Line #45 Music/Candlemass


1	%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
2
3	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_candlemass.jpg]]
4	[[caption-width-right:350:Candlemass - epic ''and'' depressing at the same time.]]
5
6	Candlemass is a Swedish DoomMetal band formed in 1985 by bassist Leif Edling. One of [[TropeCodifier trope codifier]]s of doom metal, and particularly of a subgenre called "epic doom metal", their first album ''Epicus Doomicus Metallicus'' is not only considered a landmark album but the textbook example of doom metal. They disbanded in 1993, but reformed four years later with a new lineup (Leif Edling being the only consistent member). The "classic" lineup of Candlemass then reformed in 2002, before breaking up again... And reforming again in 2004... [[OverlyLongGag before their singer quit]].
7
8	'''Current lineup:'''
9	* Johan Längqvist - vocals
10	* Lars Johansson - lead guitar
11	* Mats "Mappe" Björkman - rhythm guitar
12	* Leif Edling - bass
13	* Jan Lindh - drums
14
15	'''Past members:'''
16	* Matz Ekström - drums
17	* Thomas Vikström - vocals
18	* Björn Flodkvist - vocals
19	* Jejo Perkovic - drums
20	* Mats Ståhl - rhythm guitar
21	* Messiah Marcolin - vocals
22	* Robert Lowe (of Music/SolitudeAeturnus) - vocals
23	* Carl Westholm - keyboard (currently a session musician)
24	* Mats Levén - vocals
25
26	'''Discography:'''
27	* ''Epicus Doomicus Metallicus'' - 1986
28	* ''Nightfall'' - 1987
29	* ''Ancient Dreams'' - 1988
30	* ''Tales of Creation'' - 1989
31	* ''Chapter VI'' - 1992
32	* ''Dactylis Glomerata'' - 1998
33	* ''From the 13th Sun'' - 1999
34	* ''[[SelfTitledAlbum Candlemass]]'' - 2005
35	* ''King of the Grey Islands'' - 2007
36	* ''Death Magic Doom'' - 2009
37	* ''Psalms for the Dead'' - 2012
38	* ''The Door to Doom'' - 2019
39	* ''Sweet Evil Sun'' - 2022
40
41	----
42	!!Candlemass provides the following trope examples:
43
44	* AlbumTitleDrop: The intentionally almost-but-not-quite ones for two of the albums that don't have a TitleTrack, ''From the 13th Sun'' and ''King of the Grey Islands'':
45	--> "Drifting '''from''' the prison planet, I fell into '''the 13th sun'''..." (Elephant Star)
46	--> "I'm the '''king''', the ruler '''of the grey islands'''..." (Emperor of the Void)
47	%%* BigFun: Messiah Marcolin.
48	* {{Bookends}}: The last, self-titled song on the album ''Tales of Creation'' ends with the exact same riff used on the album's intro.
49	* [[BreakUpSong Break-Up Song]]: "Cyclo-F" on ''From the 13th Sun''. The lyrics are ''extremely'' acerbic and one can wonder if Leif was going through an acrimonious divorce in early 1999? The target being a woman is given away by the song title that Leif explained as "menstruation pills" when describing the album on the older version of the band's website.
50	* CanisLatinicus: ''Epicus Doomicus Metallicus''.
51	* CoverVersion:
52	** Of sorts; the last track on ''Ancient Dreams'' is a medley of Music/BlackSabbath songs.
53	** There is also an obscure EP called ''Sjunger Sigge Fürst'' (1993) which contains recordings of four songs by the Swedish actor, singer and radio presenter [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigge_Fürst Sigge Fürst]]. See OutOfGenreExperience below.
54	** The band also did a cross-cover EP with {{Music/Entombed}}, recording their song "To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth" while Entombed did a version of "Black Dwarf".
55	* DoomMetal: Of the "traditional doom metal" variety, or more specifically, "epic doom metal".
56	* EpicRocking: The majority of their output. Across the 13 studio albums they have so far, there are 23 songs longer than 7 minutes each, and songs between 6 and 7 minutes long are too numerous to list. The longest five tracks are "Dustflow" (9:24), "Cyclo-F" (9:17), "Demon’s Gate" (9:12), "The Day and the Night" (8:52) and "Where the Runes Still Speak" (8:41). ''Ancient Dreams'' however takes the cake as the album with the most songs of "epic" length (over 7 minutes) on it -- 4.
57	* FourMoreMeasures: On "A Sorcerer's Pledge", Johan starts singing as soon as guitar starts, then hums for a while and starts again, this time correctly. [[WordOfGod According to Leif]], it was a soundcheck that they [[ThrowItIn kept in]].
