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Back in 1986, Candlemass’s Epicus Doomicus Metallicus pretty much defined the epic doom metal canvas, and having formed two years later in the very same town, Sorcerer know it all too well. They had the all the right ingredients – a classic heavy metal background, tales of dark fantasy and a solid frontman, yet somehow failed to make their eventual debut album, 2015’s In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross, special. Maybe the lessons bass player and main songwriter Johnny Hagel learned from his time in Tiamat took a while to bed in, because the sound here is massive. The solos of former Therion guitarist Kristian Niemann are scorching, and there are more chest-pounding riffs than you’ll know what to do with. With Candlemass at a crossroads and Solitude Aeturnus MIA, The Crowning… is Sorcerer’s ticket to the throne.