Biography:

Black Candle stands as one of the pioneering black metal bands from Luxembourg, having been established in 1994 by vocalist Dark Lord Tenebrus (also known as Simon), guitarist Azael, and another guitarist, Thummiel. Initially, the band practiced without a drummer, and their early rehearsals produced disorganized sounds, yet it was during this time that they began crafting fragments of their first song, "My Black Sky."

In 1996, Thummiel departed to form his own band, Sargatanas. Shortly thereafter, Simon and Azael encountered a drummer named Shadow, who joined the group. The band's debut demo, "My Black Sky," was released in March 1996, featuring five tracks, three of which were actual songs created during their 1994-1996 rehearsal period. The demo's intro and outro were contributed by Dan "Mad Thrashing Daniac," who would later share guitar duties with Simon.

The year 1997 was eventful for Black Candle, as Azael left due to waning interest. Consequently, Simon took on both guitar and bass responsibilities, and the band continued as a duo. Their second demo, "Winter Of Wrath," emerged from their first experience in a studio. Shortly after, bassist Lord Mogon joined Simon and Shadow, and they performed their first gig in Germany, known for its vibrant underground black metal scene. On November 1, the band entered the studio again to record their notable track "Meeting with the Beast," which was later included on the compilation "Sometimes Death Is Better" (Shiver Records, 1998). However, Lord Mogon soon lost interest, leading to the band losing their rehearsal space in Luxembourg, which, compounded with a lack of support from the local music scene, resulted in a one-year hiatus. During this period, Shadow participated in the band Vinsval, while Simon joined the German black metal group Pagan Winter as a vocalist. Both Black Candle and Pagan Winter were featured on the compilations "Germanische Tyrannen" (Frontfire Distribution, 1998) and "A Taste Of Blood" (Mortuary Khage Productions, 1998).

In late 1998, the situation improved as the band secured a new rehearsal space and expanded their lineup with Phosphoros (lead guitar) and Fallen (bass). In August 1999, they recorded their first EP, "Nightfire," released through Pagan Winter Productions. The band continued to compose new material, but Fallen departed at the end of 1999, and L.H. replaced him.

By August 2000, Black Candle began recording their album, "The Faceless Angel." However, L.H. left mid-session, leading Phosphoros and Simon to complete the bass lines. During this time, Lady Eve S. joined the band, contributing vocals and guitar parts. After the recording was finished, Phosphoros exited to join another band, Desdemonia. "The Faceless Angel" was eventually released in 2002 with support from Burhuc ASBL (a local concert promoter) and Pagan Winter Productions.

From 2002 to 2004, Black Candle performed extensively across Luxembourg, France, and Germany. In 2004, Lady Eve S. left the band, and Dan "Mad Thrashing Daniac" stepped in as the lead guitarist. That same year, they released a limited demo titled "From the Deepest Level," which was restricted to only 30 copies.

On October 22, 2005, the band released a promo single featuring two tracks from their upcoming album. Late in 2005, they commenced recording "Lead Me To The Tombs," with Simon taking on the role of producer and sound engineer. This album, comprising eight new tracks along with re-recorded versions of "Meeting With The Beast" and "My Black Sky," was completed in early 2006 and released on April 7 in a limited run of 500 hand-numbered copies. Two new members, Naberios (bass) and Styxx (vocals), joined the lineup, and the band performed several shows in the latter half of 2006, including a successful live performance at the "Walking the Dead" music festival in Arnhem, Netherlands. Additionally, "Nightfire," "The Faceless Angel," and "Lead Me to the Tombs" were reissued on cassette by the Polish label Terrorcult Production.

In 2007, the members pursued various side projects, with Simon engaging in Deformation Guaranteed and Reverence, Dan playing guitar in Morast, Styxx performing vocals in Reverence and Decay, and Shadow acting as a session drummer for several bands. Diverging opinions about the band's future direction led to Black Candle's split in June 2007.

The band reunited in 2009 as a duo, with Simon handling all instruments and Styxx on vocals. Unfortunately, this arrangement was short-lived, as Styxx passed away from leukemia on June 7, 2009.

In 2012, work began on a new full-length album dedicated to Styxx. All tracks were recorded and mixed by Simon at his studio in Merzig, Germany, between the summer of 2012 and winter of 2013. Three songs had been composed and recorded back in 2007. The album, titled "Smoke and Monoliths," was released on August 30, 2013, through the Belarusian underground label Possession Productions.

At the start of 2014, Shadow rejoined Black Candle, and the band recorded a new song, "Fading Rays of Gray," included in the compilation "Saarland Black Metal - Sampler II" (2014, Narbentage Produktionen). A new album is expected to be released in 2015.

Line-up changes: - Simon (1994 - 2007, 2009 - present): vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards - Shadow (1995 - 2007, 2009 - 2012, 2014 - present): drums - Azael (1994 - 1997): guitars - Thummiel (1994 - 1996): guitars - Lord Mogon (1997): bass - Phosphoros (1998 - 2001): guitars, bass - Fallen (1998 - 1999): bass - L.H. (2000): bass - Dan (2004 - 2007): guitars - Naberios (2006 - 2007): bass - Styxx (2006 - 2007, 2009): vocals - Lady Eve S. (2001 - 2004): vocals, guitars - Wanterfrascht (2016 - 2017): vocals

Sources of inspiration: Venom, Bathory, Burzum, Darkthrone, Celtic Frost, Christian Death, Joy Division, The Cure.