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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
There STILL is nothing heavier, October 8, 2003
Leif Edling, undisputed father of DOOM, takes his funereal elegies of torment and despair to another level with this sophomore release from Candlemass. This album could not have topped its predecessor no matter what. Instead, Leif evolves his musical creation and adds some faster tempos to the mix, thereby expanding the boundaries of DOOM. The song titles should paint this album's feel quite well. Gothic Stone is just some weird sound effect which only lasts a few seconds before "Well of Souls" kicks in and launches this musical hearse into the abyss. "Well" is a little faster than what we're used to hearing from them at this point, but no less doomy, and really sets the whole tone of the album: heavier and faster. The guitar tone is more refined, unbelievably heavier than before, and ear splitting. New singer Messiah Marcolin hits the notes as he should and has a great voice, but seems a little overwrought in places. New lead guitarist Lars Johanson adds a shred factor which the band had not had before, and is more than welcome. Leif's lyrics really shine on this release, specifically on the demands-your-attention tales on "At the Gallow's End" and "Samarithan", and "Mourner's Lament" tragically defines the feelings of loss upon the death of a loved one. "Bewitched" I believe to be the strongest song among this batch of classics--no easy feat--with its undeniably classic driving doom riffs and catchy chorus. The Bonus Disc also holds a rare gem: "Battlecry". How this did not progress beyond demo form I cannot guess. Fortunately for us, Leif's demos are always of such good quality that they could easily pass as properly produced recordings. This song is the definition of "lost classic", and again fast paced doom weaving a tale of Crusaders in battle. I can completely understand how this recording can be widely acknowledged as the band's best. While I don't agree with that assessment entirely, I fully recommend it as a companion piece to Epicus Doomicus Metallicus. Those two albums show the Master Leif Edling as he creates and redefines his own musical genre.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Candlemass' doom classic enhanced by bonus features, March 31, 2002
Candlemass, the 80's reincarnation of old Black Sabbath, continued their tradition of great doom metal on "Nightfall," which was also the first of their albums to feature the superhuman vocals of Messiah Marcolin. People are always talking about the operatic style of King Diamond, but Messiah is FAR superior to King. Additionally, Messiah somehow manages to look EVEN LESS COOL than King Diamond, which would be difficult for any normal human, but Messiah makes it look easy.Songs on "Nightfall" are fantastic. "The Well of Souls" starts things off strongly; "At the Gallows End" "Samarithan" "Dark Are the Veils of Death" "Mourners Lament" and "Bewitched" are all great as well. The other songs are instrumentals, but they're great instrumentals. "Nightfall" was also the first album to feature Lars Johannson's virtuosic guitar solos, which add another touch of brilliance to these already awesome songs. The bonus disc contains demos of Bewitched and Battlecry, live performances of The Well of Souls and Dark Are the Veils of Death, and studio outtakes of At the Gallows End and Mourners Lament, as well as a twenty five minute interview with Messiah, Lars and bassist/songwriter Leif Edling, which covers the band's creation of "Nightfall." There is also a music video(!!) of the song Bewitched, which is sort of cool, because it's Candlemass, but is also not cool because the production is not too good, and Messiah still doesn't look cool. The songs on "Nightfall" are not as catchy as those on "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus," but Candlemass' move toward the more grandiose atmosphere of their sophomore effort is still a very strong one, and well worth the buying for fans of doom metal. If you like Black Sabbath and don't own Candlemass CD's or haven't heard of them, BUY THEM IMMEDIATELY.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Doom Metal at its best, December 21, 2008
For those fans who remember Candle Mass, then this is the album for you, every one of the songs is done with a great haunting and powerful black metal sound. The sound quality is a little less than fantastic, but it does not take away from the obvious dark overtones the music was intended. The song Well of Souls has a hauntingly dynamic sound which leaves you wanting more and more of this band. A great collectors item. A cannot miss for metal/doom heads of past years!!
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