Icon
Icon gives Paradise Lost's heavy guitars a clearer melodic direction. Nick Holmes relies less on a deep growl and more on a rough, understandable attack. The music consequently loses some distance while retaining its sombre atmosphere. Above all, the relationship between the guitars gives the record a strong identity and a clear reason to return.
Aaron Aedy's firm chords provide a foundation for Greg Mackintosh's sorrowful melodies. That division works because melody belongs inside the song. It does not simply decorate an otherwise unchanged riff. Forging Sympathy retains sufficient force underneath to give the more attractive guitar lines weight. The arrangements connect heaviness and expression without requiring constant changes of direction.
Embers Fire uses string sounds to enlarge the opening. Holmes fits well between the hard instruments and those broader surroundings. True Belief subsequently draws strength from a melancholy introduction and a chorus that quickly sticks. The band make their dark sound easier to approach without releasing all its tension or removing the substantial guitar presence.
The later departures prove useful too. Female vocals in Christendom introduce another colour. Deus Misereatur closes with piano and timpani, briefly changing the relationship between weight and atmosphere. Such details show how much care sits behind the apparently straightforward approach. They add variety without making the music feel detached from the rest of the album.
Not every song convinces equally. Predominantly slow and moderate tempos can flatten the record, particularly where the melodies become less distinctive. The drumming gives those passages little extra movement. A tighter selection would have helped. Nevertheless, Icon remains a strong collection of dark, recognisable songs. Clear production keeps the guitars heavy and the melodies audible. That combination supplies much of the album's lasting appeal, even when the individual tracks do not all reach the same level.
