The epic Doom Metal seed planted by Manowar during the early 80s was cultivated by a young Swede named Leif Edling through his Nemesis band, presenting some iconic compositions for thegenre. The year was 1984. Nemesis became Candlemass and epic Doom found its ultimate representative while the band carved a legendary career. The sound soon found some considerable following on both sides of the Atlantic. 1988 was the year that gave birth to the most significant bearers of the Candlemass legacy. Solitude Aeturnus in the United States and Sorcerer hailing from Stockholm, the place that also spawned Candlemass. And while the first showcased a remarkable career, branding the genre with 5 unsurpassed albums in its first decade of existence, the Swedish comrades lasted only 4 years and presented two demos before fading into obscurity.
In 1995, a twist of fate connected Solitude Aeturnus and Sorcerer through an unusual collaboration. John Perez offered to reissue the two Sorcerer demos through his Brainticket label and the recordings found a way towards a wider audience. These 12 songs overcame the cult tape trading barrier and became accessible. The band was acknowledged as “great but overlooked” and its creations were elevated to the very top in the consciousness of every educated fan of the genre.
A second reissue was released through the Greek Eat Metal label and rumors of a potential reformation begun to circulate. The developments proceeded with a doom metal tempo and the surprise came in 2011. Sorcerer announced a Greek show, part of the Up the Hammers Festival. The band demolished An Club with a performance of epic proportions, as if they never disbanded. Since then Sorcerer remain active and quite productive, possibly trying to cover all the lost ground. Demons Gate Festival comes as a great opportunity to witness the band play on Greek soil once again as part of an outstanding festival billing. The band is eager to certify the fact that it is totally rejuvenated and won’t rest on past laurels since their classic demo anthems will definitely stand side by side with great songs featured in their recent albums.
Kostas Kounadinis
