Paradise Lost – Obsidian (Review)

This is the 16th album from UK metal band Paradise Lost.

This is the eagerly awaited follow up to 2017’s Medusa, which was a thoroughly enjoyable album through and through. Back with 45 minutes of new material on Obsidian, this is a great time to be a Paradise Lost fan.

Embracing the variety of the band’s back catalogue more than they did on Medusa, Obsidian offers up a few different aspects of Paradise Lost, to great effect.

This is a rich collection of songs, showcasing the depth and emotive power that the band are capable of. From their forays into crushing doom, to future Gothic rock live favourites, to elegant atmospheric metal, and much else; the band know exactly what they’re doing with their material. Every track has its own identity and personality, full of engaging melodies and catchy vocals. The songs are well-written, memorable, full of hooks and great ideas, and overall this is yet another supremely strong release from Paradise Lost. Despite its wide vision, this is unmistakably Paradise Lost to the core, and the album works well holistically. This is Gothic metal at its finest.

Few bands this deep into their existence are as vibrant or creative as Paradise Lost, but then standing still has never been their style. Due to both the diversity on display, and the rampant high quality levels, Obsidian is likely destined to become considered as one of the band’s modern classics.

Essential listening.