Beloved gothic metal pioneers Paradise Lost return with the intense new album “Medusa”. Focusing on depressing reality and the timeless crushing depths of doom/gothic metal style Paradise Lost continue to impress with fierce songwriting and mature musicianship.
“Fearless Sky” stands out for the killer guitar riffs executed with perfect traditional doom majesty. The whole instrumentation follows a particularly heavy pathway, Nick Holmes delivers impressive harsh vicious growls and everything feels immensely desolate until solemn clean vocals and some groovy melodic guitar leads emerge from the bottomless darkness with raw charismatic energy.
“Gods Of Ancient” is filled with vigorous thick guitar riffs in a towering rhythmic crescendo that naturally evoke a mystical stark atmosphere. Nick’s vocal delivery confidently matches the massive doom tinged darkness carrying tremendous wrath and the guitar work seamlessly adds enchanting melodies to the thunderous rhythm.
“The Longest Winter” is undoubtedly one of the most charismatic tracks on the album as melodic guitars never fail to conjure emotional and highly melancholic melodies. Building a cohesive backbone of mournful doom oriented impossibly thick rhythmic guitar riffs & bass lines, Paradise Lost creates a cold realm of pure hopeless desolation adding a perfectly crestfallen mix of wistful clean vocals and borderline desperate growls.
The title track has an arcane atmosphere as thick guitar riffs concoct a rather majestic mood. Nick’s clean vocals hold a cathartic melancholy that becomes particularly ardent in the memorable chorus while Greg Mackintosh delivers an overdose of somber addictive guitar melodies in proper gothic fashion.
Confidently marching through the void that threatens us everyday “Blood And Chaos” keeps a grandiose heavy core but immediately delivers loads of groovy guitar riffs gaining faster pace with more vibrant and less gloomy rhythmic moments.
Because of talented long standing bands like Paradise Lost we can safely say that gothic metal is still relevant in the super chaotic metal scene. With an impeccable cold monolithic sound “Medusa” proudly dwells in a profound darkness that constantly and inevitably fuels and inspires Paradise Lost’s music legacy.