It's pretty apparent that Nick Holmes hooking up with Bloodbath for 2014's Grand Morbid Funeral was bound to have an effect on his future performances with his main band Paradise Lost. That indeed seems to be the case, as the growls are back in full swing here on the latest set from the UK gothic doom legends, titled The Plague Within. The band have slowly been coming back full circle to the style that made them sensations on albums such as Gothic and Draconian Times, and this latest sees the doom legends once again delivering the goods.
Holmes has his growl, soaring clean vocal, and James Hetfield styled bark all amped up and ready to go here on The Plague Within, but it's those earthy, deep growls that are going to resonate with fans the most, feeding off the massive riffing on "No Hope In Sight", "Terminal" and the funeral "An Eternity of Lies". The crushing riffs courtesy of Greg Mackintosh & Aaron Aedy drive the massive "Punishment Through Time" as well as the monolithic dirge "Beneath Broken Earth", the latter a 6-minute journey into doom splendor, Holmes' tortured, gravelly growls tearing at your soul every step of the way. "Victim of the Past" is more of a progressive styled tune, as ominous keyboards and textured riffs allow for a varied performance from Holmes, while "Cry Out" is more of a straight forward metal ripper that will prompt the air guitars and head banging immediately from any fan. The bands penchant for atmospheric gothic/doom/death metal can be heard on the melancholy "Return to the Sun", a song with many textures and tones, as well as another great overall performance from Holmes.
Yes, you can safely say that Paradise Lost are back in full swing here on The Plague Within, so if you are a doom fan, you will need this one in your collection as soon as possible. I'm pretty sure this album will appear on many Best of 2015 lists as the year draws to a close.
Track Listing
1 - No Hope In Sight 4:54
2 - Terminal 4:28
3 - An Eternity Of Lies 5:58
4 - Punishment Through Time 5:13
5 - Beneath Broken Earth 6:09
6 - Sacrifice The Flame 4:42
7 - Victim Of The Past 4:29
8 - Flesh From Bone 4:19
9 - Cry Out 4:31
10 - Return To The Sun 5:44
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