In a display of professional maturity rarely seen in the often-volatile world of heavy metal personnel changes, current Candlemass vocalist Johan Längqvist has expressed his full support for the band’s recent reunion performance with former singer Messiah Marcolin.
The historic event took place on September 13, 2025, at the Rock Hard Festival Greece in Athens, marking Marcolin‘s first appearance with the doom metal legends in nearly two decades. While the return of the robe-wearing frontman was a dream scenario for diehard fans, questions naturally arose regarding how Längqvist—the man currently behind the mic—felt about stepping aside.
In a new interview with Neil Jones of “TotalRock,” Längqvist dispelled any rumors of animosity, confirming that the one-off event was transparently discussed and agreed upon by all parties.
“[Candlemass] were very popular in Greece when they started up the band,” Längqvist explained regarding the decision to stage the reunion in Athens. “And now [the fans have] seen me [performing with Candlemass] in Greece for a couple of years. So, they just had a wish that, ‘Could you do something with Messiah as well?’ And we were all talking about it. And [we all said], ‘Yeah, for sure.’ And it turned up to be one show with Messiah.”
When asked if he participated in the concert in any capacity, Längqvist clarified that he sat this one out entirely to let Marcolin have the spotlight.
“No, no, no, no. I wasn’t there at all, actually,” he said, before adding definitively: “[But Messiah] had my blessing.”
Längqvist, who sang on the band’s seminal 1986 debut Epicus Doomicus Metallicus before returning as a permanent member in 2018, noted that he has developed a friendly rapport with his predecessor.
“I pretty much know all the singers that have been in Candlemass through the years, but actually I just met Messiah last year. And we’ve had a couple of nights together,” Längqvist revealed. “We’re grown-up people these days. If the fans wanted to see a show with Messiah, I don’t have a problem with that at all, actually.”
When pressed on whether this reunion signals a permanent shift or a wider tour, Längqvist reiterated the exclusive nature of the booking: “Yeah, that’s the way it was supposed to be.”
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