PARADISE LOST – Ascension

RELEASE YEAR: 2025
BAND URL: https://paradiselostofficial.bandcamp.com/

Paradise Lost’s Ascension²⁰²⁵ (Nuclear Blast) is a towering return that finds the Halifax, UK legends operating at a level few bands their age could dream of. Clocking in at 51:02 with 10 tracks as their 17th studio album, Ascension stands as their strongest and most satisfying full-length since the untouchable Icon¹⁹⁹³, falling just short of that masterpiece’s flawless songwriting cohesion while delivering an embarrassment of melodic riches, crushing riffs, and emotional depth. If Obsidian²⁰²⁰ felt a touch restrained in its melodic ambition, this is the record where Paradise Lost fully unleashes the haunting beauty that made them pioneers of gothic/doom/death metal.

Of note should be the fact that the band has kept the trio core Nicholas “Nick” John Arthur Holmes (vocals), Gregory “Greg” John Mackintosh (lead guitars, keyboards), Anthony Edward Aaron Aedy (1988-rhythm guitars) and Stephen Edmondson (bass) intact throughout almost constant drummer changes, with Guido Zima Montana (from 2023) who left after recording Ascension replaced by ex-My Dying Bride stickman Jeff Singer, on par with Icon era Matt Archer or Draconian Times¹⁹⁹⁵ Lee Morris, although the founding trio’s choices to compliment Edmondson have never felt inadequate throughout the band’s 36 year career. As pioneers of doom death metal genre along their fellow Brits My Dying Bride and Anathema, the trio known as the Peaceville Trinity or Three (since trinity is an absurd concept) with their Lost Paradise¹⁹⁹⁰ debut, also sparked the gothic metal movement with extremely seminal Gothic¹⁹⁹¹ (a record you can even hear future Opeth in), only to make a beeline for straight heavy metal of the following Shades Of God¹⁹⁹² and the legendary Icon (dropping growls completely) as well as Draconian Times, an album already noticeably inching toward Depeche Mode, which became clearer on still metallic yet fully gothic One Second¹⁹⁹⁷ and finally the full Depeche Mode worship of Host¹⁹⁹⁹ (which they will revisit on the so named side project featuring Nick and Greg), as fantastic as I found it. And then Paradise Lost begun its slow ascension (no pun intended or is there?) back to the roots, throughout alt rock, industrial and finally gothic metal to return full force with the underrated The Plague Within²⁰¹⁵ where Nick picked up his growls as if he had just left them on the side of the road back in 1993. In that respect, the band’s history weirdly parallels My Dying Bride’s and Aaron Stainthorpe’s now I growl now I don’t dynamic. The one sharp contrast between the two is that Paradise Lost has never released anything that could be remotely considered crap, whereas My Dying Bride can’t really boast such an achievement (“Heroine Chic”?).

As for Paradise Lost, they are unequivocally in their prime here. Gregor “Greg” Mackintosh delivers a masterclass in supreme, haunting lead work and riffing—his melodies are in generous supply, weaving through the tracks like ghostly threads that stick in your mind for days. Aaron Aedy finally gets the room he deserves, laying down pure heavy metal riffs that hit with both power and precision. And Nick Holmes? Vocal mastery achieved. He deploys five distinct styles—including commanding cleans, desperate growls, and everything in between—with such nuance that they actively enhance and color the musical landscape rather than just sitting on top of it. The solos throughout aren’t mere shred; they’re little self-contained stories, evoking the golden era of Icon, Shades of God, Draconian Times, and Faith Divides Us – Death Unites Us²⁰⁰⁹ to name but a few. In fact, in an interview, Macintosh pointed to Icon and Shades as their songwriting blueprint for Ascension and I have to agree.

Kicking off with a brilliant callback to Icon atmosphere is “Serpent On The Cross”, no not a Christ-bashing hickup from Holmes’ recent tenure in Bloodbath but “cross representing stability, prosperity, hope and happiness while serpent trepidation, anguish and overbearing sadness, lurking in the shadows ready to take everything away” to quote Nick Holmes, features an absolutely fantastic central melody, a sudden burst into fast thrashy riffing, Macintosh shining in the pre-chorus, and a chorus that reuses that killer hook to devastating effect. The transitions are seamless, the solo is virtuosic, and it slows into a doomish section that recalls the majestic sorrow of Draconian Times—complete with wind-swept atmosphere, an opener for the ages and my favorite track. A pure doom bliss, “Salvation” is a close second – opening bells giving way to an excellent Iconic melody, Black Sabbathian riffs, a clean chorus that soars, and then an ultra-heavy slow riff that crushes the soul with Holmes screaming in an absolutely unprecedented way before the mournful resolution. The solos are stunning, and it closes with ravens and bells in a way that feels cinematic and final. Seeing Greg making up for any perceived melodic shortfall on Obsidian, “Diluvium” showcases Aedy’s riffs as pure heavy metal fire, with melodies that nod to My Dying Bride (the Peaceville overlap feels natural and welcome), shifting into a fast thrashy section with a near-classical Megadeth-worthy melody, reprising a ridiculously catchy riff, and landing an excellent ending and the way the first half flows without a break into the next track keeps the momentum alive and shows smart sequencing. “Deceivers” brings a weird industrial edge that echoes Symbol of Life²⁰⁰², then launches into a fast melodic riff backed by keys. The chorus melody is gorgeous and recalls the grandeur of In Requiem²⁰⁰⁷. “The Precipice” might be the most epic cut: piano intro into slow, doomy territory with strings and abundant melody. The riffs feel fresh yet Paradisical, leading to a piano-and-guitar solo section that’s simply transcendent—virtuosic and emotionally charged.

Even the least favorites hold up strongly. Weird in the best way and still rewarding, the truly haunting “Lay A Wreath Upon The World” leans acoustic with a “Darker Thoughts” and Host vibe, Pink Floydian introspection, and an excellent melody that almost sounds like it could suit a female vocal. The short but excellent “Savage Days” offers complex Opeth-style acoustics into One Second cleans. Delivering devastating melodic riffs, a Megadethly verse, a killer melodic chorus, and some atypical Middle-Eastern guitar flair, “Sirens” adds welcome color. The special edition (which I was given for review) features two fantastic bonus tracks, “This Stark Town” and “A Life Unknown”, and even though “The Precipice” feels like a perfect closer, the two seem naturally fitting right after, something that wasn’t always the case (i.e. “Another Desire” and Lord Of Misrule” for Draconian Times).

The album’s only real “flaw” is that the songwriting, while excellent across the board, doesn’t quite reach the god-tier consistency and perfection of Icon. But that’s an absurdly high bar—Ascension is still the band’s best since then by a comfortable margin, with stronger pacing, more dynamic shifts, and a renewed sense of adventure that keeps things from feeling too formulaic.

Paradise Lost has always been criminally underrated. They should have achieved the mainstream gothic/doom stature of Type O Negative (whom they’ve arguably surpassed in long-term consistency) and sit comfortably on par with My Dying Bride. As an unashamed My Dying Bride fan, I say that without hesitation: these guys are the real deal, still evolving while honoring their roots. Ascension is melodic doom/death/gothic/heavy metal at its most potent—haunting, heavy, and human. Essential listening for anyone who values atmosphere, melody, and crushing riffs in equal measure. Paradise Lost ascends indeed.