You are (Still) Bewitched!

In case you missed it… earlier this September, Candlemass reunited with Messiah Marcolin for a single concert in Athens. Announced as a one-off with no tours or recordings to follow, the event immediately positioned itself as a contained act: a return to a particular chapter without extending it forward.

Check out one of the many videos of the concert here (video by Into The Pit):

The setlist revolved around material from Marcolin’s years in the band, including The Well of Souls, Dark Are the Veils of Death, Bewitched (obviously…), Mirror Mirror, and Samarithan. Rarities surfaced as well, with Darkness in Paradise performed for the first time in over a decade and Black Dwarf revived after years of absence. The night closed on At the Gallows End and Solitude, works that remain central to the identity of doom.

Candlemass have always been defined by changes in voice. Johan Längquist, Marcolin, Robert Lowe, Mats Levén, and once again Längquist – each marked out a distinct phase in Leif Edling’s vision. The Athens concert reinforced that sense of division and continuity, pulling the Marcolin era back into focus and placing it alongside the others as a complete and lasting entity.

Seen within the broader arc of doom metal, the concert highlighted how Candlemass reshaped the genre through vocal presence. Black Sabbath established the frame; Candlemass carved it into monument. The operatic force of Nightfall and Ancient Dreams expanded doom’s scale, and Marcolin’s brief return underlined how deeply that expansion remains part of the genre’s foundation.

So, in any case… What happens in Athens stays in Athens?