Happy October everybody, and welcome.....to the month of Paradise Lost!
That’s right, we’re taking a trip over to merry ole England this year! In 2018 I took a gander at Portugese legends Moonspell, and last year I examined the horror icon King Diamond. It seemed especially appropriate to cover this gents due to new material that got released earlier this year, but we’ll get to that on Halloween day. For now, we’re taking a look at the band’s golden era. The era in which Paradise Lost played many different styles. Death-Doom, Gothic, & some Electronica came from this particular period, and even today this time is still looked at fondly....for the most part. With that being said, here is part one of my look at Paradise Lost. Let’s begin!
Lost Paradise (1990)
Our story begins in Halifax, England in 1988. 5 British gents decided to form a band: Nick Holmes on Vocals, Aaron Aedy on Lead Guitar, Gregor Mackintosh on Rhythm Guitar, Stephen Edmondson on Bass Guitar, and manning the drums was Matthew Archer. After their formation, the group recorded three cassette demos (Paradise Lost, Frozen Illusion, and Plains of Desolation), they signed to Peaceville Records in 1989. They then went to Academy Music Studio in December of that year to record their first release, and on the 5th of February, 1990, Lost Paradise was released. This would be the first release that features the band’s signature Death/Doom style of metal, but it wouldn’t last for long. Still, it inspired many other bands to perform similarly (Moonspell as an example), and have their own Gothic evolutions also.
Best Track? I kinda love the crushing nature of Internal Torment II. The ending track of the original release, this oddly named song captures the signature Death/Doom stylings that helped put the band on the map. Slowish pacing, thunderous drums, and crushing guitar riffs & vocals. It’s all there, and it’s merciless with it’s power. Perfect for ending an album!
Internal Torment II
Worst Track? The only real complain I have with Lost Paradise is just how same-y a lot of the songs sound when compared to each other. None of them are bad per-se, but you can hear similar drum beats, guitar riffs, and usage of vocals in practically everything. This would lessen over the next two albums, but it would seemingly return in full force in 2015 (More on that when we get to part 3 at the end of the month). The only thing that seems to be different is the usage of effects & keyboard/piano, as that aspect of the album is used in bits & pieces depending on the track in question. It’s almost like a treat to come across the previously mentioned things in a song, as the usage of them is well-timed.
Lost Paradise. If you were to listen to something like Draconian Times or even Obsidian before you made it to this release, your neck might snap due to sheer whiplash cause of the style changes. If you are a Death-Doom fan and are looking for a juicy piece of meat to sink your teeth into, then Lost Paradise will be that meal for you. Next album!
Gothic (1991)
With their first album in the books, Paradise Lost went back to Academy Music Studio in November of 1990 to record their second release, Gothic. Put out on March the 19th, 1991, the album would begin their transformation into goth titans as the added in keyboards and female vocal accompaniments. Eventually, Gothic would be inducted into the Decibel Magazine Hall of Fame in June of 2005, becoming the fifth album overall to be featured in it.
Best Track? Shattered is equal parts heavy & humorous to me. It’s funny cause I think Nick Holmes is trying way to hard to imitate Pete Steele’s voice, as it’s way too deep when he sings. On the other hand, the instrumentation & vibe is still very much Death/Doom. A little faster in terms of speed, but still firmly within that subgenre. Certainly a song that might make you laugh, but you’ll be headbanging at the same time.
Shattered
Worst Track? For anyone that were a fan of Lost Paradise’s pure Death/Doom ways, they might be disappointed by the keyboard usage and female vocals. I don’t see an issue for this, as I like the fact that Paradise Lost were trying to experiment with an established genre, and adding their own flair. This is a point that only sticklers or Death/Doom elitests would ever go for, but not me.
Gothic. Still firmly in the Death/Doom camp, it’s has smoother edges that don’t make it quite as sharp & rough upon first listening to it when compared to their first release. If you weren’t a fan of Lost Paradise, then you might get a kick out of this one.
Shades Of God (1992)
After the release of Gothic, Paradise Lost left Peaceville Records and were signed to the Music for Nations label, and went to Longhome Studios, Northants from March to April of 1992 to record their 3rd album, Shades Of God. Released on the 14th of July in 92, Shades Of God saw the band move further away from their origins, and adopt a more smoother outlook like on the concluding song of Gothic:
As I Die
There were quieter passages in the songs, Nick Holmes's death grunt was soften, and Gregor Mackintosh's incorporated acoustic guitar into his sound. This resulted in an album that was still Death/Doom, but had a thin coat of goth painted on it, and because of that had more depth to it’s musical passages.
Best Track? Your Hand In Mine has to be the most Gothic track on the album, and it shows. The instrumentation, though still within the Death/Doom realm, sounds & feels much smoother than anything on the band’s prior two albums, and Nick Holmes uses snipbits of a much clearer vocal style. He still goes for the guttural growling most of the time, but it’s those moments that he changes the way he sings that reveals something coming in Paradise Lost’s future. Definitely a catchy song!
