Paradise Lost (band)

Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost are a metal band formed in 1987 in Halifax, England. They are considered (along with Anathema & My Dying Bride) as one of the bands responsible for creating the death/doom genre and later the gothic metal genre as well.

Overview

While less so in their home country, they have been extremely popular in mainland Europe for many years, especially in Greece and Germany, where they are regarded as mainstream rock stars. Paradise Lost's line-up has remained remarkably consistent for a long-standing heavy metal band, consisting of singer Holmes, guitarists Greg Mackintosh and Aaron Aedy, and bassist Steve Edmondson. Holmes and Mackintosh are the principal composers, with almost all of the band's songs credited solely to them. Only the band's drumming position has changed, with original sticks man Matthew Archer leaving in 1994 to be replaced by ex-Marshall Law drummer Lee Morris. In March 2004, Morris also left the band. Drummer Jeff Singer took Morris' place and has played on all subsequent releases, though he was not listed as a permanent member of the band until the release of single The Enemy in 2007. In a recent video interview, Mackintosh and Holmes revealed that Singer already auditioned for the band when Archer left, but they chose Morris instead because "[Jeff] had a pink drumkit".

Early Years

Along with countrymates Anathema and My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost are credited for creating the subgenre known as Death/Doom Metal and released 3 full-lengths that fall under this genre - Lost Paradise (1990) and Gothic (1991); Their debut was not so well accepted but the next album, Gothic, was one of the most influential albums within the scene. In the seminal albums Shades of God (1992), Icon (1993) and Draconian Times (1995), Paradise Lost acquired a more melodic, goth rock inspired sound and as such, became known as godfathers of the gothic metal subgenre With the changing of the music style, the vocalist Nick Holmes also changed his singing style. He used a death grunt-style of singing on the band's first three albums; however, upon the release of Icon, he refined his voice to a cleaner tone.

Synth Era

The band have confounded fans and critics alike with their perpetual taste for reinvention and experimentation, a desire to work with producers from other musical genres, and an oft-stated refusal to repeat themselves for fear of stagnation. On the album One Second (1997), which was distributed by hip hop label Jive Records, the band experimented with Depeche Mode-styled synth pop and electronica while, to an extent, maintaining a metallic edge. Although the band changed their style, the album was highly regarded by most critics and gave the group significant exposure in North America. Despite criticism from traditionalists, this bold approach garnered them many new fans along the way, and also cemented the loyalty of diehard fans. Paradise Lost continued this experiment and expanded upon their new sound with the next two albums Host (1999) and Believe in Nothing (2001). In 2002, however; their metallic roots resurfaced with the release of Symbol of Life.

Present Days

With their self-titled album, Paradise Lost continued to abandon their electronic side in favor of a more gothic metal sound. And with the release of their eleventh album In Requiem in Spring[1] 2007 they returned to a sound similar to that of earlier albums like Draconian Times. The album was followed by a single, The Enemy. Paradise Lost and In Requiem were high-rated by both critics and fans, pleased to see the band's returning to their heavier sound.

On November 26th, 2007 Century Media released "Over The Madness", a brand new double DVD from Diran Noubar's new documentary "Over The Madness" displaying the impact Paradise Lost has had on Gothic Metal and giving an insight into the mindset and workings of Paradise Lost. Disc 2 includes further interviews, rehearsal footage plus backstage and memorabilia sections.

Having supported the Finnish Symphonic Metal band Nightwish in North America, Paradise Lost will return to Europe in December, with support from Novembre, Godsplague and Swallow The Sun, later supporting Finnish Rockers HIM.[2]

Members

Nick Holmes on Metalmania 2007 festival in Katowice, Poland.

Current members

• Nick Holmes - vocals
• Greg Mackintosh - guitar
• Aaron Aedy - guitar
• Steve Edmondson - bass guitar
• Jeff Singer - drums (2004-)(ex-China Beach, ex-Kill II This, ex-Blaze (UK), City of God)

Former members

• Matthew Archer – drums (1988-1994)(became of VJ for Euro-MTV)
• Lee Morris - drums (1994-2004)(ex-Marshall Law, ten)

Discography

Band performing on Metalmania 2007 festival

Studio albums

• Lost Paradise (1990)
• Gothic (1991)
• Shades of God (1992)
• Icon (1993)
• Draconian Times (1995)
• One Second (1997)
• Host (1999)
• Believe in Nothing (2001)
• Symbol of Life (2002)
• Paradise Lost (2005)
• In Requiem (2007)

Singles/EPs

• In Dub (1990)
• As I Die (1992)
• Gothic EP (1994)
• Seals the Sense (1994)
• The Last Time (1995)
• Forever Failure (1995)
• True Belief '97 (1997)
• Say Just Words (1997)
• One Second (1997)
• Permanent Solution (1999)
• So Much is Lost (1999)
• Fader (2001)
• Mouth (2001)
• Erased (2002)
• Forever After (2005)
• The Enemy (2007)

Compilations/Live

• The Singles Collection (1997)
• Reflection (1998)
• One Second Live (1999)
• At The BBC (2003)

Demos

• Morbid Existence (demo) (1988)
• Paradise Lost (demo) (1988)
• Frozen Illusion (demo) (1989)
• Pain of Desolation (demo) (1990)

Videography

Video	Album	Length	Year	Copyright
Pity The Sadness	Shades of God	4:05	1992	Music for Nations
As I Die	Shades of God	3:43	1992	Music for Nations
Widow	Icon	3:07	1993	Music for Nations
True Belief	Icon	4:29	1993	Music for Nations
Embers Fire	Icon	4:45	1993	Music for Nations
The Last Time	Draconian Times	3:37	1995	Music for Nations
Forever Failure	Draconian Times	4:45	1995	Music for Nations
One Second	One Second	3:30	1997	Music for Nations
Say Just Words	One Second	4:05	1997	Music for Nations
So Much is Lost	Host	3:39	1999	EMI Electrola
Permanent Solution	Host	3:27	1999	EMI Electrola
Mouth	Believe in Nothing	3:47	2001	EMI Electrola
Fader	Believe in Nothing	3:20	2001	EMI Electrola
Erased	Symbol of Life	3:22	2002	GUN Records
Forever After	Paradise Lost	3:30	2005	GUN Records
The Enemy	In Requiem	3:43	2007	Century Media
Praise Lamented Shade	In Requiem	4:02	2007	Century Media

External links

• Official site
• MySpace
• Paradise Lost discography at MusicBrainz
• Paradise Lost discography at Discogs
• Template:Last.fm
• Interview with Aaron Aedy at Komodo Rock
• Photos from Romania in 2008 with Negura Bunget