Paradise Lost – At The Mill
Release Date: 16th July 2021
Label: Nuclear Blast
Bandcamp
Genre: Paradise Lost are their own genre.
FFO: Paradise Lost, doom and depression.
Review By: Ben Harris-Hayes
Well, what can I say about my love for Paradise Lost?
Quite a lot actually…but that won’t make for a great review and will come across as some fanboy gushing, so let’s attempt to not do that, eh? heh heh
PL have been part of the metal scene for nearly 35 years now and have consistently just done their own thing; taking the rough with the smooth and critics with the fans. It’s never been anything but what they want to do musically…and you’ve got to respect that.
This live album, captured at The Mill nightclub near the band’s hometown in Yorkshire, England during Lockdown 2020/21 covers their lengthy career in a way that only Paradise Lost can do…darn well miserably…and I’m OK with that.
Kicking off with 1993’s icon(ic) track, ‘Widow’; there is a pleasing warts’n’all production value to the record.
All the guitar scrapes, noises, occasional sloppy drum fill and other lovely live value is here…and I respect that approach to this record. Any edits and cuts are shamelessly left in…because why not?
Fast-forward 2 decades to 2020’s album, ‘Obsidian’, for second track’s growly doom of ‘Fall From Grace’; we’re presented with a track that simply showcases the band unashamed middle-finger to doing anything other than what they want. Nick Holmes is in fine form on this live record, growling and rasping his way through the near 6 minutes whilst hitting those higher-range notes with ease.
2017’s ‘Medusa’ album gets a nod next with ‘Blood and Chaos’ next, before the title track from 2009’s ‘Faith Divides Us – Death Unites Us’ record gets an airing as track four on this live outing.
Personally, I think ‘Faith Divides Us – Death Unites Us’ is the band firing on all their doom-filled cylinders and is peak Paradise Lost. Miserable…yet head-noddingly good.
Next up, I am transported right back to being a teenager again with the opening riffs from 1991’s ‘Gothic’ album, with the title track and it’s delightfully-dour orchestral arrangements. Not sure who was doing the clean female operatic-style vocals, but it’s certainly a nice touch.
1995 comes a-calling next with ‘ShadowKings’, taken from the ‘Draconian Times’ record…which, I think, is perhaps still my fave record. A dirgy, doom cold-handed slap in your face.
Next up is the title slice from a contentious record in the bands back catalogue, ‘One Second’…and it’s one I have argued with other fans about a few times. Personally, I like it. It saw the band trying to do something different without going completely leftfield or doing something that wasn’t them entirely. To me, it was still Paradise Lost…but just with some electronics and other bits to show the bands interest in development. The core of the bands gloomy brand of music was still there for me…but I know some ‘doom gatekeepers’ will be tutting into their goblet of mead when they read this…but y’all can eat a dead toad.
Perhaps I would have liked to have heard ‘Say Just Words’ on this record, but done in the context of this live record’s moribund vibe…but hey, we can’t get everything we want, eh?
‘Ghosts’ from their last studio album rears its head as track 8 on this live record, because of course they want to promote what is technically their latest release, right? With it’s twirly Cure-esque vibe before launching into it’s awesome half-time vibe, I dig this track and the rawer production here lends something a bit more grim to it, which is great.
Time-shift to 2007’s ‘In Requiem’ album with ‘The Enemy’ and then pirouette back to 1992 with the very start of the band with a slamming version of ‘As I Die’ for tracks 9 and track on the album respectively. It’s really interesting to hear the latter here as it still has quite a punch to it.
Another slab from the ‘In Requiem’ record pops up as track 11’s ‘Requiem’ gets a modern-day airing at The Mill and nods to the bands slightly heavier moments with its occasional double-kick drums and chunky palm mutes.
As we head towards the end of the record with track 12’s ‘ No Hope In Sight’ and an especially doomy rendition of 1993’s ‘Embers Fire’, I’m left thinking about how much I enjoyed this band as a youngster…and although my tastes have changed a bit these days, this band will always have a place in my heart and more so, my CD collection.
Yes, I still own CD’s. haha
Chuck in ‘Beneath Broken Earth’ and then head towards the end of this live escapade.
Closing this album with the one-two hit of ‘So Much Is Lost’ from 1999’s ‘Host’ record and then the utterly miserable but honest ‘Darker Thoughts’ is a fantastic middle-finger to the gatekeepers…and what’s even better is the song ends…and that is it. No hidden track, no fanfare, no fireworks…just the end…like Life itself?
OK, so I could argue against some of the song choices here or more so, the omissions such as personal faves like ‘Forever Failure’…but I’m OK with that and I doubt PL really give a darn.
This really is one of the UK’s best, if not THEE best, purveyors of miserable doom doing exactly what they do best…make me feel melancholic and depressed. hahaha
I had to go listen to upbeat/major scale Justin Timberlake material after listening to this live album 3 times through for review purposes, just so that I didn’t go chuck myself off a cliff screaming “Life sucks!”…but such is the power of the doomy vibe that Paradise Lost have delivered for over 3 decades.
OK, so let’s wrap up with a deep dive into the past and the present with some scores…
The dour, confused teenage soul that lurks within me which adores Paradise Lost loved this a lot and gives it a resounding 4/5…because…nostalgia.
The present me, who needed to go listen to Justin Timberlake after this review also gives it 4/5 because it’s a great summation of what makes Paradise Lost so vital to my musical journey…and more so, to the music itself.
Crickey…I feel depressed now…and it’s ok, you know?
*wipes tear away*
(4 / 5)
