King of the Grey Islands (King Of The Grey Islands - Candlemass)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	King Of The Grey Islands - Candlemass
Date:	09/04/08 (37 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Still on top form, the band's finest album since the eighties.

Disadvantages: Prevalence of filler material.

Candlemass' most recent album secures the band's reputation at the forefront of the epic doom metal scene they pioneered in the late eighties, and once again demonstrates that the band can still impress even without its most well-known frontman.

Messiah Marcolin's departure from the reunited line-up was doubtless met with dismay by long-time fans, but his replacement in Rob Lowe, of excellent Candlemass-inspired doom band Solitude Aeturnus, helps the album's distinctive tone considerably, and makes for the finest Candlemass release since their original classic era. Lowe's voice is still capable of reaching the same operatic high notes as Marcolin in the songs that follow the band's more traditional style, most notably 'Of Stars and Smoke' which is perhaps the album's finest achievement, but others take on a much darker and dingier tone that his slightly rasped vocals suit much more than Messiah's angelic falsetto.

But perhaps the main element is the guitar work of Mats Bjorkman and Lasse Johansson, who add more instantly memorable, timeless riffs to the band's repertoire. 'Emperor of the Void' and 'Devil Seed' are perfect, crushing doom metal, while the seemingly overlong 'Destroyer' surprised me towards the end when I realised just how good the guitars had been all along.

Sadly, this is let down from being a perfect release by the expected presence of less interesting, often quite tedious material, which is always a risk when playing slow-motion metal such as this. 'Demonia 6' is as forgettable as 'Emperor of the Void' is memorable, while both 'Man of Shadows' and 'Clearsight' use the same, bland structure contrasting heavy riffs with atmospheric interludes. Even the last song 'Embracing the Styx' is let down in the usual manner of Candlemass finales by trying too hard to be epic, working well in its own right but less successful than its more subtle counterparts.

1. Prologue
2. Emperor of the Void
3. Devil Seed
4. Of Stars and Smoke
5. Demonia 6
6. Destroyer
7. Man of Shadows
8. Clearsight
9. The Opal City
10. Embracing the Styx

Summary: Candlemass' ninth album (2007).