The Great Collection Rediscovery

Album: To Travel For Evermore

Old Rating: 5/5

Verdict: While it's perfectly natural to consider the Nils Patrik Johansson fronted Wuthering Heights, their second album and last with singer Kristian Andrén has always stood out to be as being one of the band's best albums, second only to its follow-up Far From the Madding Crowd. Like many albums here it's been far too long since I last played To Travel for Evermore (2017 according to Last.fm), but it's a sign of a good album that I still remember it so completely after all this time. I must try to put a review out for this on MMA, since it has none.

New Rating: No Change. 

Album: Shades of God

Old Rating: 4.5/5

Verdict: A transitional album between the early death-doom Paradise Lost and the gothic metal incarnation that was to follow, which actually makes Shades of God one of the the band's most unique sounding albums. The band's song-writing is becoming more memorable with every release and of the early period this is currently my favourite. 

New Rating: No Change. 

I'd consider myself an old school fan, in that I had all the previous albums. Personally, I still loved this, but I've always been in somewhat of an insular bubble with few real life metal acquaintances. 

Album: In The L..L..Library Loft

Old Rating: 3.5/5

Verdict: This is certainly an album that those who really know my taste may be surprised that I have (I mean I have this but no Kayo Dot, come on right?) but this represents one of my most unusual second hand shop finds as well as a cautionary tale in regard to not being liberal with MMA tagging. You see when I noticed this album I immediately recognised the name Toby Driver and knew of this album and that it had been filed under Avant-Garde Metal on MMA. It was an instant buy. So imagine my surprise when I listened to it that it really wasn't that metal at all, just a few scattered elements here and there within music that wasn't even rock. As it happens I did somewhat enjoy the album and all these years later have found a bit more appreciation for it even though this will never be something that I listen to very often, but still, it's something to bear in mind with why we need to have our tags right here. 

New Rating: 4/5

I'm a bit like that with this one. It's like if you get the hankering for AiC with Layne you reach for Facelift and Dirt and then this one if those haven't sated you. Or you might just listen those again first.

Album: Electric Pentagram

Old Rating: 5/5

Verdict: I'm really just including this in this blog because A) it was in my collection when I started this and B) it's been out since January but everything I want to say about this is going to be in a proper review that will be posted shortly. For now, just a rating change, which is happening a lot with albums once they get out of the honeymoon period. 

New Rating: 4.5/5

Album: The Old Man and The Spirit

Old Rating: 4.5/5

Verdict: A damn fine prog metal debut here from a band that showed hell of a lot of promising for the coming decade when it dropped in 2012...yet it's still their 'current' album. A real shame.

New Rating: No Change. 

Album: One Second

Old Rating: 4/5

Verdict: Paradise Lost start to enter their goth rock phase, but this one is still pretty heavy on the guitars with it. Historically I've tended to cap this album at 4 stars because it's a bit outside of my usual interests and it was also one of the first two I got from them and I was listening to the other one, In Requiem, a whole lot more, but I've grown to really appreciate this one over time. Perhaps a step down from Draconian Times, but still a great record and another unique Paradise Lost album entry.

New Rating: 4.5/5