Paradise Lost, Obsidian

I know I’m way behind on this, but reviewing and especially enjoying Paradise Lost requires a special mood, silence and the ability to pay close attention and sink into the music. And like any self-respecting album, Obsidian makes no exception. So it took me some time to get into the proper head space, but boy, oh boy did I enjoy it once I finally could.

Gorgeous, slow and steady, with a lot of power, but in a restrained way, not loud and ostentatious. Beautiful violins, a calm guitar that soothes my heart and Nick’s clean vocals, which are the perfect complement for the grave bass and the guttural grunts.

Melodious in a minimalist way, it offers a feeling of sense and satisfaction, as everything flows exactly the way it’s supposed to. No dissonance, no abrupt changes, just one note after another, linked together in perfect harmony. I find myself just drifting and forgetting to take notes, because where exactly do I stop and what exactly can I say about a melody that makes complete sense?

The other flavour of Obsidian is given by tracks such as Ghosts or Hope dies young, which are on the catchier side of music. Slightly more fast paced (not too fast paced, nor too catchy, this is still Paradise Lost we are talking about after all) and with a strong goth rock touch, it’s a nice break from the slower and more burdening songs.

Like Paradise Lost have already accustomed us, one can hear several influences from different genres – the previously mentioned goth rock, but also doom and death metal, going hand in hand without that feeling of trying too hard to be eclecctic and original. The key word is coherence here, Obsidian is a well rounded release and it’s easy to see that this is a band with a long history and very confident in their individual sound.

Ending Days in particular is to die for, I can’t stop listening to it. Rich, emotional, with those touching violins, unshaken cadence and longing vocals, slowly growing and returning to the contained verse, before breaking out into a sorrowful guitar solo… all I can do is close my eyes and rock to its rhythm lost in thoughts.

The album finishes with firmness and class in the form of Ravenghast, a slow doom piece that sounds a lot more epic than you’d give it credit for at its 5.3 minutes.

Obsidian is Paradise Lost through and through, with all the good and… not that good this band has to offer (I cannot call it “bad” for the life of me, I am a fangirl after all). Melancholic, foreboding, melodious, with the proper mix of angst and hope, no compromise and no excess, if you can find some peace and quiet (both on the inside and outside), listening to Paradise Lost’s new release is an hour well spent.