It’s been quite a while since Candlemass released new music, but the style, sound and songwriting hasn’t changed. This sounds so much like Psalms for the Dead that it wouldn’t surprise me if these tracks are from that same recording session.
This EP is very varied and it shows off a lot of Candlemass’ different sides. You have a rocking, mid paced tune with a great melodic touch to it in the title track. Sleeping Giant has more of an epic / story telling approach. It changes from a groovy riff on the verses to more of doomy gloomy chorus, and builds slowly back to the groove with some nice guitar harmonies. Although Sleeping Giant is the most epic sounding track on the EP, it’s also the shortest. I for one am glad that they kept it below seven minutes on all four tracks
Sinister and Sweet might be the most classic sounding. It has a slow pace, heavy guitars and extremely heavy bass. It creeps along, sort changes a bit stylistically for the guitar solo, which is almost Yngwie-ish, before it slows back down for doomy harmonies and into the next verse. The closer, The Goose, is real melancholy track. It sports some incredible melodic guitarparts.
The production is great, everything sounds heavy and fuzzy, but also clear and distinct. Leven could enter a Rob Low sound-a-like contest. I loved Robs voice in combination Edlings music, thus Leven is a perfect fit. The rest of band sounds great. The drums sound is amazing.
Recommended track: Death Thy Lover, Sinister and Sweet
Rating: 4/5
