Almost twenty years in the making and this gothic doom metal band is still spearheading the genre. Paradise Lost has shown a wide berth of musical prowess, from their early death/ doom metal sound to the the mid era electronic prog rock and now they have seemed to find their modern niche. With their last album, In Requiem, it seemed that the group was on a teetering edge; would they return to their electronic rock or continue down the dark path of chugging doom metal and anguished voices? Apparently, the latter won out.
Faith Divides Us... is a wonderful example of just how good this band can be. Sure there are the chugging, gritty guitars and barked out choruses, but it also has its subtle moments with quieter singing, plucked strings, and even some orchestra and piano. However, for the most part, the entire album is dominated by one guitarist whose musicianship is stellar and clear throughout the album, along with the vocals. The rest of the sound- drums, bass, and other guitar- is just there, but they tend to create great collaborations with the main guitarist (this can be seen best in the track, "First Light.")
What makes this album so good for a gothic metal piece is that it really sets the atmosphere. The music, as a whole, is a slow, sorrowful requiem. The brief moments of orchestral choir and piano/ synthesizer really drive the point home, and the lyrics are also very poetic. A great example of this is on the title track, which opens with a very beautiful violin passage that weaves with the guitar and continues throughout most of the song. The vocals are sung with honesty, and not overly shouted. It is a very welcome relief from the prog rock era where most of Paradise Lost's work seemed cheesy and did not pack much of a punch to the ears of listener. However, in contrast, the music was much more upbeat and varied.
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Article comments
1 - Gruybath
It is indeed an incredible return to form. Quite how they managed to achieve this, I'm still guessing. It's great to hear Greg's leads as effective as ever and Nick's vocals again in full form. This album is on a par with Icon but better than Draconian Times. Shame it won't sell as it should.