Whatever experiments Paradise Lost did with the music, one thing always was unaltered: Nick Holmes’ vocals and Greg Mackintosh’ riffs always created unrepeatable melancholic atmosphere. Their new, 15-th album ‘Medusa’ also isn’t exception.
Previous album ‘The Plague Within’ was a one big boiler, where Paradise Lost put everything they had: death metal, gothic metal, doom and in general everything that the band ever made. And, oddly enough, this infernal brew worked.
‘Medusa’, in contradistinction to its predecessor is much more solid album. Here it’s less death metal, but lots of doom and gothic. The tempo is slowed, compared to previous album, Nick Holmes’ vocals (passing from clean to growl) rather agonized neither agressive; Greg Mackintosh riffs are dark, gloomy and lugubrious. But it doesn’t mean that the album isn’t heavy, no! Rather it’s close to ultra-slow sludge songs. But of course there are exceptions like “Blood And Chaos” or “Until The Grave”, that played faster than most songs in an album. Anyway, the tempo isn’t faster than “middle”.
The first single from an album “The Longest Winter” shows distinctly to the listener what to expect. And I’ll say it straight: there is nothing good to expect. The atmosphere of despair, melancholy and all-consuming angst is so strong, that you with to shoot yourself in a head after first track “Fearless Sky”. And there are seven more ahead (ten with bonus tracks), one darker than other. So it can be said, that British masters of dark feeling did their work excellent.
Nick Holmes talking to Italy’s Linea Rock about ‘Medusa’: “I would say if you’ve ever heard every album by PARADISE LOST, it’s closest to the ‘Shades Of God’ album, our third album. It’s an album carrying on from that, but hopefully it’s a lot more sophisticated and it’s better produced and better played than that album.” Gregor added: “Style-wise, it’s more between ‘Gothic’ and ‘Shades Of God’ era, with modern touches to it as well.”
Next year it’ll be 30 years to Paradise Lost. And the fact, that the band can release such albums despite their age is very impressive.
‘Medusa’ will be released on September, 1 via Nuclear Blast Records.
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