Review Summary: *bog blasting intensifies*
Candlemass’s definition of what constitutes as an EP sure has gotten flimsier since the days of 2016’s Death Thy Lover, amirite? Not to be confused with the David Bowie swansong of the same name, Black Star is an even split of two leftover original songs alongside two covers. It feels comparable to what their Swedish doom peers in Sorcerer did with 2021’s Reverence right down to also covering a Sabbath song, albeit less spontaneous and more cobbled together.
The opening title track doesn’t quite hit staple status but offers some nice contrasts between acoustic verses and pounding choruses rounded out by a couple neat tempo shifts while “Corridors of Chaos” is the sort of instrumental that plays like an assembly of riffs in lieu of a substantial purpose. The inclusion of a “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” cover is a little peculiar when you consider they had included a portion in their Sabbath medley circa Ancient Dreams, but a full version lets the band make the grittier vocals work a little better for them. The closing take on Pentagram’s “Forever My Queen” feels played out with the song having essentially become the underground doom “Freebird” but it’s a decent crowd-pleasing stomp.
Overall, Black Star is a fairly inconsequential EP with its share of pluses and nitpicks that aren’t worth getting too worked up over one way or the other. The originals could’ve been more impactful and I wish they’d gone for less obvious cover choices, but it’s ultimately a serviceable curiosity for diehards. Anybody who’s enjoyed 2019’s The Door to Doom and 2022’s Sweet Evil Sun should get about as much out of this, but same could also be said for the inverse.
