1545 - Paradise Lost Fear of Impending Hell 2012

Paradise Lost have had a long and more varied career than most. From their earliest death metal days of ‘lost paradise’, through the dense atmosphere of ‘gothic’ and all the way to their commercial peak in the form of ‘draconian times’ the band carved out a niche in the world of metal that few, if any, bands have matched. The first thing you notice about ‘Tragic Idol’, before you even hear a note, is the immense artwork crafted by Parisian designer Valnoir and which stands apart from anything else the band have ever released. On the third track, ‘Fear of impending hell’, a far off guitar wails in the darkness before a massive riff surges forth from the speakers. So far so Paradise Lost, but then suddenly the band switch tone for a verse that employs acoustic guitars to craft a sense of light and shade that sees the heavier passages sounding truly monstrous in the face of such melody.