CANDLEMASS - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus * BOXSET *

SPECIAL TRIPLE DELUXE COLOURED VINYL SET COMMEMORATING 35 YEARS OF THE ICONIC DEBUT OF MASTERFUL DOOM METAL, CONTAINING REMASTERED AUDIO, PLUS RARE PRE-EPICUS RECORDINGS FROM 1985 INCLUDING THE LEGENDARY ‘WITCHCRAFT’ DEMO. ALSO INCLUDES 8 PAGE BOOKLET, A2 POSTER, & LETTER PRINT FROM FOUNDER LEIF EDLING Candlemass was formed by bassist & songwriter Leif Edling in Stockholm, Sweden in 1984, & is well known for its epic doom metal, having a great influence over a generation of the genre's subsequent greats - Candlemass themselves taking a large influence from Black Sabbath. 'Epicus Doomicus Metallicus' is a true genre classic, with every track a monument of timeless & finely crafted Doom. This is one of the quintessential, definitive Doom Metal releases, immortalising the band in the annals of music history & creating the foundations of a legacy spanning over thirty-five years. Going against the grain of bands at the time using speed to bolster their metal with the ongoing rise of thrash in Europe & the US, Candlemass eschewed this direction & formed a phenomenon of their own through the latter part of the decade & beyond with their slow & spellbinding atmospherics. ‘Epicus…’ was recorded at Thunderload Studios in 1986 & was released later that same year, with the grand & inspiring vocals for the debut handled by Johan Längqvist. Now, marking 35 years of the iconic debut, this deluxe triple vinyl release includes a new remastered version of the album itself, as well as a collection of Candlemass’ essential 1985 recordings made on the run up to the ‘Epicus…’ session, in the form of the ‘Witchcraft’ demo plus the OAL studio recordings, & completed by the band’s ‘Upplands Väsby’ rehearsal from November of 1985. Each vinyl is presented with its own sleeve, with the ‘Epicus Doomicus Metallicus’ LP containing a layout closely reflecting the original edition, with images used on its initial pressings. The set also includes an 8-page 12” booklet with images from the era & accompanying text, plus A2 poster, as well as a handwritten letter print from founder Leif Edling.