Band:	Candlemass
Album:	Nightfall
Style:	Epic doom metal
Release date:	November 09, 1987
A review by:	KwonVerge

Disc I
01. Gothic Stone
02. The Well Of Souls
03. Codex Gigas
04. At The Gallows End
05. Samarithan
06. Marche Funebre
07. Dark Are The Veils Of Death
08. Mourner's Lament
09. Bewitched
10. Black Candles

Disc II [2001 re-release]
01. Bewitched [demo]
02. Battlecry [demo]
03. Well Of Souls [live]
04. Dark Are The Veils Of Death [live]
05. At The Gallows End [studio outtake]
06. Mourner's Lament [studio outtake]
07. Candlemass Interview
+ Bewitched [video]

1987, Johan Langquist had already left Candlemass and the band was searching for a new singer. A guy named Messiah Marcolin, impressed by Candlemass, called Leif Edling and while his stepmother was holding the phone he was playing on the guitar and at the same time singing Candlemass' songs. Edling enchanted by the voice of this mysterious guy with the even more mysterious name invited MArcolin to perform with them in order to check him. This is what the rumours say about how the nocturnal monk with the heavenly voice became part of Candlemass, the rest is history.

After the legendary "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" that gave birth to a new genre, doom metal, influenced by what Black Sabbath started back in the early 70s but taking many steps further making it more complex and atmosphere/emotion-evoking, Candlemass continued their delightful course with another masterpiece, "Nightfall". The title and the cover (Thomas Cole's painting "Nightfall") of the album prepare the listener of what will follow, a bleeding "nightfall" and its mourning darkness evoked by Marcolin's stunning voice, the mourning at times, heavier at others, impressive guitar riffing and the imposing rhythm section creating unbreakable walls of sound. Let night fall?

"Gothic Stone" opens the album with its nocturnal melodies prefacing "The Well of Souls", a wonderful composition evoking an intense dark feeling in the air as the impressive guitar riffing and the awesome guitar solo along with the imposing rhythm section holding tight the song accompany Messiah Marcolin's utterly descriptive and darkness-evoking interpretation. A mourning instrumental composition, "Codex Gigas", follows evoking a funeral feeling in the air leading to the brilliant "At the Gallow's End". The emotions and the pictures that this composition evokes through the lyrics that talk of the last moments of someone who is about to farewell life by his own will, the slow moments with acoustic guitar chords and the faster ones escalating the song along with Messiah Marcolin's fabulous interpretation are so many that the final act of this man's life seems to take place in front of the very eyes of the listener.

The album flows in a mourning way with "Samarithan", a slow doomy with an intense epic feeling composition with inspired guitar riffing and a small but incredible solo with Messiah interpreting in a devout way the lyrics dealing with the well-known Christian story of the good Samarithan. "Marche Funebre" which is an instrumental piece continues the album in a funeral way leading to "Dark are the veils of Death", an utterly inspired composition with everyone in the band showing by what they are made of; the unerring rhythm section lends groove to the song creating unbreakable walls of sound whilst the guitar riffing and the wonderful solo that are deeply inspired and in a heavier mood accompany Marcolin's stunning interpretation.

Mourning guitar riffing continues "Nightfall" and opens the following composition, "Mourner's Lament", which is another great one. Marcolin's imposing voice interpreting in a descriptive way the weeping lyrics talking of a father mourning his dead son pace wonderfully with the slow nocturnal guitar riffing; the guitar solo for one more time is high-quality and deeply inspired. Another great song follows, "Bewitched" and the listener remains enchanted from the very first melody of the song until its last! The inspired mourning guitar riffing and the awesome solo, the nocturnal and accompanying rhythm section and Messiah Marcolin showing for one more time how great he is form another masterpiece. The album reaches the end with "Black Candles", the ideal ending theme for "Nightfall"; an instrumental piece with an intense dark atmosphere evoked by the guitar riffing. "Nightfall" might have ended but nothing can stop me from pressing the "play" button again?

After releasing the milestone of doom metal, "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus", Candlemass kept on bringing doom to the world with another masterpiece, "Nightfall". If you respect yourself you should own at least one of the first four Candlemass releases and "Nightfall" is one of them?