A third straight album of delicious old-school doom metal riffs and perfectly over-the-top vocals? So it shall be. Granted, the riffs may not have the undeniable personality they had on Nightfall, but they're still very good. The album is carried by Messiah Marcolon's wonderfully operatic and melodramatic vocals, which fit the lyrical themes and general aesthetic of the album perfectly. A great example of his abilities is heard on "Darkness In Paradise", where the verses are sans guitars, leaving him to carry the melody. It's pretty much a spiritual successor to Nightfall, as the song structures remain similar to it here. That said, there are no instrumental tracks, but each track still has a great personality to it. The lack of a standout track gives way to a bit of monotony, but when the compositions are this good and the music this fun, it's not a big problem at all. In all, Ancient Dreams is the third in a line of great releases from Candlemass.
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