Formed in 2025, Candelabrum is a doom/melodic death metal project born from a deep reverence for the genre’s 90s golden era. Led by Sacerdos Magus and joined by Russian multi-instrumentalist Norberk, the band embraces dark atmospheres, spiritual symbolism, and melancholic melodies rooted in classic doom/death traditions. With their debut album Lacrima Christii, Candelabrum invites the listener into a somber journey through ancient monasteries, sacred sorrow, and forgotten truths. We spoke with Sacerdos Magus about the origins of the project, its influences, and the vision behind this evocative first release.
Asmoth: Hi Sacerdos Magus! Can you introduce Candelabrum and tell us how the project first came together?
Sacerdos Magus: Greetings, Asmoth! Before more, it's a pleasure being answering this interview for you, brother. Well... Candelabrum has born last year, in 2025, after long 27 years of my main project, Antiquus Scriptum, due my desire to make a doom/melodic death project, as I always aspired, so, I invite my friend, Norberk, from Russia, that's a multi-instrumentalist and a huge doom metal fan, to make the instrumental parts in this project and all started to appear... I would say, that Candelabrum is a project, destined to invoke the old times of the ascension of doom/melodic death metal movement, in the 90's, that we surely miss... that's our quest and it always be like that, with this band. That's our aim.
Asmoth: Doom metal is a genre with many different shades. What are your main musical influences, both within metal and outside of it?
Sacerdos Magus: Well, in Candelabrum, we try to follow the influences left by bands of doom/melodic death metal from the 90's, as I said, like (early) Amorphis, Septicflesh, Crematory, Opeth, Tiamat, My Dying Bride, Anathema, Officium Triste, Funeral, etc, but we let everything we enjoy, musically, even things outside metal, like Gregorian Chants, ambient music, or classical music, to influence us in this project, pretty like, what I've been doing with Antiquus Scriptum, as well, during these years... We think the multiplicity of tastes, it's a key to endurance and if you wish that your project to be the minimum original, you must possess that multiplicity, or, otherwise, you will be just one more doom metal project, with nothing new to show...
Asmoth: Your debut album is titled Lacrima Christii, a name loaded with strong symbolism. What does this title represent to you?
Sacerdos Magus: Yes, as you know, Portuguese language, came from Latin and we have several influnces from the Romans, in our language and culture and for that reason, "Lacrima Christii" makes all the sense... We wanted a strong title, for our debut album and a title that would be much "doomish", at the same time and that expressed, in a few words, all that Candelabrum it's about and that showed what's inside the record, in one or two words, so, I thought that "Lacrima Christii" (The Tears of Christ), would give a prefect title to the album, because it transmits in only two words, all we wanted to show with this project... that's pretty it.
Asmoth: Is there a central concept or theme running through the album, in terms of lyrics and overall atmosphere?
Sacerdos Magus: Well, actually, that is a conductor wire in this album, yes... Despite of being a variated record, the concept of this, "Lacrima Christii", is of a young man, that converted himself into a Christian monk and went to dwell in an old monastery and in the catacombs and in the viscous and poorly lit corridors of that old covent, he will discover millenear secrets about existence and the own God's designs, but he shall never leave that labyrinth again, because no-one ever came to surface, after discover the God's designs and that's pretty much the concept of this Candelabrum's 1st record, mainly in the songs, "Vaults of Redemption" & "Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament", at least.
Asmoth: How did the songwriting process for Lacrima Christii unfold? Was it a collective effort or driven by a specific vision?
Sacerdos Magus: The songs that appear in "Lacrima Christii", were songs that Norberk already had composed in the past and were unfinished and later, were polished for the record, together with my lyrics, of course... The piano interludes, are of him, as well and then, came the covers of My Dying Bride & Katatonia, that were made later, too and that's pretty it, but this is mainly material written by Norberk, in the past and then adapted to Candelabrum's spirit, for the record, later.
Asmoth: The album carries a very dark and introspective mood. What emotions or ideas did you want to convey to the listener?
Sacerdos Magus: Yes, like I said, it's all the catacombs of the old monastery feeling and all that, so, the atmosphere of the album had to be dark and grim, but has much melody and moments of joy, at the same time, during the record and I think it's a very good voyage to make, listening to this album... We don't pretend to be the "darkest or the grimest ones", or anything like that, we just try to fit our music, on the whole lyrical concept and atmosphere of the record, that's pretty it.
Asmoth: From a sonic perspective, how would you describe Candelabrum’s identity to someone who has never heard your music before?
Sacerdos Magus: Well, just try to think in albums like, "Tales from the Thousand Lakes", from Amorphis, "Clouds" & "Wildhoney", from Tiamat, "Transmigration", or "... Just Dreaming", from Crematory, etc and you'll get the whole the idea of this, "Lacrima Christii" album..., at least, we try to be like that...
Asmoth: Now that Lacrima Christii is released, what are the next steps for Candelabrum - live shows, new material, or further evolution of your sound?
Sacerdos Magus: The album is released, until now, only in YouTube, as a teaser, but shall be edited physicallly (digipack) and in Bandcamp, as well, by Romantic Songs Records, from Galicia, my label, during this current year of 2026. No... live shows, we will not do it, man... would be impossible to gather Norberk, from Russia and me, from Portugal, in live gigs, just completelly out of mind, so, we don't pretend to play live, with Candelabrum, no... However, we're already working on the following record, for 2027, that shall be titled, "The Enchanted Opera", that, despite of the doom/melodic death metal, that we already practice on the debut album, will have some extra gothic/doom metal elements, too, that don't appear on "Lacrima Christii" and some more melody, like violins and flutes, that we didn't have used much on the 1st record and all that stuff and that's pretty it... Thank you so much for the interview, Asmoth! Best regards and to the listeners, put an eye on this project, Candelabrum, if you like a good doom/melodic death metal, ok? Cheers to all!