Description
Candlemass – The Pendulum – Vinyl Record
Candlemass – The Pendulum, released on March 27, 2020, is a six-track EP that serves as both a companion piece and a bridge to the Swedish doom metal legends’ 2019 full-length album The Door to Doom. Featuring previously unreleased tracks from those recording sessions, the EP offers a rawer, more stripped-down take on the band’s sound, showcasing both their classic doom roots and their enduring creative vitality after nearly four decades in the genre.
The EP opens with the title track, “The Pendulum”, which is a fully fleshed-out song and the clear centerpiece of the release. With its slow, heavy riffs, mournful melodies, and ominous atmosphere, it embodies everything Candlemass is known for. Johan Längqvist’s vocals, returning to the band for the first time since their seminal 1986 debut Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, are commanding and sorrowful, offering a sense of continuity and nostalgia for long-time fans. The song has a certain ritualistic grandeur, like a tolling bell in a haunted cathedral, echoing themes of mortality, fate, and spiritual reckoning.
The remaining five tracks are instrumental demos or skeletal compositions—“Snakes of Goliath,” “Sub Zero,” “Aftershock,” “Porcelain Skull,” and “The Cold Room”—and while they don’t have the polish of studio-finished songs, they’re loaded with thick, churning riffs and bleak atmospheres that capture the essence of doom metal in its rawest form. These pieces feel more like sketches or doom meditations—less structured, but rich with texture and emotion. Fans of Candlemass’s earlier, slower, and more contemplative material will find plenty to appreciate in these shadowy fragments.
The Pendulum EP leans heavily into traditional doom metal, eschewing any modern production tricks or genre crossovers. The guitars are thick and funereal, the rhythms plodding but purposeful, and the overall mood is one of haunting, majestic sorrow—all hallmarks of Candlemass’s signature sound. Despite the demo nature of several tracks, the performances remain tight and expressive, with Leif Edling’s songwriting once again affirming his place as one of doom’s most essential architects.
The EP was well-received as a fan-focused release, rather than a major artistic statement. For long-time followers, it offered a welcome deep dive into the band’s creative process, giving insight into the sessions that led to The Door to Doom and showcasing ideas that, while unfinished, were too powerful to leave on the cutting room floor. It’s also worth noting that Tony Iommi’s guest appearance on the full album (The Door to Doom) raised the profile of these sessions considerably, and The Pendulum EP benefits from the aura of that resurgence.
The Pendulum is a short but potent dose of pure Candlemass doom—heavy, melancholic, and unashamedly rooted in the genre’s most sacred traditions. It may not stand alone like a full studio album, but it’s a valuable artifact for fans and a reminder that Candlemass, even in their later years, remain true torchbearers of epic doom.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
The Pendulum
Snakes Of Goliath (Unreleased Demo)
Sub Zero (Unreleased Demo)
Aftershock (Unreleased Demo)
Porcelain Skull (Unreleased Demo)
The Cold Room (Unreleased Demo)
