Live: Paradise Lost – Electric Ballroom, London 03/11/2017

PARADISE LOST (+ Pallbearer, Sinistro)
Electric Ballroom, London
03/11/2017

Paradise Lost have been proudly slogging away on behalf of British metal for three decades now. It's a carrer that has seen them amass an unbelievably diverse back catalogue of fifteen albums that range from Death Metal, Doom Metal, Goth Metal, Industrial Rock, Electronic Rock and all the way back again. Their two most recent albums 2015's 'The Plague Within' and 2017's 'Medusa' have seen their heaviest output since the early 90s – for some it's a return to form, for others a regression of sorts. But there is no denying that their rekindling of the death doom sound has yielded some brilliant material that quite rightly deserves a public airing.

The band's latest tour in support of 'Medusa' sees them joined by Portugal's Sinistro and USA's Pallbearer. Sinistro are up first with their atmospheric and avant garde take on doom rock. There is a nice experimental and progressive element to their sound which is quite compelling and causes the heavier elements of their songs to just catch you off guard. It's a strong if unfortunately short set but one that sees a strong performance and will undoubtedly have created a few new fans.

Pallbearer are up next. A little controversial for some with the whole “are they doom or not” argument floating in the air. But that doesn't matter as they are a damn solid band. Technical issues with one of the guitar rigs may have slowed them down a little, but they didn't falter and saw the set through to the end. They're a band with many faces and influences that come together for a monumental sounding whole. Alt rock, prog rock, doom, ambient, and proto metal come together for a sonic spectacle that sweeps you along. The band perform with the skill and precision of veterans and by the time they leave the stage the crowd are more than satisfied with their set.

Finally though it is time for Paradise Lost to take to the stage. The veteran performers on their native soil may not play the size of concerts they deserve, but are always met with a hero's welcome. With two of their heaviest releases in years recently under their belts the setlist is the doomiest the band have sounded in decades. With five cuts from new album 'Medusa' and three from 'The Plague Within' there isn't much room to show off the full range of their previous work, but what the band do produce is a damn tight set with slow heavy tracks, sing-a-long moments and even a rare opportunity to open up a moshpit.

Songs such as 'From The Gallows', 'Gods Of Ancient', 'Enchantment', 'Medusa', 'Blood And Chaos', 'Beneath Broken Earth', and 'Embers Fire' give the set a dark and doomy backbone of monolithic rhythms and bludgeoning riffs. While tracks such as 'One Second', 'Erased', 'Faith Divides Us – Death Unites Us' and 'As I Die' allow bodies to move and the crowd to join in.

The encore again sees a heavier slant with 'No Hope In Sight' and the stunning 'The Longest Winter' bringing the doom once more before the band's finale in the form of 'Say Just Words'. The band may be older but they are sharper – Nick Holmes does a great job varying his vocals across the set (even if they were a bit low in the live mix). The whole set is tight and expertly performed and once again shows why Paradise Lost are one of the best bands this country has produced in the last 30 years.  

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Review: Paradise Lost – 'Medusa'

PARADISE LOST
'Medusa'
NUCLEAR BLAST

Paradise Lost's 2015 album 'The Plague Within' was a spectacular return to the death doom sound that put them on the map, albeit with a palpable 25 years worth of extra musical experience under their collective belt. The result was simply stunning, especially for a band that has flirted with multiple styles and genres throughout their impressive discography. A new label and a new album in the form of 'Medusa' inevitably raises expectations considering their final album on Century Media two years ago.

Album number fifteen picks up where 'The Plague Within' left off. Where its predecessor embraced and reclaimed their early death doom sound, 'Medusa' sees the band dive headlong into their slowest, sludgiest doom output yet. The opening gothic organ of 'Fearless Sky' sets the tone for the album, sinister, grand and dark, the song proper that follows is a behemoth of death vocals bludgeoning drums, and slow but epic guitar riffs that demands devil horns be raised and heads bang.

Songs such as 'Gods Of Ancient', 'The Longest Winter', 'Medusa', 'No Passage For The Dead', and 'Until The Grave' carry one the form set out in the opening track to great effect. 'From The Gallows' and 'Blood And Chaos' up the pace a little but don't loose any of the heaviness.

