| Johan Längquist | |
|---|---|
 Längquist live with Candlemass. | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 23 August 1963, Järfälla, Sweden |
| Genres | Epic Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1979 - 1986, 1992, 2007, 2008 - Present |
| Labels | Black Dragon Records, Napalm Records, Nuclear Blast, Peaceville Records |
| Associated acts | Candlemass, Jonah Quizz, Impulsia |
Johan Längquist is a vocalist from Sweden, best known as the original lead vocalist for Epic Doom Metal legends Candlemass. Initially hired as a session singer for the band's debut record Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, an iconic record in doom metal. As a contrast to his replacement in Messiah Marcolin, Johan's vocals are more of a baritone and a lower pitched voice as compared to the more high and operatic tone of later singers.
Beyond Candlemass, Längquist had largely been involved with hard rock and pop groups but in recent years has made brief returns to Candlemass, performing live with them for the first time at their 20th anniversary show in 2007. As of 2018 he is now the current singer for the band and has since appeared on two more albums with the band.
Biography[]
Längquist was born on 23 August 1963 in Järfälla. While much of his personal life is unknown it is known his earliest band was with Jonah Quizz, a heavy metal band in the vein of Judas Priest and 80s metal. Beginning in 1979, the band only recorded two demos before breaking up in 1986. That same year Johan would be hired on as the session vocalist for the debut album by a young Swedish doom metal band known as Candlemass. Six songs were recorded and in June 1986 Epicus Doomicus Metallicus would be released, coining the "Epic Doom Metal" motif and later serving as an iconic album in the doom genre.
However when it came time to try to tour or perform live, Längquist had begun work on a pop project and thus declined from touring or playing live with the band despite Candlemass' countless efforts to make him stay. Thus the band would not perform live until May 1987 once they secured a new singer in Messiah Marcolin. When Marcolin left the group in 1991, he reached out to the band with the possibility of re-joining them. He would rehearse and record four songs with the band, later released on the Doomology box set. Ultimately the vocal job would be given to Thomas Vikstrom for the album Chapter VI.
On 31 March 2007 at Kolingsborg in Stockholm, Candlemass would perform their 20th Anniversary show, a career-spanning two hour set featuring past, present and future Candlemass vocalists. Notably one of those vocalists was Längquist in what was his very first live performance with the band, performing five of the six songs from Epicus. This live performance was later released as 20 Year Anniversary Party that same year. Notably, Längquist had also done a handful of rehearsals with the band that would later appear on Doomology that same year.
In 2008, Längquist would join a Swedish hard rock group known as Impulsia, who would release their debut album the next year. That same year an anthology of demos from Jonah Quizz would be remastered and released as Anthology 1980-1982. An appearance at Roadburn Festival was intended for 2010 but due to the ash cloud from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano, air travel was heavily disrupted and Candlemass were forced to cancel. However they would reschedule for next year's Roadburn and perform all of Epicus Doomicus Metallicus with Längquist on vocals. This performance saw a vinyl release via Svart Records two years later. Längquist performed sporadically with the band over the next two years as well.
On 3 September 2018 it would be announced that Candlemass would be returning to their roots and Längquist would rejoin as lead vocalist, his first performance back with the band at Southern Discomfort Kristiansand, 8 September 2018. At the time of Längquist's return to the band, Candlemass did have a new album in the works for initially a Fall 2018 release. On 5 October 2018 it would be confirmed that Längquist would be singing on the new album which is slated for a Spring 2019 release, his first album with the band in nearly 33 years.[1] Notably "Astorolus - The Great Octopus" would attain several award nominations including The Grammy for "Best Metal Performance" (United States) and The Grammis (Sweden), the latter award they would win. Längquist would tour heavily with the band in support of The Door To Doom throughout 2019.
On 31 January 2020 the band would announce The Pendulum, which features six unreleased songs from The Door To Doom. A live album featuring Johan would be released the next year in Green Valley, recorded in July 2020 during lockdown. Following touring the world in 2021 and 2022, the band's next album Sweet Evil Sun would be set for a November 2022 release, the third Candlemass album to feature Johan.
Johan would also notably appear as a live guest for The Skull at the 2022 edition of Hammer of Doom Festival.
Discography[]
- Jonah Quizz - Demo 1980 (1980, Self-Released)
- Jonah Quizz - Demo 1982 (1982, Self-Released)
- Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus (1986, Black Dragon Records)
- Candlemass - 20 Year Anniversary Party (Tracks 11 - 14, 17) (2007, Peaceville)
- Impulsia - Expressions (2009, Impulsia Music)
- Jonah Quizz - Anthology 1980-1982 (2009, Stormspell Records)
- Candlemass - Doomology (Selected Tracks) (2010, Nuclear Blast)
- Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus - Live at Roadburn 2011 (2013, Svart)
- Dead Kosmonaut - Expect Nothing (Vocals on track 8) (2017, TPL)
- Candlemass - The Door To Doom (2019, Napalm Records)
- Candlemass - The Pendulum (2020, Napalm Records)
- Candlemass - Green Valley (2021, Peaceville Records)
- Candlemass - Sweet Evil Sun (2022, Napalm Records)