58	* FairytaleMotifs / FracturedFairytale: The lyrics of "Julie Laughs No More" and "Dancing in the Temple (Of the Mad Queen Bee)".
59	* GriefSong: "Mourner's Lament" is sung from the viewpoint of a father whose son has died (see OutlivingOnesOffspring below).
60	* IAmTheBand: Leif Edling is the sole consistent member of the band, and is in a way the leader. Probably helped by the fact that there's only a handful Candlemass songs that are not written entirely by him (both music and lyrics).
61	* {{Instrumentals}}: Over half of their studio albums (and both [=EPs=] released during Mats Levén's tenure in the band) contain at least one instrumental track each, ranging from small intros / outros / interludes ("Cylinder", "Mythos", "The Opal City" etc.) to full-fledged compositions rivalling bona fide songs for length ("The Goose", "Into The Unfathomed Tower", "The Man Who Fell from the Sky" etc.) The cup goes to ''Nightfall'' where out of ten tracks, '''four''' are instrumentals (including the famous rendition of "Marche Funèbre" by Frédéric Chopin).
62	* InsufferableGenius: Why Messiah Marcolin will probably never play with them again. While he may be an incredibly talented and iconic singer, his massive ego, diva-like behavior, and utter inability to work with anyone in a band situation have all ensured that they will hardly even consider bringing him on board again.
63	%%* LargeHam: Messiah Marcolin.
64	* LyricalDissonance: "Samarithan" is one of the heaviest songs on ''Nightfall'' and sounds very depressing, but the lyrics are about a man who shelters and feeds a homeless man and, on his own death bed 50 years later, is taken to Heaven by angels in return.
65	* OutlivingOnesOffspring: "[[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gS-ER5b3Osc Mourner's Lament]]" is about a father grieving the death of his son.
66	* OutOfGenreExperience:
67	** "Into the Unfathomed Tower" from ''Tales of Creation'' sounds more like Music/YngwieMalmsteen than the usual doomy fare. Actually, the band has many fast songs in their repertoire, but "Into the Unfathomed Tower" is especially notable for indulging in guitar pyrotechnics for most of its running time.
68	** 1993's ''Sjunger Sigge Fürst'' EP [[LighterAndSofter strays pretty far]] from the default genre, containing [[{{PunkRock}} deliberately punkish]] recordings of songs done in the 40s and 50s by the Swedish actor and singer Sigge Fürst (whose face also adorns the cover). You can tell it was done for fun, even though the band was, at the time, already troubled and split up shortly afterwards.
69	* RhymingWithItself: The word "life" is used to rhyme with itself in the final verse of "At The Gallows End".
70	%%* SelfTitledAlbum
71	* StartMyOwn: In addition to his various side projects (namely Krux, Avatarium, and The Doomsday Kingdom), Leif Edling started Abstrakt Algebra after the 1994 breakup (and wound up repurposing most of the material that was intended for their sophomore album with ''Dactylis Glomerata''), while Marcolin started Memento Mori with members of Hexenhaus after his first split with the band.
72	* SurprisinglyGentleSong: "Fortuneteller" from the ''House of Doom'' EP and "Bridge of the Blind" from ''The Door to Doom'' album are acoustic, mellow songs, even if the lyrics aren't exactly lighthearted. "Thirst", a bonus track from ''Dactylis Glomerata'', is instrumental-wise mostly a piano "romance song", though the vocal delivery and the lyrics noticeably contrast with that (the contradiction becoming rather jarring during the chorus). "Galatea" and "Oil" are mostly very mellow but segue into guitar-driven heavy parts.
73	* TeenGenius: Messiah Marcolin was no older than nineteen when he joined.
74	* TropeCodifier: They're not the first doom metal band and not the only codifiers of the genre, but they were responsible for many of the stereotypical characteristics associated with it. Since they were, arguably, the most popular doom metal band (unless you count Music/BlackSabbath), they were highly influential on later bands.
75	* TropeMakers: Of "epic doom metal".
76	* WordSaladLyrics: Not the band really famous for that, but there are a few notable examples such as "Blumma Apt", "Elephant Star", "Witches", "Oil" and "Death's Wheel".
77	* WordSaladTitle: The names of songs from the two albums recorded with Björn Flodkvist are, more often than not, deliberately odd and cryptic, not appearing in the lyrics at all or having no relation to them. This adds to the general aura of weirdness surrounding these albums. The habit carried over to Leif's other band Krux, especially for its first album.
78

Context Music / Candlemass