There are some nice nods to bands such as Type O Negative and A Pale Horse Named Death in the albums more melodic and cleanly sung vocals which works really nicely against the bands thoroughly British death doom core that they pioneered.

The production is nice and gritty in places where it needs to emphasise the heaviest aspects of the tracks but remains as polished and high quality as you'd expect a veteran act such as Paradise Lost to go for. This means the album moves with ease between the harshest tones to the more melodic ones, maintaining it's crushing atmosphere but allowing the music room to breathe and evolve throughout the tracks.

Fans of their more commercial electronic/industrial rock and pre-2015 melodic doom releases will probably find this harder to get in to than 'The Plague Within' perhaps. But for long-time fans that have followed the band's evolution from their death doom beginnings and through their commercial height and back again will continue to find vindication and solace in the unabashed heavy doom of 'Medusa'.  

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Review: Paradise Lost – 'Symphony For The Lost'

PARADISE LOST
'Symphony For The Lost'
CENTURY MEDIA

2015 has been a good year for Paradise Lost. They released their heaviest album in 20 years in the form of the stunning 'The Plague Within' and have enjoyed a successful seven week headlining tour in the UK and Europe. Not being strangers to the live album/DVD formats the band have further chosen to commemorate their 25th year with a new double CD and DVD release in 'Symphony For The Lost' recorded live last year in the ancient Roman theatre of Philippopolis in Plovdiv, Bulgaria and accompanied by the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra.

Long time fans will know just how many times the band has integrated orchestration and classical instruments on their studio albums, but to hear this in a truly live context gives the band's already powerful compositions even more depth.

The first disc cover tracks that encapsulate the band's history such as 'Gothic', 'Tragic Idol', 'Last Regret', 'Joy Of Madness', and 'Soul Courageous' featuring the full support of the orchestra, and it sounds utterly stunning. The bottom end of the band's sound is filled out with the rich acoustic textures of the classical instruments as the band's guitars and Nick Holmes' unmistakeable vocals power through the mix.

Disc two covers the second half of the concert. This time without the orchestra but no less powerful for it. Tracks such as 'The Enemy', 'Erased', 'Isolate', 'Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us', 'One Second', and 'Say Just Words' showcase more of the band's middle period characterised by a more electro-rock leaning, which probably wouldn't work as well with the orchestra anyway. But still the songs are performed with the skill and finesse a band of their veteran status.

The accompanying DVD is shot in superb quality with multiple cameras that capture the true grand decay of the venue. It is one of those live documents that really does make you wish that you were there to see it in person and is a fitting tribute to the band. The accompanying documentary shows the thought, preparation and execution of the concert which adds a nice nerdy dynamic to the original spectacle.

The audio mix on both the DVD and the audio discs is excellent. The vocals, guitars and drums sound like a true reflection of the band's live presence. The crowd noise, and the on-stage banter is preserved in full without being trimmed down or muted. And the Orchestra is mixed nicely to give you the optimum balance between what would be the original sound of the song and the live power of the classical instruments.

This is a lovely package that reflects the band's 25 years of duty. This in conjunction with the ban's most recent studio effort show that Paradise Lost are a band on the top of their game and one that still has a hell of a lot to offer in the studio and live.

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Live: Paradise Lost – Rock City, Nottingham 13/11/2015

PARADISE LOST (+ Lucifer)
Rock City, Nottingham
13/11/2015

With their heaviest album since 1996's 'Draconian Times' in tow, Paradise lost, the originators of British gothic doom metal descend upon Nottingahm's Rock City to round off their latest touring cycle. The band's credentials have ranged from Death Metal, Doom, Gothic, Industrial and come full circle again on this year's release 'The Plague Within'. The band's controversial middle period may have seen their most commercial success, and despite a cannon of strong songs their increasingly heavy outlook has successfully re-engaged their long-time fans while introducing those who may have got into the band through their industrial metal phase to doomier sounds.

But first on the bill tonight is the latest darlings of Rise above Records – Berlin/London based psychedelic occult rockers Lucifer who have been consistent support for the headliners on this seven week tour.

