Paradise Lost continue to evolve as they take a step back from the progressive, electronic rock they've been producing for the past few years since the 1997 release of One Second. What is seen on their self titled album is that they continue with that rock, electronic sound, but go for a much heavier vibe than the previous pop infectious melodies. Not to say this isn't infectious, though, because even though it is heavy, it's still very catchy. Let us just say that this is turning more into the "gothic metal" genre than "gothic rock."
The vocals are still sung; not growled or snarled like the early albums, or the present albums Paradise Lost release today. But, they have a bit more of an edge to them as they cut through the songs, backed by the strums of the guitars and lots of electronic sampling. There's a fair use of keyboard and piano involved as well which adds a nice layer of complexity without sounding too cheesy or overdone. On the track, "Redshift," there is a fine example of how the piano and electronics provide breathing moments for the listener before being overtaken by the chugging guitars. And then on "Forever After," again the two instrument devices are shown how they not only separate the beauty from the heavy, but they can also mix it well.
The guitars are the most important feature on this album as they are one of the sole heralds that this band is stepping towards a more gothic metal vibe than the previous works. The sound is slower and there is a lot more chords used to make the sound thicker, followed by one particular guitar line melody that keeps weaving above all the other music. This is a prominent sound that would become stronger on future albums. In the past, there was a stronger use of electronics as the main instrument present on the albums, and there was more of a collaborative, positive sound. On Paradise Lost.
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