Candlemass Black Star EP Review
It’s been three long years since the Swedish Doom titans, Candlemass, last graced us with new material. Thankfully, the drought has ended. To mark their 40th anniversary (yes, four decades of Epic Doom!), the band has unleashed a new EP titled “Black Star”. Forty years is no small feat especially for a group that’s had more lineup changes than a game of musical chairs but that’s a story for another time. Today, we’re here to talk about “Black Star”.
Let’s get the gripe out of the way first: this EP is short. Like, really short. Just four tracks - two of which are covers, and the other is an instrumental. So, if you’re counting actual new vocal material, you’re looking at one song. Unless you’re big on instrumentals (I’m not), this might sting a bit. But don’t hit the stop button just yet because what is here absolutely slays.
The title track, “Black Star,” is the undisputed highlight and clearly it was intended to be. The tempo sticks to that signature Candlemass blueprint, lurching between funeral-dirge and soulful serenity. The softer, more introspective moments give the track real depth, while the bridge/lead break sneaks up like a wolf stalking its prey - patient, sinister, and devastating when it strikes. It’s classic Candlemass, and it delivers.
Next up is “Corridors of Chaos,” the instrumental. Musically, it’s excellent - chock full of delicious riffs and tasteful leads, but it leaves me cold. It wants to be something more, but without lyrics to guide the journey, it feels more like a beautifully decorated hallway to nowhere. Great, but missing the heartbeat.
Now for the covers. First, “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.” Look, we’ve all heard a million versions of this song. And while Candlemass doesn’t reinvent the wheel here, they don’t crash it either. They treat the song with reverence - no bastardizing, no liberties taken, just a solid, faithful rendition. The breakdown hits hard, as it should. It’s not revolutionary, but it respects the riff, and that’s what matters.
The real standout is “Forever My Queen” by Pentagram. Candlemass climbs up on the cross and NAILS this one. Maybe it’s the production (which absolutely elevates it), or maybe it’s just that Bobby Liebling’s lyrics always had a certain haunted poetry to them - but this track rules. That riff? 100% gold! Candlemass updates the song without diluting its raw charm, and the result is a muscular homage to a Doom classic. It’s always been one of my favorite Pentagram tracks, and hearing it get this kind of treatment is awesome.
In short: Black Star is a killer little EP, even if it feels more like a snack. Would I have liked a couple more tracks? Absolutely. Candlemass could’ve thrown in two more covers, and I’d have eaten them up without complaint. But as it stands, this release is a worthy celebration of their 40-year reign and hopefully a harbinger of a new full-length album.
“Black Star” is out now on CD and vinyl. Grab it, spin it, and let it crush you - briefly, but gloriously.