On June 10, 1986, Swedish doom metal band CANDLEMASS released their debut album Epicus Doomicus Metallicus through Black Dragon Records. Recorded in February of that year at Thunderload Studios in Stockholm, the record introduced the world to a new strain of crushing, deliberately paced heavy metal built on operatic vocals and monolithic guitar riffs. Conceived and largely composed by bassist Leif Edling, the album gave doom metal its definitive vocabulary — mournful melodies, grandiose tempos, and gothic atmosphere. Vocalist Johan Längquist delivered a performance of haunting power on tracks like "Solitude" and "Crystal Ball." Few debut albums have left such a permanent mark on a genre. Epicus Doomicus Metallicus remains the cornerstone of epic doom metal and a landmark of the entire heavy metal canon.
