PARADISE LOST — Obsidian (review)

PARADISE LOST — Obsidian album cover Album · 2020 · Gothic Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
5/5 ·
Warthur
Just as Medusa was a return to the death-doom style of Paradise Lost's early years, Obsidian is a refreshed update of the gothic style of metal they rolled out on their run from Shades of God to Draconian Times. Focusing more on guttural, harsh vocals rather than the clean vocals which came in towards the end of this period (though there are some of those), this is not an album to reinvent the wheel, but it might be an album which reminds you just how good that particular wheel is.

For instance, Hope Dies Young is, at once, a song which could have sat proudly alongside any of their early 1990s output, and at the same time perhaps a song which they needed to go on their long sonic journey away from their roots before they could pull it off quite this well.

In other words, as with Medusa this is the result of the band having moved away from this musical style over the years, and thus gaining the ability to have some perspective on it which they might not have picked up had they not undertaken that journey. It shouldn't be a surprise when a band as consistently good as Paradise Lost make an album this excellent this late in their career, but somehow Obsidian even exceeds their usual standards.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
adg211288 wrote:
more than 2 years ago
One thing I really love about these guys is that although they do have albums that are similar they have never had more than two consecutive albums that's true of. They're always changing yet always remaining distinctly Paradise Lost.

For me, Obsidian is one of their most unique records in the sense that it's probably what Icon and Draconian Times would have sounded like if Nick hadn't originally stopped growling.
UMUR wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Hell yeah, this is a brilliant album.

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Fury And Ashes Hardcore Punk
UNDER NEGATIVE MIND
Buy this album from MMA partners
Bonded By Morbid Brutality Hardcore Punk
ZODIAC KILLER
Buy this album from MMA partners
All Witches Shall Burn Death Metal
PANZERCHRIST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Negative Music Hardcore Punk
HAUST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Every Sound Has A Color In The Valley Of Night Progressive Metal
NIGHT VERSES
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

LIVEALIE - Smothered (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
LIVEALIE
Bosh66· 51 minutes ago
LIVEALIE - Honestly, This is the Death of Me (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
LIVEALIE
Bosh66· 51 minutes ago
LIVEALIE - Disciples (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
LIVEALIE
Bosh66· 52 minutes ago
LIVEALIE - Casting Shadows (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
LIVEALIE
Bosh66· 52 minutes ago
LIVEALIE - Forget-me-not (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
LIVEALIE
Bosh66· 52 minutes ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed