I’ve spoken about this before back in 2020 (See Here & Here), but when the boys from Halifax began putting in more keyboard & electronic elements in the late 90s, their sound & atmosphere had changed. Things weren’t as dark or gothic as they were before, and while there was still an obviously serious element to the music, the musical elements that they were bringing in were pushing many longtime fans who loved their metallic personality away. Coupled with their record company at the time pushing them to go further down that path, it’s easy to see why Paradise Lost didn’t exactly like that period of their career. However, time is a strange creature, and even sore spots can become something more pleasant over the ages.
Like I said above, it wasn’t until late last decade that the band decided to re-examine their electronic phase. 2018 to be exact. That year saw the band come more to terms with that period of their career. More specifically, they looked at the albums Host & Believe In Nothing in a much more positive light. To sum it up: they liked the music, but they didn’t like the editing or studio interference. So, they went into the studio to re-edit the records, and then re-released them for newer fans to experience them, and for older fans to reconnect with music they might not have liked the first time around. However, what they didn’t know was that they were planting the seeds of something special, and it would take just a few short years for things to grow.
Fast forward to October of 2022, and Greg Mackintosh & Nick Holmes announced that they were doing a side project. One that would invoke the sounds & vibes of their late 90s electronic period, but with none of the studio interference, and only their vision. The end result was the formation of Host (Ironic), and on the 24th of February in 2023, IX was released. IX practically blind-sided me when it came out: it sounded & felt like the record that the project is named after, yet there is none of the record company interference that was around a few decades prior. There’s slicker grooves, keyboarding, poppy sounds, and all sort of atypical Paradise Lost elements that just works here. Even Nick Holmes voice, which is perhaps the clearest & smoothest it’s ever been (None of his raspy vocals is in sight), works so well. Every single song from the beginning to the end is wonderful, and even with the serious aspects, made one of my number one albums of 2023 for a reason.
As for what I think the face & best song of this release should be, it is most easily Tomorrow’s Sky. The first single for IX, it was definitely the right choice from the first few notes. Showing off the keyboard & electronic elements quite obviously, and really harkens back to that One Second to Host (Maybe some Believe In Nothing thrown in for good measure) period of Paradise Lost. The biggest plus would be the lack of record label interference, and it shows in just how much more creative everything feels. Hell, even when PL redid both Host & Believe In Nothing back in 2018, that free feeling was definitely in effect, although maybe not as much here. Regardless, Tomorrow’s Sky was absolutely the right track to debut this side project of one of the world’s most iconic Gothic Metal bands, and is definitely something to press the repeat button once or twice.
Tomorrow’s Sky
On the more “metallic” side of IX, Divine Emotion easily shows that off. Not all the time though, as half of the track is dedicated to soft-ish drumwork, and beautiful gothic piano playing. When the “metal” kicks in, it’s not the traditional kind, as the pacing doesn’t actually change all that much. Everything gets a little louder, and you have the addition of orchestra-like cellos & violins (Which are played really well, btw). Yet, something about Divine Emotion just works so well for me, as I’ve always kinda been a sucker for this kind of stuff once I got into more Gothic things. Couple with a really interesting music video, and it’s easy to see why this track got popular among fans.
Divine Emotion
So, with all of the positivity I’ve said, is there anything negative? Not really. IX is an absolutely wonderful release, and really shows what Nick Holmes & Gregor Mackintosh can do outside the band that gave them a career. That being said, this release is definitely an absolute soulcrusher. Maybe not on the level of Obsidian, but IX grabs you by the neck, and throttles you really hard. You know that this album was going to be dark when Nick Holmes basically asked how to make these depressing songs catchy. Perhaps the one thing I could truly have an issue with, is that IX for all intent & purpose, is a Paradise Lost album. Yes it comes from a side project, but from top to bottom it’s basically a PL in form and function. It’s not surprising, since Nick & Greg wanted to recreate something from their late 90s to early 2000s period, but without a record company pushing them to go down a direction they didn’t necessarily want to completely go down. Still, I’m a little surprised that this wasn’t released under the Paradise Lost band label, since it screams that group so much to me when I listen IX.
Host gets a solid 10 out of 10. As much of a soul crusher as it can be, it’s a great side project that I hope puts out more records as time goes on, but I would still be happy if this is the only thing that comes from this Nick Holmes & Gregor Mackintosh side-gig.
And that was my look at IX from the Paradise Lost spinoff Host. The spirit of the band’s past, mixed in with modern recording & production, and none of the studio interference, it’s a testament to a group that’s been producing albums since 1990 that they are still capable of creating great releases 3+ decades later. So, December is just a few weeks away, and before hand I’ll be taking a break for Thanksgiving & other stuff. See you all on the 1st of next month!
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