The band's first album 'Lucifer I' has seen them gain attention over the summer to the point where a decent portion of the crowd are interested to see them as they hit the stage. The band lead by former The Oath front woman Johanna Sadonis command a strong presence backed up with groove-laden rhythms, strong riffs courtesy of ex-Cathedral man Gary Jennings. Sadonis' vocals punch through the swirling Candlemass meets Ozzy era Sabbath backing and injects dominant melodies with ease.

The band's lead track 'Izrael' provides their final song for their set and is undoubtedly the best received of the night, but in particular tracks such as 'Morning Star', 'Sabbath', and 'Anubis' provide high spots in a solid and tight set that will see many in attendance converted.

The night's headliner's should be a band that need little introduction by now. The Halifax based arm of “The Peaceville Three” that put British doom back on the map with albums such as 'Gothic', 'Icon' and 'Draconian Times' in 2015 mark a triumphant return to their heaviest sounding album to date. And tonight's set reflects this. The band take to the stage and unleash a barrage in the form of 'No Hope In Sight' from the band's new album 'The Plague Within' before heading right back to 1993 with 'Widow'. It's a strong start further solidified with a big sing-a-long rendition of 'The Enemy'.

The majority of the set is gleaned from the latest album with songs such as 'Terminal', 'Victim Of the Past', 'Beneath Broken Earth', and 'Return To The Sun' getting welcome airings. The band's middle period gets only the briefest of look-ins with 'Erased' making an early appearance, and 'Say Just Words' rounding the encore off. But with 'Praise Lamented Shade', 'Enchantment', 'As I Die', and 'Faith Divides US – Death Unites Us' marking undeniable high points and rounding the set out more.

The band are on top form. The performance is tight and professional befitting their now veteran status. Nick Holmes' vocals sound great as they flit between death grunts, anguish shouts and deep croons. And there is plenty of self-deprecating quips and audience interaction to boot. The band have had a good year, one that has further cemented their place as one of the top British metal acts of the last 25 years. By the time the band come to leave the stage having given their musical legacy as well as their present direction a fitting showcase and showing that they are still a force to be reckoned with.

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Review: Paradise Lost – 'The Plague Within'

PARADISE LOST
'The Plague Within'
CENTURY MEDIA

It's hard to believe that Paradise Lost have been around for 25 years now, but the stalwarts of the British dark metal scene have been a constant and evolving presence since their 1990 début 'Lost Paradise'. In that time they have pioneered death-doom, gothic-doom, gothic metal, dark metal and even dabbled in industrial metal to leave on of the richest and most diverse discographies in their wake. The band return with album number fourteen in their silver jubilee year with a sound that sees them come full circle.

'The Plague Within' is one of the band's heaviest offerings to date harking back to the ground-breaking second album 'Gothic'. Nick Holmes' death vocals are front and centre backed-up by a bludgeoning doom metal barrage tinged with gothic symphonic elements. It's the kind of album that long-time fans will be yearning for.

Songs such as 'No Hope In Sight', 'Punishment Through Time', 'Sacrifice The Flame', 'Flesh From The Bone' and 'Return The Sun' see the band at their darkest and most monstrous sounding with excellent riffs, haunting keyboards and imposing vocals bursting through the speakers drawing from their early death doom and gothic-doom outings. Though the stand-out tracks have to be 'Beneath Broken Earth' and 'An Eternity Of Lies'; two songs which utterly encapsulate everything to love about Paradise Lost's musical legacy.

The production is cold and bleak, recalling the likes of Ulver and Swallow The Sun. It's the band at their melancholic best brought out by the capable hands of producer Jaime Gomez Arellano. A partnership that will hopefully continue onto future releases.

'The Plague Within' is a magnum opus for the band. Uniting 25 years of melancholic evolution while pushing their sound forward once more, they exemplify their own past and future. The album is heavy, dark and full of doom metal influences executed with the skill and attention to detail that you would expect from a veteran band of their status. The album is a proud declaration that signs acknowledges their roots but gazes towards the horizon.  

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