Your Hand In Mine
Worst Track? Pretty much the same issues here are the same issues from Gothic. The stylistic shift will put off those who like a more pure Death/Doom. Perhaps even more so, as the keyboard usage and female vocals are more obvious here than on the previously mentioned record. They’re still used at the right moments, but it’s not a subtle as before.
Shades Of God. Still firmly in the Death/Doom camp, it also showed that a big change for Paradise Lost was not far off. In fact, it would come one year later, so let’s see what this change was. Next album!
Icon (1993)
And here is where Paradise Lost became Gothic! Released on the 28th of September, 1993, Icon saw the band finally go full blown Gothic Metal. This transformation is what cemented the band’s reputation as a cornerstone of the genre, and a Nick Holes said in a 2008 Kerrang interview:
“We were pretty much the first band to coin the phrase 'gothic metal' so I don't have a problem with that label. We've actually done gothier albums than Icon, but if people want to say that it sums up something that's fine with me. At the time there was also black metal, thrash metal and everyone wanted to describe what type of something was so we went 'Okay, we've got The Sisters of Mercy elements in our music, let's call it goth metal'. We were getting better as musicians as well and I was hopefully getting better as a vocalist. When that happens you want to fine-tune what you're doing. It's also about not wanting to get stuck or pigeonholed into one particular musical place. We've kept the whole gothic thing going right throughout our career, but we did want to do something a little different. With the vocals, a lot of it was kind of shouting in key as opposed to just shouting, it's okay singing like Beelzebub, but your voice can get into trouble if you have a big tour.”
Icon would eventually go into Decibel Magazine’s Hall of Fame in 2018, where it would be the 2nd album from Paradise Lost to be featured as such (Gothic came first). Sadly, in December of 1994 original drummer Matthew Archer would leave the band, and his replacement came in the form of Lee Morris, who’s prior work included Wyzed & Royale.
Best Track? Take a pick is what I have to say! Everything on Icon is absolutely, and that’s not a joke. From the slow paced Embers Fire, to the somewhat Metallica-like True Belief, and to the closing number Deus Misereatur, the album has something for everybody!
Worst Track? Like I said above, everything on here is fantastic. The only point I can see someone nitpick would be the shift in Nick Holmes’s vocal approach. For 3 records prior he was singing in his Death/Doom style, but on this release he settled for what Wikipedia describes as a “James Hetfield-style bark”. Those who liked his guttural & visceral singing prior to Icon’s release probably did a double-take upon first listening to this album, and I’d completely understand why.
Icon. A Gothic behemoth that stands the test of time to this day, and was also an inspiration for many bands to go down the goth path. I can’t say much more......other than it’s damn good. Next album!
Draconian Times (1995)
After the success of their first truly Gothic release in Icon and departure of their original drummer, Paradise Lost entered the studio once again in January of 1995, and would eventually release what is their most successful album in their entire career, Draconian Times. Coming out on the 12th of June, 1995, Draconian Times, as Gregor Mackintosh would say:
“that it's the album by which everything else we do gets judged. Rightly so, as it’s the backbone of our career and sound.”
So successful was Draconian Times, it would chart in the Top 20 album chart in a number of European countries, including the UK and Germany. Daevid Jehnzen of Allmusic gave it a 4.5 out of 5, calling it a mix 'between stark, oppressive goth rock and crunching heavy metal' and praising Paradise Lost's ability to 'create and sustain a mood', and Ulf Kubanke of Laut.de calls the album 'a perfect mix between beauty and morbidity' and also points out that the album sounds 'as if Hetfield took a bite out of the album First and Last and Always'. That’s some impressive praise if you ask me!
Best Track? I kinda have to pick the opening track Enchantment for this, as it was actually the first song from the band I heard (That I recall correctly). I had been listening to Type-O Negative for about 4 to 5 years by the time I discovered this song, and I was blown away by it. Whereas Pete Steele had a domineering yet seductive quality to his voice, Nick Holmes was more along the lines of a Gothic storyteller. Weaving together a goth tale, there’s a fantasy-like power to the words he’s singing, and the piano that’s used in some parts just enforces this feel more. Couple with the gentle yet powerful guitar & drumwork, and you have a worthy album opener.
Enchantment
Worst Track? About the only fault of Draconian Times would be how clean the record sounds & feels. Icon had this as well, but there was still a little dirt on it from the band’s earliest work. On here it sounds maybe a little too professional, and Nick Holmes may be trying a little too hard on his James Hetfield impression. This doesn’t impact my enjoyment of the album in any way, but these elements are very noticable.
Draconian Times. Further driving home just how Gothic the band was, it may became an even more popular album than Icon was. However, as Paradise Lost got comfortable in their new style, a change was not far off the horizon.....and it would divide the faithful of the band for some time. Next album!
