recorded. I wrote the riff and added the audience from Södra Teatern in Stockholm when we played there in November last year. Great ending to the record.”

Physical editions available here: lnk.to/SweetEvilSun/napalmrecords "Clocking in almost four decades, it’s no stretch to say that Grammy-nominated Swedish epic doom legends CANDLEMASS are still one of the heaviest metal bands on earth. As the godfathers of epic doom metal, the band defined the genre with releases such as Epicus Doomicus Metallicus (1986) and Nightfall (1987). Through their evil riffs, crushing rhythmic attack and dramatic vocals, they changed the landscape of metal worldwide. Reunited with outstanding original vocalist Johan Langquist, the band around founding member Leif Edling finds its way back to its roots and finally delivers the long awaited, earth-shaking new full-length album, Sweet Evil Sun, out November 18, 2022 via Napalm Records. After working on this massive piece of art for 18 months in total, with Sweet Evil Sun, CANDLEMASS brings back all the grandness of their early years, exploring themes of ambition and strife, hope and failure. Opening track “Wizard Of The Vortex” instantly casts a spell with a riff so powerful, the listener is immediately ensnared. Title track “Sweet Evil Sun” kicks in with warning guitar feedback before sludging a heavy-as-hell riff as Johan Langquist deftly warbles through melancholic, beckoning passages and a hooky chorus. His imposing vocals fit each riff and tone perfectly, emerging as an instrument in itself. The dark, classic rock-tinged Nordic metal anthem “Scandinavian Gods” reveals a perfect musical interaction between slow and heavy drums, droning guitars and majestic vocals as they convey mysterious tales of Scandinavian mythology to the next generation of doom lovers. Jennie-Ann Smith (Avatarium) lends her beautiful voice to the theatrical, grim ""When Death Sighs”, creating a shimmering, intermingled chorus duet eventually backed by rising organs and a marching rhythm. The haunting atmosphere is highlighted by an amazing guitar solo that reads like a story as it bends and descends, marking the sign of death on the listener’s door. It comes as no surprise that, alongside the band, renowned producer Marcus Jidell captured the band’s massive, smoky guitar tones, powerful drums and larger-than-life vocals, offering a truly unique, high quality sonic experience. The artwork for Sweet Evil Sun was illustrated with the skilled hand of Erik Rovanperä, the architect behind CANDLEMASS’ visual style since Psalms for the Dead (2012) Recorded at NOX studio in Stockholm, Sweden, Sweet Evil Sun impressively showcases that, after almost 40 years in the game, the creativity of these Swedish doom masters sees no bounds. Through the power of wall-shaking riffs, incredible vocal performances and the blood and spirit of classic heavy metal, Sweet Evil Sun shines as a masterpiece of impending legend that truly honors the epic doom metal cult of CANDLEMASS."

CANDLEMASS has been churning out its magnificent epic doom metal for 40 years, and unlike many old-timers content to milk the festival circuit exclusively based upon classic material, the Swedish act, on a creative level, remains relevant and vital. The unit wasn't overly prolific in the last decade...

Jack Terry reviews the 13th studio album from doom metal legends Candlemass! Read the review of 'Sweet Evil Sun' here on Distorted Sound!

These legendary "Scandinavian Gods" are about to "Bewitch" you yet again.

A review of Sweet Evil Sun by Candlemass, available worldwide November 18th via Napalm Records.