Candlemass had just released a new album (King of the Grey Islands) and what better promotion is there than touring. The 2007 Candlemass tour had two stops in the Netherlands, both not very close, so I went to the Dynamo club in Eindhoven. When I arrived the first band (In Age And Sadness) was just playing there last few notes – I was late there due to some traffic problems; but then again who starts metal gigs at 19.30.

The second band was one I had seen many times before: The Rotterdoom band Officium Triste. But this was the first time I saw them with the new rhythm guitarist. The band opened with the song “This Inner Twist” off the Reason album. The sound not very good – way too much bass and during the second song there was a loud, and low buzz which pretty much destroyed the piano intro of “On The Crossroads Of Souls” – a track off the new album. It was followed by a second track of the new album “My Chalcoal Heart”. The band plays decent as always but never give something extra. Then they finished their half hour set with “This is Goodbye” off the “The Pathway” album.

The third band was one lathed in metal cliches. The band could have stepped right out of any of the Dracula films, with white-painted faces, all dressed in black including a long overcoat. But then again Powerwolf are from Romania of all places. More importantly the music. They play power metal, I guess with some thrash metal influences; but there was nothing original here either, but in general well played and brought with enthusiasm. Not really my kind of music, but at least fun to watch for once.

Finally it was time for the originators of the doom metal genre themselves. When all the material of the former bands was removed, the stage adorned by four tall crosses. Most of the equipment (speakers and such) remained covered by black sheets. The “Marche Funebre” that was played over the PA failed a couple of times, and eventually the band started to play anyway. The big change of course was the new singer – Robert Lowe. The vocals are very characteristic of the Candlemass music, aside of course from the heavy but slow riffs. On the new album it worked all very well but his style of singing is very different from the previous singer, Messiah Marcolin. However on the re-recorded classics with Lowe on vocals (bonus tracks on the Digipak), this difference is very apparent. Anyway, the classic “The Well of Souls” was the opening song and starts a capella, after which the music kicks in. Quickly succeeded by two more classics, At the Gallows End and Solitude. I wasn’t disappointed at all by the vocals even though they were a bit soft in the mix – as was the lead guitar. Natheless the two new songs that followed did more justice to Lowe’s vocals. The set ended with the Sorcerer’s Pledge after which the band went off stage only to come back for the only song of the reunion album, “Black Dwarf”. Ultimately they returned a second time to play another classic “Samarithan” which was a bit hampered by Lowe forgetting some of the lyrics. But that didn’t spoil it. This was a splendid gig by a classic band that played very tightly. And the smaller hall does more justice to any band, compared to the previous Candlemass show I seen at the 2000-man venue 013 in Tilburg in 2003. Then at approximately 23.30 it was already time do drive home.

• The Well of Souls
• At The Gallows End
• Solitude
• Emperor of the Void
• Devil Seed
• Mirror Mirror
• Of Stars and Smoke
• Under The Oak
• A Sorcerer’s Pledge
• –encore 1–
• Black Dwarf
• –encore 2–
• Samarithan