Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kings of Doom! Album of The Year, July 18, 2007
Marcolin is gone- and the result is an incredible album! This album blows me away- it's easily the best Candlemass release in years! The self-titled reunion album was something of a disappointment; even though the classic lineup was back, the weird production and lackluster songwriting made for an uninteresting listen. Not so this time! While the songs still do not have the epic grandeur of tunes from 'Nightfall' and other 80s CM albums, the tracks on KotGI have a dark, focused intensity that makes them menacing and memorable in nature. Lowe's vocal performance is easily his best in many years, adding the perfect dark atmospheres to the songs, some of which sound like classic Solitude Aeturnus material (particularly 'Destroyer'). Other tuns are also incredible, such as the majestic 'of stars and smoke', the poundingly heavy 'emperor of the void', and the haunting 'man of shadows'. Honestly, if you're a fan of Doom, this album is for you! Make sure to get a copy with the new versions of 'Mass classics 'solitude' and 'at the gallows end'. While they sound a little different musically, Lowe's vocal treatment of these two classics is just godly. Hail the return of true doom!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best album to come out in years!!!, August 19, 2007
First let me state for the record that Candlemass are my favorite band in any genre of music. Although I may be slightly biased in their favor I also hold them to the highest standards when releasing new material. When Candlemass reformed and released their self titled album no one was more thrilled than me. The album was excellent with the exception of som lazy songwriting and brought new life to the band. When Messiah Marcolin left the band I was worried that the band would once again either find a more commercial sounding vocalist or go in more of an experimental direction as they had on Dactylis Glomerata and From The 13th Sun. Then they signed Robert Lowe of the great band Solitude Aeturnus. This was a sign to me that Candlemass was intent on giving the fans the best album possible. King of the Grey Islands is absolutely brilliant. This album is an equal to those released in the bands golden period. Robert Lowe blends perfectly with the music and never lets up. I cannot get this cd out of my cd player. Anyone who enjoys doom or just great music needs to check this out.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Dark Triumph, December 27, 2007
Candlemass have definitely resurrected themselves as the standardbearers of doom metal with their latest effort, King of the Grey Islands (KOTGI). I was actually reluctant to buy this abum off Amazon because of their slightly disappointing 2005 self-titled album with Messiah Marcolin back on vox. When I heard through a friend that Texan doom metaller Robert Lowe had joined the ranks after Marcolin's (second) departure, I decided to buy it. It has turned out to be one of the better CDs I've purchased this year.
I was turned on to Candlemass about 3 years ago when I was listening to acts like High on Fire, The Obsessed, and Saint Vitus. I bought Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, Nightfall, and Ancient Dreams, and chewed on those three for a few years, deciding that my fling with the Candlemass catalogue was over. I then heard about the 2005 Candlemass "reunion" album and quiclkly snatched it up. For reasons that don't appply here, it was a letdown. I later saw on Candlemass's website that they were looking for a new singer and thought to myself, "they must be in real dire straits and whoever they get can't fill Marcolin's *rather large* shoes." I was wrong.
Robert Lowe, front man for the Texas doom metal band, Solitude Aeturnus, answered the call on KOTGI. Lowe's vocals throughout the entire album are clean, crisp, and powerful. He doesn't sound strained or tired but very comfortable in this range and style, and his vocals are without a doubt the highlight of the album. I've read that KOTGI is acutally a concept album about a young man battling depression (surprise), dubbing himself the "King of the Grey Islands". Plot Spoiler: He loses his battle with depression by suicide at the end of the album. Thankfully, each song lyrically stands on its own. The lyrics for each song are dark and brooding, centering around themes like depression ("Emperor of the Void"), suicide ("Embracing the Styx"), a shipwreck ("Clearsight"), inflicting violence out of frustration ("Destroyer"), and sin ("Devil Seed"). The album's mood and tone can be summed up in one statement from "Of Stars and Smoke": "ALL IS IN VAIN."
Musically, KOTGI is a step or two above the tired sounding 2005 effort. Janne Lindh (drums) and Leif Edling (bass) provide a solid, driving foundation for the guitar work of Lasse Johansson and Mappe Bjorkman. I am particularly impressed with the thick, crunchy twin guitar attack on this album. Johansson and Bjorkman seem to compliment each other so completely. The left-handed Johansson's shredding is rather impressive - no noodling; just solid, straight-forward solos. Mostly minor keys at mid-to-slow tempo songs dominate the album, with the exception of the fast-paced opener "Emperor of the Void". "Prologue" and "The Opal City" are instrumentals.
The artwork and packaging are what you would expect from a doom metal album - dominated by black, no frills. Each page of the booklet has a b&w photo of a band member's face with a light shining up from below them (gloriously creepy!). Lyrics are included (which are important for me, but my wife thinks that makes me a dork).
Overall, KOTGI is highly recommended for those fans of traditional doom metal, from the founders of the genre. Nobody does it better than Candlemass...
P.S. Pick up Candlemass's "Nightfall" and Solitude Aeturnus's "Alone" for further study. You won't be disappointed.
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