Obsidian
Paradise Lost do not have to choose between heavy doom metal and their love of gothic rock on Obsidian. This 2020 album lets both sides coexist and gives them a shared sombre tone. Nick Holmes can sing deeply and with restraint, but also return to a forceful growl. Gregor Mackintosh's guitar melodies hold these different forms of heaviness together.
Darker Thoughts begins on a relatively small scale. Acoustic guitars and restrained singing establish the mood before the music becomes considerably heavier. The change increases the emotion without sounding like another band has entered the room. It makes a strong opening because both the quiet and heavy sides matter. Neither feels like an obligatory step towards the other.
Ghosts chooses a different rhythm. The gothic rock influence gives the song a firmer stride and a chorus that stays with you quickly. That direct character suits the dark singing well. Even when the album gains more movement, its familiar sadness remains. The contrast makes the record livelier without breaking its coherence.
Ending Days builds the tension further and gives the lead guitar work an important role. Ravenghast then pulls the original album firmly back towards doom. Its slow weight and rough singing provide a convincing conclusion after these different approaches to the same mood. Mackintosh's melodies keep offering something to hold onto within the darkness.
The quality is not equally high throughout. Hope Dies Young offers less development and not every chorus is equally strong. Obsidian therefore falls short of an uninterrupted run of highlights. Even so, it achieves something more valuable than checking off familiar styles: the different sides of Paradise Lost sound like parts of one complete work. Its best songs have enough individual character to succeed separately, too.
