CANDLEMASS Continue Work On New Album

Legendary Swedish doomsters CANDLEMASS have posted the following message on their official web site:

"Hello doomlovers!! Not everything is clouded in the C-MASS camp. The band is currently recording the new album with full force, again in Stockholm's Polar Studios — the new place. Ten killer doom metal tracks are being put on tape (actually computer) right now. Leif [Edling, bassist/main songwriter] has just finished his bass overdubs and now it is Lars [Johansson, guitar] turn to add his magic to the growing CANDLEMASS pallet of doom. Rhythm guitars, solos, harmony guitars — maybe three days in total. By Sunday the basic tracks shall be finished. Then — in a smaller (and cheaper) studio — some keyboards, rough mixes, maybe more guitar overdubs, to make the eighth CANDLEMASS studio recording as good as possible. And folks, it's a concept album. It is about the road to ruin in the modern society. Death, destruction and suicide = pure doom!!! If Messiah [Marcolin] will sing on the album? The band certainly hope so!"

As previously reported, Marcolin contacted BLABBERMOUTH.NET on April 28, 2006 to reveal that he has parted ways with the group and that it's 100 percent definite that he will not return. "We could not agree on how to do the new album," he said, but would not further elaborate on his sudden exit.

In a subsequent posting on CANDLEMASS' web site (dated April 30),the band wrote, "Messiah's got a severe pre-recording psychosis at the moment, so folks, please calm down. The band is confident that he will sing on the album as planned. CANDLEMASS will enter the new Polar Studios [in Stockholm] in May to record the follow up to last year's successful 'Candlemass'. The new album will feature nine tracks but is yet untitled. The band produces themselves."

CANDLEMASS recorded four new songs with producer Andy Sneap (NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY, MACHINE HEAD) in late February at the new Polar studios in Stockholm, Sweden. At the time, the group's bassist/songwriter Leif Edling said of the material, "The songs are pretty much in the same vein as the stuff on the [self-titled 2005] reunion album, maybe a bit darker."

CANDLEMASS won a Swedish "Grammy" award in February in the "Best Hard Rock" category, beating out the likes of HAMMERFALL, HARDCORE SUPERSTAR, MESHUGGAH and OPETH. The Swedish doom legends were honored for the "Candlemass" opus, which is available on Nuclear Blast Records. Five back-catalog items from the band — "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus", "Ancient Dreams", "Doomed for Live", "Nightfall", and "Essential Doom" — were issued in the U.S. via Candlelight in February.