Band: Candlemass
Title: Ashes To Ashes
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Distribution: PIAS
Release date: April 23rd 2010
Review: CD

Ashes To Ashes comes in two versions. There’s the DVD, containing two live shows, both of them recorded last year, respectively at Sweden Rock Festival, and Athens, Greece. Since Nuclear Blast didn’t send us but the CD, I can’t say anything (yet) about this visual spectacle. …of course with lots of bonus stuff (interviews etc).
The second issue is a live-CD, with the band’s performance at that Swedish show. It is the first official distributed live material with singer Robert Lowe, who did prove to be a fantastic front man on disc before (King Of The Grey Islands, Lucifer Rising, and last year’s magisterial epos Death Magic Doom – both reviews still available on the site!). If you had the chance to view them playing live lately, you know that Robert does a splendid job performing live too, and this material strengthens this statement.
The album lasts over an hour and brings both well-known as well as lesser known material, from both the early years as the current time (read: the albums Robert did sing on). And damn, this is splendid stuff! Not only Robert yet the whole Candlemass-tribe is so experienced, and not one single moment some pathetic ego overpowers the technical qualities. First comes the music, not arrogance!
Of course ‘Doom’ rules the whole, yet also the faster pieces (like If I Ever Die from last year’s D.M.D.) do caress my ear drums. But I do dare to go even further. I’ve always been crazy about the old song Solitude. It did appear on live albums before and even though I’m possessed by the Leif Edling-version (for example on Live – what an original name; Music For Nations, 1990), I, well… Damn, I’m speechless, I don’t know how to continue my appreciation.
And again, it isn’t only Robert Lowe, known from Solitude Aeternus or Concept Of God, who lifts it all up to a highest level of performance – the whole crew un-sucks!
F*ck it; if you’re a fan, your opinion will not change; in case you‘re not (yet), now you will!
And oh yes, in case you’re looking for the highlights on the album, well, I’m glad to communicate them: Dark Are The Veils, Samarithan, If I Ever Die, Hammer Of Doom, Gallows End, Emperor Of The Void, The Bleeding Baroness, A Sorcerers Pledge, Solitude, and Kill The King.
Oh yes: the sound quality is superb! …in case it might be of importance…

--- (or: 99)/100

Ivan Tibos.