The Candlelight Years | ||||
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Box set by | ||||
Released | 28 June 2008 | |||
Recorded | 1992–1997 | |||
Length | 184:15 | |||
Label | Candlelight | |||
Producer | Opeth, Dan Swanö, Fredrik Nordström, Anders Fridén | |||
Opeth chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
The Candlelight Years is the second box set by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. It compiles their first three albums Orchid , Morningrise , and My Arms, Your Hearse , originally released on Candlelight Records. [2] Although the albums have been released (and even re-released) before, this was the first time they have been collected in one set. It also marks the first time the albums were released in Japan.
The box set was released on 28 June 2008 and is presented in fold-out digipak packaging. This edition was limited to 2000 copies. The set was re-released on 25 August 2009 in a standard 3-disc jewel casing.
Opeth are a Swedish progressive metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. In addition to progressive metal, the band incorporates folk, blues, classical, and jazz elements into its usually lengthy compositions, as well as strong influences from death metal, especially in their early works. Songs may include acoustic guitar passages, Mellotrons, death growls, and strong dynamic shifts. The band rarely made live appearances supporting their first four albums, but since their first world tour in support of the 2001 album Blackwater Park, they have had several other major world tours. The group have been through several personnel changes since early in their history, including the replacement of every original member. Lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has been Opeth's driving force since the departure of founder and lead vocalist David Isberg in 1992.
Lars Mikael Åkerfeldt is a Swedish musician. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of progressive metal band Opeth, and the former vocalist of death metal supergroup Bloodbath. He was also guitarist for the "one-off" band Steel, and is part of the collaboration Storm Corrosion with Steven Wilson.
Bloodbath is a Swedish death metal supergroup from Stockholm, formed in 1998. The band has released six full-length albums, two EPs and two DVDs depicting their performances at Wacken Open Air and Bloodstock Open Air. The group consists of Martin Axenrot (ex-Opeth), Anders Nyström (Katatonia), Jonas Renkse and Nick Holmes.
Breeding Death is the first EP by Bloodbath. It was released on 8 February 2000 by Century Media Records.
Blackwater Park is the fifth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. It was released on March 12, 2001, in Europe and a day later in North America through Music for Nations and Koch Records. The album marks the first collaboration between Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson and the band, as Wilson had been brought in to produce the album. This contributed to a shift in Opeth's musical style. The songs "The Drapery Falls" and "Still Day Beneath the Sun" were released as singles.
Still Life is the fourth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. It was produced and engineered by Opeth alongside Fredrik Nordström, and released on 18 October 1999 through Peaceville Records. It was the only Opeth album to be released through Peaceville, following the band's departure from Candlelight and Century Black after the release of My Arms, Your Hearse, and the first album to feature Martin Mendez.
My Arms, Your Hearse is the third studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth, released in August 1998. It was the band's first album to be released simultaneously in Europe, through Candlelight Records, and in the United States, through Century Black.
Orchid is the debut studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth, released on 15 May 1995 in Europe by Candlelight Records, and on 24 June, 1997 in the United States by Century Black. It was reissued in 2000 with one bonus track called "Into the Frost of Winter", an early unproduced rehearsal recording by the band. The recording sessions occurred at the old Unisound studio, in Finspång with production by Opeth alongside Dan Swanö. The band did not record a demo to get signed to a record label. Lee Barrett, the founder of Candlelight Records, enjoyed an Opeth rehearsal tape, and decided to sign the band. The album received critical acclaim.
Morningrise is the second studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. It was released on 24 June 1996 in Europe by Candlelight Records and on 24 June 1997 in the United States by Century Black. The recording sessions took place at Unisound studio, in Finspång, during March and April 1996. Morningrise was the last Opeth release with drummer Anders Nordin and bassist Johan De Farfalla, as well as the last Opeth album to be produced by Dan Swanö.
Deliverance is the sixth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. It was released on 12 November 2002. It was recorded between 22 July and 4 September 2002, at the same time as Damnation, which was released five months after this album. The two albums contrast starkly with one another, purposely dividing the band's two most prevalent styles, as Deliverance is considered to be one of the band's heaviest albums, taking on a heavier and more brutal death metal-inspired sound, whereas Damnation experiments with a much mellower progressive rock-influenced sound.
Peter Lindgren is a Swedish musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former guitarist of Swedish progressive metal band Opeth.
Ghost Reveries is the eighth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. It was released on 29 August 2005. It was their first album after signing with Roadrunner Records, and first album since Still Life (1999) to not be produced by Steven Wilson.
Johan De Farfalla is a Swedish bass player. He is the former bassist of seminal Swedish progressive metal band Opeth.
Brave Murder Day is the second studio album by Swedish heavy metal band Katatonia, released on 1 August 1996 by Avantgarde Music. The album created a new guitar position with Fredrik Norrman's input and features growled vocals by Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth.
The Roundhouse Tapes is the second live album and video by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. The CD was recorded on 9 November 2006 and was released on 23 October 2007 in the US, on 5 November in Europe, and on 20 November in the rest of the world. A two-disc DVD version was released on 10 November 2008, and includes exclusive menu music written by Mikael Åkerfeldt and Per Wiberg. The title is a play on the name of Iron Maiden's first release The Soundhouse Tapes, as well as the venue where the record was recorded. Åkerfeldt said, "The Roundhouse concert will always be a very memorable gig for us for many reasons, but most importantly it caught the band at the peak of the Ghost Reveries tour". This is the final Opeth release with Peter Lindgren.
The discography of Opeth, a Stockholm, Sweden-based progressive metal band, consists of thirteen studio albums, four live albums, three box sets, three video albums and seventeen singles.
Watershed is the ninth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. Released by Roadrunner Records, Watershed is the first studio album by Opeth to feature guitarist Fredrik Åkesson and drummer Martin Axenrot, who replaced longtime guitarist Peter Lindgren and drummer Martin Lopez. The artwork for the album was made by Travis Smith in collaboration with Mikael Åkerfeldt. It is the band's last studio album to contain death growls or any death metal elements to date.
In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall is the third live album and video by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. The DVD was recorded on 5 April 2010. It was released on 20 September 2010 in Europe and on 21 September 2010 in the rest of the world. The concert was part of the band's Evolution XX: An Opeth Anthology tour, made in celebration of their 20th anniversary, and was the fourth show of the tour, filmed at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London, UK.
Sorceress is the twelfth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. The album was released on 30 September 2016 via record label Nuclear Blast and the band's own imprint Moderbolaget. The album was produced and mixed by Tom Dalgety and recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales. Following the album's release, the band embarked on a world tour with bands the Sword, Sahg, and Myrkur as supporting acts. Thematically, the album draws inspiration from Åkerfeldt's personal life, as he divorced in 2016. The album was streamed via SoundCloud on 29 September.