Epicus Doomicus Metallicus

Candlemass | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 12, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Leviathan
• ASIN: B000001887
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #437,148 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Solitude

2. Demons Gate

3. Crystal Ball

4. Black Stone Wielder

5. Under the Oak

6. A Sorcerer's Pledge

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Candlemass' Darkest and Heaviest, August 28, 2000

By 

Streetcleaner (Midwest, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Epicus Doomicus Metallicus (Audio CD)

EPICUS DOOMICUS METALLICUS was this recently reformed band's classic debut. Though it's not as sophisticated or refined as the band's later work with singer Messiah Marcolin, this album has a certain power and excitement from start to finish that the later albums seemed to lack. The performance is brutally heavy and dark, yet the songs still retain memorable, well-developed melodies, i.e. "Solitude", "Crystal Ball". The doomier songs on the album, such as "Demon's Gate" and "Black Stone Wielder" avoid the brooding and lethargic feel used on albums like ANCIENT DREAMS. Additionally, EPICUS features some powerful acoustic work that meshes with electric riffs to create great dynamics.

I definitely recommend this album to fans of early 70s Black Sabbath looking for something equally heavy. Candlemass isn't very well known in the U.S., which is a shame because they've got a taste for good songwriting with a dark, heavy, yet still melodic sound. The opener, "Solitude" (not a Sabbath cover), is guaranteed to draw you in the first time you hear it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars epic doom indeed!, September 14, 2000

By 

Jason P. Sorens "Political Scientist" (Tonawanda, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Epicus Doomicus Metallicus (Audio CD)

Somber, castleblack, slow-paced metal that essentially created a new genre: doom metal. Candlemass were influenced by early Black Sabbath and possibly by Trouble as well, but they went beyond them in forging frosty, epic melodies that transcend mere plodding groove. "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" includes several all-time Candlemass favorites, including the suicidal "Solitude," the magisterial "Black Stone Wielder," the first version of "Under the Oak," and the haunting "A Sorcerer's Pledge," with an airy female chorus at the end. While Messiah Marcolin is generally regarded as Candlemass' "classic" vocalist, session vocalist Johan Lanquist is no slouch, with a generally deep baritone voice that occasionally erupts in tormented screams.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Music to Get Depressed By, June 11, 2003

By 

ANDY PERHACH (PITTSBURGH, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Epicus Doomicus Metallicus (Audio CD)

This release can be summed up in one word : DOOM ! Don't expect songs about the beauty of trees or the temptations of women in short skirts, this is heavy duty metal. Candlemass continued to release good CDs, but everything else they've done pales in comparison to this disc. Prepare to hear powerful doom metal, when you need a little "Solitude."