Many excellent bands came out of the heavy metal explosion of the early '80s, and
Candlemass is at the top of the list. Unfortunately, these Swedish headbangers never enjoyed more than a cult following, and didn't sell nearly as many records as other gothic metalheads like
Iron Maiden. But make no mistake:
Candlemass was one of the most captivating bands in the history of metal. In contrast to the fast tempos of punk-influenced American thrash bands like
Slayer,
Metallica and
Megadeth, the melodic yet forceful
Candlemass savors slow tempos on this fine documentation of its live shows. The band's slow, eerie and menacing sound, in fact, was dubbed "drone metal" by some headbangers. Lead vocalist Messiah Marcolin is downright menacing on this gothicthemed material, and Mappe Bjorkman is a brutal guitarist who takes no prisoners. For followers of gothic metal, Candlemass Live is essential listening. ~ Alex Henderson