Probably, when the last skeptic on planet Earth dies, it will either cease to exist or communism will arrive. For now, neither seems to threaten us, as there are more than enough skeptics on the third planet from the Sun. What happened with CANDLEMASS over the past two years after they completed their tour: for the second time in the band's history, Messiah Marcolin leaves the group — this time after a scandal witnessed by everyone who uses the Internet, with Leif Edling publishing an extremely harsh and rude statement. Then comes the hour of the skeptics, who unanimously declare that there will be no worthy replacement for Messiah. Their ranks thin somewhat when it becomes known that the new vocalist will be the famous Robert Lowe, frontman of SOLITUDE AETURNUS — a band that confidently holds a leading position in traditional doom alongside CANDLEMASS. Just last year, Robert had resurrected SOLITUDE AETURNUS after an 8-year silence. CANDLEMASS's 9th album was released on June 22, 2007 on Nuclear Blast, and the skeptics could only wince and fall silent. Leif Edling proved that as long as he remains the band's leader, we will be treated to superb material like what we hear on "King of the Grey Islands."
A brief Prologue and "Emperor Of The Void" reveals the full power of the new CANDLEMASS lineup. An epic, spine-chilling track with Robert's stunning voice, somewhat reminiscent of Dio in vocal technique. The mighty "Devil Seed," building intensity from beginning to end, continues the disc. Compared to the previous album, the music has become far more tense, viscous, and triumphant. At the same time, the compositions are quite diverse: "Of Stars and Smoke" is one of the most melodic, memorable primarily for its vocal melody, while in "Demonia 6," conversely, it's the riff that imprints itself in your memory from the very first seconds, running throughout the entire song. "Destroyer" and "Man of Shadows" — slow and extremely dark compositions — give way to the dynamic "Clearsight," a true showcase for Robert, with a complex and simply stunning vocal performance. Then comes a short instrumental, and the mighty 8-minute Embracing the Styx crowns the album. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is simply something else — a genuine masterpiece from start to finish. Words are not enough to describe it; you simply need to hear it.
But that's not all — the extended version includes two bonuses: Robert re-records "Solitude" and "At the Gallows End." Credit must be given to his courage — these are two of the band's greatest hits. Robert handles the task excellently. Yes, there are no Lanquist moans or Messiah vibrato; instead there is a different vocal approach, no less compelling. There is nothing more to say about this disc — releases of this caliber can typically be counted on one hand in any given year.