One Second (1997)
And here we come to what is considered the beginning of a rather....maligned period for the band. Despite the success of Draconian Times, the 4 years of non-stop for the album made the band feel bored with it. As Nick Holmes said in Decibel:
“After we recorded Draconian Times and toured it non-stop, we just felt like doing something else—something a bit less up-tempo and darker, also Greg bought a keyboard! The result was One Second. It was greeted on the whole very positively, but quite a departure from Draconian Times and pissed off a few people naturally. However, it’s very much a part of the band’s journey—like every album has been—and we enjoyed making it.”
Like he said in the quote, the band began experimenting with synth-pop and electronica, and it was because of this experimentation that we got One Second. Released on the 14th of July, 1997, One Second would actually become the bestselling record of their entire career! It cracked the German, Swedish, and Finnish top ten charts, and it was because of this success that enabled the band to sign a deal with the German branch of EMI. However, as it was stated above, many of their older fans disapproved of the band’s shift in styles. In their eyes, this change was seen as a betrayal of sorts, and thus they stopped following the band.
Best Track? I’m kind of fond of the trio that is Disappear, Sane, and Take Me Down. The final 3 tracks of the album, they all have the strongest concentration of gothic elements. On top of that, the electronica/synthpop aspects are also apparent, but in comparison to everything else there’s a perfect balance on these songs. The gothic doesn’t overpower the electronica, and the synthpop doesn’t consume the gothic. Both sides serve one another equally, and because of that this trio stands out over everything else....even though the rest of the album isn’t a slouch in any way. As a way to end an album, these tracks are most definitely up to the task!
Disappear
Sane
Take Me Down
Worst Track? While there’s no bad track per-se, One Second’s only real flaw is that it doesn’t know what style it wants to be. There’s still plenty of Gothic Metal/Rock elements, but there’s just as many electronic/synthpop elements as well. Both sides are used interchangeably, and in some moments it’s hard to tell which is which (Outside of the songs I talked about above). I pretty much lump One Second in with Snake Bite Love from Motorhead & Devin Townsend’s Infinity: great production & recording quality, but doesn’t have a solid identity. This issue would be shared with Symbol of Life, but that’ll be talked about in part 2.
One Second. Certainly not a bad album by any measure, but definitely a shift from Paradise Lost’s original Death/Doom & Gothic values that got them popular in the first place. If you like more electronica-style metal music, then One Second is a good place to start. Next album!
Host (1999)
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| Original |
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| 2018 Re-Release |
With the huge success of One Second, the band seemed to begin shedding off their metallic skin, and instead grew into their electronic suit with surprising ease. After to EMI Electrola in Germany, they began working on their next album from September 1998 to February 1999, and on the 24th of May in that year, Host was released. While it continued to alienate their traditional fanbase in places like the UK, it would be their highest charting album in Germany, entering at number 4 on the charts. Despite it’s immense success, people’s views on it are still split to this day. As Nick Holmes said in 2007:
“From Host through to Believe in Nothing, we didn't really kind of know where we were going. We were really in a dilemma.”
However, Host & the first album of part 2 would actually be rediscovered by both the band and fans in recent years. Despite the non-metallic approach, people seemed to appreciate the different direction in musical style. So much so, that even the band sort of turned their opinion around, and put out a remaster in 2018 along with Believe in Nothing. I’m glad that these albums were back in the spotlight for a moment, as I consider Host to be an underrated gem. Believe in Nothing is underrated as well, but I’ll get to that in part 2.
Best Track? So Much Is Lost opens for the album, and right away you can tell that this will be a different experience. There’s not a metallic element to the song to be heard, as it’s a mashup of electronic/gothic rock, darkwave, and synthpop. This whole album is that mashup, but like this song.....I don’t think it’s bad. Regardless of the genre, I’m all for metal bands trying different things. Whether it’s because they’re stuck or bored, it’s good that they walk down a path they’ve never gone down before when they need to. I like the different sound the band took, and while that also may have hurt them (More on that below), it’s a cool take from a group that was willing to do something different.
So Much Is Lost
Worst Track? Host only flaw is that it doesn’t sound like Paradise Lost. Lost Paradise does, as does Gothic, Shades of God, Icon, Draconian Times, and even One Second. Host’s rather dramatic shift in style, instrumentation, and tone make for an album that sounds like it was done by somebody else, and they just happened to get the members of the band to come along as if it was a collaboration.
Host. If One Second began the wedge between older & newer fans at the time, then this album further spread things apart. Still, it’s actually a whole lot of fun, and while it may have pushed away some of the older audience, it did manage to bring in a newer one that may not have heard of Paradise Lost before hand. If you’re up for some electronica & synthpop, then you’ll like this late 90s cake.
And that concludes part 1 of my look at Paradise Lost. A period of experimentation in a decade that was full of musical experimentation, the band definitely made a name for themselves by seemingly going all over the board in the 90s. Would they be able to change back in the coming decade? Come back in the middle of the month to find out, but beforehand.......I got a monstrous surprise for you before hand!
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If you’re curious about these albums, then click on the links below:
Lost Paradise
Gothic
Shades of God
Icon
Draconian Times
One Second
Host
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