Paradise Lost - 'OBSIDIAN' 

Today is most certainly a blast into the past for me as I am reviewing the new Paradise Lost album which was released today on Nuclear Blast Records, and to be brutally honest I’ve not heard this band since 1993’s release Icon. This is the band's 16th release and I really looking forward to hearing this album.
Paradise Lost are the pioneers of the Death/Doom style of heavy metal from their debut album ‘Lost Paradise’ and I have to admit I had their first four albums then I got into heavier and faster stuff and kind of never went back to that style of metal.

So I’m ready to listen to this album with an open mind and I'm ready to hear what they sound like now.

‘Darker Thoughts’ starts of with acoustic guitars, clean vocals and strings, and it is a very beautiful start to this record albeit a haunting atmosphere but I sit down and start to sink into the couch, but not for long cause here comes the heavy!! Nick's guttural vocals (he would be able to front any death metal band with that voice) and in the background of this sonic assault you can still hear the strings, absolutely stunning song as it jumps from heavy and dark to clean and darker!

‘Fall From Grace’ is more like the Paradise Lost I remember with Gregor’s guitar bringing a harrowing melody to a heavy doom laden rhythm driven song, as the song travels on it gets a bit more intense but still keeps everything sounding heavy, as a really heavy thing (a little S.Y.L nod there) but it’s the only way I can describe it, this is a masterpiece of work by these elder statesmen of doom.

This band have had a few different styles even in the four albums I had and another stand out track on this record has to be ‘Ghosts’ and I want to paint my room black and back comb my hair, oh wait!!

This song would fit in to late 80s goth rock any Mission or Sisters of Mercy album and it is a simple short amazing song the arrangement is done so well.

Next up we have ‘The Devil Embraced’ and this starts off with a nice clean guitar and boom!!! These guys have not mellowed out much, Nick’s vocals are amazing going from crooner to demon in two jibbers of a Jack rabbits arse, Aaron's and Gregor's axe work is amazing on this album the solo is just pure rock twiddling and it fits so well, while Aaron’s rhythm is just chugging away with Stephen’s bass and Waltteri's drums, I’m going to have to go and listen to all of their albums again, what have I been missing!!!

‘Forsaken’ is a behemoth of a track heavy with that goth feel of ghosts and the atmosphere that this song creates with little piano breaks in-between the heavy parts and the tempo is very upbeat, not that I’m saying the rest of the album is slow far from it but this one is a foot rapper.

Track six is ‘Serenity’ and again its heavy with a beautiful melody on the lead guitar to keep it nicely balanced, there is no clean vocals on this track and the death metal fan in me loves this, I can honestly say I am loving every track on this album I genuinely have nothing bad to say about this album I can see me buying their back catalogue.

‘Hope Dies Young’ is just a wonderful song showing what Paradise Lost are all about, there is 33 years experience on this album and it shows with every single song, I am totally blown away with this record, and this song is no exception the guitar work and bass compliment each other and the drums just put the stamp of approval on it outstanding.

The penultimate track is ‘Ending Days’ and I am quite sad that we are coming to the end of this wonderful record. Ending days starts with the two guitarists merging beautifully together with Nick’s crooning vocals and Waltteri's light touch on the pots and pans, and Stephen's bass giving g us a great rumble throughout this track and the strings are back what a song man!

Well I’m at the last track now and this is ‘Ravenghast’ and again they can make Death/Doom so beautiful (I keep using beautiful because it is) this is so haunting and I’m just waiting for the heavy bit and there it is the first time I think double bass has been used in this full album and oh my I have loved every track on this and I am going to listen to it again! This has been a real treat from start to finish.

OBSIDIAN was released on the 15th May on Nuclear Blast Records GO AND BUY A COPY !! J.G.

TRACK LISTING
1 Darker Thoughts
2 Fall From Grace
3 Ghosts
4 The Devil Embraced
5 Forsaken
6 Serenity
7 Ending Days
8 Hope Dies Young
9 Ravenghast

PARADISE LOST ARE....
Nick Holmes -Vocals
Gregor Mackintosh- lead guitar/keyboards
Aaron Aedy-rhythm guitar
Stephen Edmonson – bass
Waltteri Väyrynen - drums