Paradise Lost – “Gothic”

DB HOF NO. 5

The making of Paradise Lost’s “Gothic”

released: 1991

label: Peaceville

—————————————————–

Northern England, 1990. Amid the cacophony of blast beats echoing from the speed obsessed world of UK death metal and grindcore, five lads from the grim North were feverishly gathering songs and ideas for the follow up to their doom laden debut album Lost Paradise. Marrying the grittier sound of the down-tuned, death doom heaviness of their 1989 demo Frozen Illusion with the icy majesty of the early ‘80s UK gothic scene, the band emerged with a monolithic slab of metal unlike anything the underground had ever heard. Gothic, released through Peaceville in 1991, stunned head bangers everywhere with a dark, innovative sound that seized listeners within seconds of dropping the needle onto the opening track. The album became an absolute cult classic approaching religious stature by countless underground fans and bands alike. In its wake, the Gothic album single handedly opened the gates for countless trends within the metal world, which sought to incorporate melancholy and—above all—melody within heavier sounds. In the years following Gothic, Paradise Lost has continued to explore many of these darker atmospheres-albeit within the context of more traditional pop and rock music. To celebrate the release of their self-titled 10th studio album Paradise Lost, we gathered the band’s original five members—vocalist Nick Homes, bassist Steve Edmondson, drummer Matt Archer, and guitarists Greg Mackintosh and Aaron Aedy—to reflect on all things Gothic.

—Scott Koerber

To read the entire article, purchase this issue from our online store.