Paradise Lost – "Ascension"

... And one fine ascension it is

There are two kinds of Paradise Lost listeners: Those who "got" the band's clean, synth-y early-00's period (or at least claimed to), and the rest of us. While I did recognize some solid melodies on 1997's "One Second", it was still lukewarm compared to its two amazing predecessors, "Icon" ('93) and "Draconian Times" ('95). And then, of course, they tried being Depeche Mode. And while I won't say that nobody should do that, I will say that nobody can do that (unless they're Dave Gahan and Martin Gore).

I tried getting back into PL with their attempt at a "comeback" to their guitar-driven goth metal with their self-titled album from 2005, but that one left no imprint on me whatsoever. Haven't followed the band since then, and holy shit, that's 20 years ago. Somebody do something.

And also holy shit, what a way to get reacquainted with the group here. That solemn lead guitar in opener "Serpent on the Cross" is pure perfection. Both the tone, the chords, and the very distortion itself collectively emanate a dismal yowl of melancholy. And along with the slow tempo and the lamenting theme, the progression is as beautiful as it gets in this, the doomy side of goth metal.

… That is, until all of a sudden, we go uptempo with a dryly chugging metal rhythm not unlike, say, Metallica, and Nick Holmes growls like in the early days of the band. I never understood that hoarse, throaty growl; I prefer them deep and gargly. But there's no doubt that PL are back at their roots here, and all else being equal, I welcome that. With the stuff that passes for metal these days, it's definitely better to look backward than forward.

This material is based at least as much upon gravitas and stately conviction as upon pounding metal, and it could have easily appeared on one of the band's mid-'90s classics.

The near-triumph continues with the album's majestic peak, "Tyrants Serenade". That lead theme fits so perfectly upon that cadence, you'd have no idea it's only three goddamn chords – and that's a sign you're dealing with a band who know exactly what they're doing. The verse here is officially the one passage of music I've heard that sounds the most like Type O Negative since their final album, and that's one for the category of things I totally knew I'd missed. (Rest in Pete.) This is the reason that PL won me over on aforementioned "Icon" album.

Lead single "Salvation" opens with raven caws and ominous church bells. Also here, we're dealing with a guitar theme that straddles the line of perfection in all its unification of the melancholic and the grandiose. Indeed, PL manage to combine those two modalities as though it were the most natural thing in the world, but that is not a given. And it is not a given, either, that a goddamn single is as slow, deep, and dejected as this one. Hell, it's as if that speech-like growl almost fucking works under these circumstances. And during the C-part, Holmes is even belting on some relatively high notes.

Staying with the vocalist for a moment, one reason I didn't keep on giving PL the benefit of the doubt over the last two decades is that… Let's be honest: Ol' Nick isn't exactly a Freddie Mercury. While the man does hit the correct notes, there's not a lot of personalty or otherworldly artistry going on in his singing. And this tainted those years where he tried his damndest. But during the long absence I took from the band for that very reason, he does seem to have learned a thing or two about vocal technique. And perhaps just as importantly, he doesn't seem to be trying as hard any longer to do what he ultimately can't – which is a huge reason why PL anno 2025 are virtually as good as they've ever been.

Another reason for this is ever-overlooked guitarist Greg Mackintosh. Apart from employing some goddamn feeling – and occasionally even fucking blues sensibilities – in those impressive solos of his, the man seems simply a guarantor of those already mentioned and ever so crucial melodies which provide that unmistakable gothic atmosphere. (Are you paying attention here, Cradle of Filth?) This also happens in "Sirens", and being towards the end of the album, it's amazing that the man can keep on creating one figure after the other that's so catchy and memorable in all its apparent simplicity.

It seems like Paradise Lost are able to do virtually anything required, and, at the same time, that they're not abusing this privilege, but are only memorable when needed – another sign of a band who know exactly what they're doing.

Yes: Simple often equals both catchy and memorable, but it's not a given, and it often also happens at the expense of taste, which is most certainly not the case here. Yes, one might say that rhyming "madness" with "sadness" isn't exactly a pinnacle of sophistication here in 2025. And yes, those driving toms and axe chops, as well as those Cahtedral-like bridge vocal lines, are primitive in nature. But this material is based at least as much upon gravitas and stately conviction as upon pounding metal, and it could have easily appeared on one of the band's initially mentioned mid-'90s classics.

There are those who claim that the initially clean, naked, and slow "Lay a Wreath Upon the World" is the absolute cue of the album. And although I don't necessarily share the sentiment, I fully understand it. Contrasting his ugly growls, Holmes is retained and dignified here. But with the atmosphere lifting itself to celestial strata by pounding toms, an apocalyptic riff, and the graceful voice of Heather Thompson, this is a minor study in dynamics even for a group in this category, and it is definitely the album's biggest stand-out.

"Diluvium", by the way, also sees Holmes employing some of those commanding verse lines that are so reminiscent of Lee Dorian from aforementioned Cathedral (please reunite!), as well as elements from other groups that inspired PL and vice versa. The dragging drive here, for example, could have easily been channeled by Crowbar. And that break leading to an uptempo section is pure Sabbath. It seems like PL are able to do virtually anything required, and, at the same time, that they're not abusing this privilege, but are only memorable when needed – another sign of a band who know exactly what they're doing.

While PL will never be my favorite group in- or outside of their stately territory, "Ascension" is arguably proof that somewhere along the way, they have once again reached a level of facility that is worthy of their name. – A name that helped shape gothic metal as we know it, and towards which one should point one's eyes and ears if one sought to delve deeper into the cornerstones of the subgenre. For that purpose, I will hereby repeat again those two aforementioned mid-'90s classics for those readers who aren't acquainted with them.

Rating: 5 out of 6

Genre: Gothic metal
Release date: 19/9/2025
Label: Nuclear Blast
Producer: Lawrence Mackrory + Greg Mackintosh