Also published at the NIRUZINE webzine.
Forty years into their remarkable career, Candlemass continue to stand as one of the true pillars of epic doom metal. As the band celebrates its 40th anniversary with the Black Diamonds tour and prepares the release of a highly anticipated Peaceville anniversary box set, there is still plenty for fans to look forward to.
For Candlemaniacs, Candlemass founder, songwriter and bassist Leif Edling took the time to answer a few questions about the current tour, the anniversary celebrations, forgotten songs, the upcoming box set, and how his perspective on the band's classic albums has changed over the years.
Although this is a shorter interview, Leif shares several interesting insights, including previously unknown details about newly discovered archive recordings, songs he would love to perform live again, and his thoughts on what keeps Candlemass connected to fans after four decades.
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1. You mentioned that there were discussions about introducing newer songs, but in the end you decided to make this a true classics tour. Was there a particular song from the later albums that came close to making the final setlist?
Leif Edling:
Yeah, "Black Star" and maybe "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath". We didn't play those last year because of the tragic death of our drummer's son, Kristoffer, who passed away from cancer around the time of the release of the EP. Jan has been fantastic during these difficult times. We played a couple of shows with Olle from Entombed, but Jan rejoined us some time later, and we don't do anything from that EP. It is also our 40th anniversary, so the fans expect us to play the classics. And we love playing the old stuff!!
2. Is there a lesser-played classic that you're especially looking forward to performing again on this tour, or perhaps one that surprised you by how well it has held up over the years?
Leif Edling:
We all have favourites from the old records. But when we play festivals, we're often only allowed one hour. And one hour is a bit too short for us, hehe! There's only time for the classics. Some people want to hear "Bearer of Pain", others scream for "Mourners Lament" or "Black Stone Wielder". And if we were to leave an old classic out of the set, we'd receive angry emails about it!
It's not easy... we've got a big back catalogue with lots of cool stuff.
3. Without revealing too much, what can fans expect from the upcoming Peaceville anniversary box set? Is there anything in it that even long-time collectors may not have seen or heard before?
Leif Edling:
Yes! Some time ago I found a bunch of cassettes hidden deep inside a box in one of my storage units. Pretty interesting content on those cassettes
Some of it will be featured in the upcoming 40th anniversary release. I had completely forgotten about this for many, many years before I dug those cassettes up. I was really surprised, to be honest. So cool to find them after all these years 4. After four decades of Candlemass, has your perspective on any of the early albums changed? Is there an album or song you appreciate more today than when it was originally released?
Leif Edling:
Absolutely! There are a couple of tracks on "Ancient Dreams" that I couldn't listen to for quite a few years, mainly because of the old, shitty mastering of that album. I still can't listen to "Incarnation of Evil" (the Nemesis version is sooo much better), and I don't like "Epistle 81" either (not even after 40 years!), but I do enjoy "A Cry from the Crypt" now. And the title track, "Ancient Dreams", is probably my favourite on the album. I couldn't listen to it before, but now I really like the heaviness of it, the epic feeling, the key changes in the verse, the solo... great track!!
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5. Many fans have followed Candlemass for thirty or even forty years, while others have only recently discovered the band. What do you hope people will feel when they leave a Black Diamonds show in 2026?
Leif Edling:
I wish we could play more odd songs. But most people come to our shows to hear the classics. That's just how it is. And we play the old stuff really well, with people singing, screaming and headbanging. I love our live shows! The ultimate communication with our fans
And hopefully we'll gain even more fans from these "Black Diamonds" gigs, even if we don't play anything released after 1989!6. Bonus question:
If you could bring back one Candlemass song that hasn't been played live in a very long time, without worrying about rehearsals or practical limitations, which song would you personally choose and why?
Leif Edling:
Wow... tricky question! There's so many! Can I mention a few? "Ancient Dreams", "Hammer of Doom", "Emperor of the Void", "Psalms for the Dead" (including keyboards). Maybe it would be a good idea to play the entire "Death Magic Doom" album? Love that record! One of the best albums we ever made!
