CANDLEMASS – Documents Of Doom

These guys are, almost, the godfathers of Doom. Everybody agrees that Black Sabbath started it all, but when asked about the next Doom band they know, most people will refer to the Swedes Candlemass, who did publish four of the best Doom albums ever: Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, Nightfall, Ancient Dreams, and Tales Of Creation (as a side note — if you do not know those four albums, you should definitely check them out).

The DVD at hand is a double set. DVD one is a complete gig from 1990 filmed in Sweden. Fans of the band will know the gig, as the album Live was recorded on this very evening. While the sound is okay, the camera shots are not up to today’s standards, as it was expensive and much more difficult to pull off back then than it is today. But, who cares when you can see Messiah Marcolin do his famous Doom dance? The tracklist leaves almost no wish unfulfilled, and captured the band at the peak of their career. The gig is complete, only the breaks between songs have been shortened for whatever reason, and the live feeling is disturbed considerably by this.

Anyway, a single DVD with the above content would make this a recommended purchase. But, there is even more: The second DVD contains a Documentary Of Doom, which is a filmed band history from their first gig (!) until their reunion festival gigs in 2002. Since most of their best songs are already on the first DVD, here the focus is on showing important steps in the history of Candlemass, and to provide glimpses of the musicians, the locations, and events that luckily were filmed and can now be witnessed by the fans worldwide.

The first images are from the 2002 Sweden Rock Festival, and show how enthusiastic the reunion was received. With excellent pictures and good sound, this is a worthy documentation that only leaves one thing to wish for — that they would show the whole sets. The live parts are interrupted by backstage films, interview passages, and old footage done by the band themselves. Of course, that footage and the older live clips do not keep the same level of quality, neither visually nor in sound, but that makes them only more authentic and the band more sympathetic.

Going into detail about every step in the career documented here would be too much, and deprive you of the excitement of discovering the funny and very entertaining bits and pieces inserted in the gigs, but here is some of what you can expect: Messiah’s famous “Bang Your Fucking Kopf” Balingen show; Warrel Dane singing Samarithan and Messiah doing some incredible things with his belly, risking a beer in the process in Wacken; Meeting Martin Walkyier of Skyclad backstage in London and the guys from Europe several years earlier; Candlemass on Swedish TV; The Sultans Of Doom rock America; Solitude Aeturnus paying homage; and a Swedish playback version of Germany’s finest … Oh, and the song “A Night Of The Witch” sung by Messiah. This song would later become “The Dying Illusion” on Chapter VI, sung by Thomas Vikstrom, but that was after the band and Messiah went different ways. A really rare treat, and a great version of the track from one of their mostly underrated albums (including songwriter and bandleader Leif Edling). Put funny remarks and humoristic commentaries by the band themselves on top of all that, and you have a DVD that is a must for every Candlemass fan, and may make one out of you if you’re not one yet.

Live DVD:
The Well of Souls * Dark Are the Veils of Death * Bewitched * Solitude * Dark Reflections * Under the Oak * Demons Gate * Bells of Archeron * Through the Infinite Halls of Death * Samarithan * Mirror Mirror * At the Gallows End * A Sorcerer’s Pledge

Documentary of Doom includes excerpts from:
Sweden Rock Festival 2002: The Well of Souls * Dark Reflections * Mourne’s Lament Greece 2002: Mirror Mirror Bang Your Head 2002: Mirror Mirror * At the Gallows End * Solitude
Wacken 2002: Samarithan
Oslo 2002: Demon’s Gate
London 2002: Demon’s Gate
London 1988: Dark Are the Veils of Death
First Gig 1987: Crystal Ball
Dynamo Open Air 1988: Bewitched
Top Gear 1989: A Tale Of Creation
London 1989: A Tale Of Creation
US Tours 1989/91: various, including a Sabbath Medley, a very short Dire Straits intermezzo
Poland 1991: Under the Oak
Sweden 1991: Black Night * Fairies Wear Boots