Review by Felix on October 23, 2023.

Honestly speaking, I thought that Candlemass do no longer want to release new studio albums. Nevertheless, now they have recorded eight tracks in a covert operation. I don't know why this full-length is released under a different banner, but Leif Edling leaves nothing to chance. Bad jokes aside, Sorcerer's debut lies in very close proximity to the last studio albums of the Swedish doom institution. The melody lines, the vocals, the basic atmosphere, almost each and every detail reminds me of Candlemass. Edling smiles contentedly. But don't get me wrong, I don't believe that the guys of Sorcerer love to appear as mere copyists. They just prefer the same style.

This means inter alia that the songs are not painfully slow. While setting the focus on mid-paced tunes, Sorcerer may not meet the expectation of doom metal purists. With that said, I have to admit that I am no doom expert and I appreciate the fairly "fast" tempo of the songs. That form of configuration increases the degree of liveliness, at least from my point of view. This does not mean that Sorcerer avoid any form of tranquil or slow sections. Inter alia the first part of the verse of "Lake of the Lost Souls" serves as an example in this context. But generally speaking, the songs have a certain pop appeal in view of their pleasant flows and the melodic designs. I don't mean this negatively. The songwriter duo Hagel and Niemann has a good instinct for smooth melodies which is not a bad thing at all. A lot of composers would be happy to be gifted with this talent.

Irrespective of the accessible song patterns which are emphasized by the polished production, Sorcerer don't forget to add some important elements. Desperation, sadness and occultism shimmer through the transparent, heavy sound, while especially the title track delivers the necessary degree of pressure and power. Its pumping main melody is definitely borrowed from Candlemass, but shit happens and the autonomous chorus is more than a mere compensation. The compact design is another advantage of the song. By contrast, the majority of the tunes offers an excessive configuration. Thank God, they don't abuse our patience in view of the profound components on which they are based. I have already mentioned the convincing, sometimes dramatic melodies, but I also must speak about the contribution of Anders Engberg. His powerful, voluminous voice adds a majestic touch. Without doubt, he is able to withstand the comparison with Edling's vocalists or with Sean Peck whose vigorous performance has ennobled the EP of Denner / Sherman.

"In the Shadow of the Inverted Cross" is neither innovative - or does anybody think that the rare use of keyboards is innovative? - nor breathtaking, but it is a more than solid work which is ornamented with an aesthetic artwork. In my humble opinion, Sorcerer enrich the doom metal scene. Only in their weakest moments, they spread the vibes of the colourful seventies. This is not my favourite decade, but the band fortunately does not intensely flirt with the hippie scene of this bygone era. I am very glad, because, as the crossover guys of Mucky Pup have said already, hippies hate water. But Sorcerer's debut doesn't stink.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10