* En anglais uniquement
Formed in 1988, West Yorkshire quartet
Paradise Lost quickly became key innovators in the nascent doom metal and grindcore worlds. While their 1990 debut
Lost Paradise was straightforward, deft, death metal reminiscent of
Napalm Death and
Obituary, the follow-up
Gothic found the band adding female vocals, keyboards, and prominent guitar lines, all rarities for the genre. In the early to mid-'90s, the group signed with Music for Nations and produced a trio of critically heralded records:
Shades of God,
Icon, and
Draconian Times. After a stint on
EMI, the outfit returned to form with 2007's creative
In Requiem, their first LP for Century Media.
Paradise Lost moved to
Nuclear Blast in 2017 for their 15th studio album,
Medusa. They explored a more vintage sound on 2020's
Obsidian.
Paradise Lost formed in Halifax, England in 1988; originally comprising vocalist
Nick Holmes, lead guitarist
Gregor Mackintosh, rhythm guitarist
Aaron Aedy, bassist Steve Edmonson, and drummer
Matthew Archer, the group recorded a pair of demo tapes,
Drown in Darkness and Frozen Illusion, before signing with
Peaceville Records to issue their debut album,
Lost Paradise, in early 1990. The follow-up, 1991's
Gothic, was the band's breakthrough, its dark production and orchestral elements setting them apart from the competition; a major European tour also expanded
Paradise Lost's fan base dramatically. Signing with the Music for Nations label, they returned in 1992 with
Shades of God, considered by many to be their high-water mark; an EP, As I Die, appeared later that same year, complete with cover art by the incomparable Dave McKean.
After 1993's
Icon,
Archer left
Paradise Lost, and was replaced by drummer
Lee Morris;
Draconian Times followed in 1995, with the more goth rock-oriented
One Second released two years later. Arriving in 1999,
Host, their first outing for
EMI Germany, saw
Paradise Lost straying even further away from their doom metal past by introducing elements of trance and melancholy downtempo into the mix. In 2002, the band moved to Gun Records and released
Symbol of Life, which employed a harder, more metallic approach and featured guest spots from
Devin Townsend,
Jamie Muhoberac, and
Lee Dorrian. Two years later
Lee Morris left the group and was replaced by
Jeff Singer, who made his first
Paradise Lost album appearance on the group's eponymous 2005 outing. Released in 2007,
In Requiem was issued via Century Media, as was 2010's
Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us and 2012's
Tragic Idol, the latter of which marked the debut of new drummer
Adrian Erlandsson, who replaced outgoing traps man
Jeff Singer in 2008. In 2015,
The Plague Within saw
Paradise Lost return to their doom/death metal roots, as did 2017's punishing
Medusa, their 15th studio long-player and first for
Nuclear Blast. The band reversed this trend with 2020's self-produced
Obsidian, which had a melodic, eclectic sound more reminiscent of their classic middle period. ~ Jason Ankeny