HOARD ALMIGHTY
Box sets, underground oddities and all the essential merch you need this month
CANDLEMASS
EPICUSDOOMICUSMETALLICUS – 35THANNIVERSARYDELUXESET
PEACEVILLE
£54.99
WHILE CONTEMPORARIES SUCH as Pentagram and Saint Vitus were still sloughing off their speedier impulses, Candlemass’s purposefully titled 1986 debut, Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, was a fully formed, transformative marvel. Drilling deep into Black Sabbath’s stark yet deceptively ornate power, its molasses crawl eked out new states of grandeur, seeping into the metal scene to become a genuine doom cornerstone. To commemorate its 35th anniversary (albeit a year late) Epicus… is getting its most elaborate reissue yet, the iconic, cross-skewered devil skull on the cover housing three differently shaded discs: the album itself, remastered; 1985’s Witchcraft demo and studio demos too; and rehearsal tapes from the same year, along with alternate versions. You’ll also find an eight-page, 12-inch booklet with images from the era and accompanying text, an A2 poster, and a handwritten letter print from founder Leif Edling. You might die in solitude, but you’ll die happy with this.