PARADISE LOST PARADISE LOST ALBUM GUN, SONY BMG RELEASE: MARCH 2, 2005 REVIEW: MARCH 19, 2005

Somehow you shouldn't be able to fail if you get Rhys Fulber to produce your album, should you? Well, that is now proven wrong, after the brilliant Front Line Assembly music smith laid his hands on this, Paradise Lost's self titled follow up to nicely crafted "Symbol of Life".
But I don't think it is Fulber's fault that this record actually is the most boring one these "doom-turned Depeche Mode with guitar"-Britons have put out since "Believe in Nothing". It has a great sound and nice guitars, that's for sure, but it lacks a certain something. You know, like a movie that you, after you've seen it, thought was cool, but realises the story was way too thin.
Of course, there are a few cool songs scattered throughout the album: "Forever after" and "Don't Belong" to name a couple. But there are actually no real highlights, no pompous Sisters of Mercy-echoing songs like those on "Symbol of Life" or no good, pure electronic outbursts like those that made "Host" such a surprisingly good album. Instead, we get attempts to go back to the doom heavy past that Paradise Lost have left behind and where other bands long since have surpassed the efforts made by the pioneers. We also get attempts to, with the exquisitely heavy and full bodied production signed Fulber, but still, sway a mainstream audience that sadly is looking for even more opera-like qualities and appearances by vocalists that likes to think they are sopranos but wouldn't last a minute on a national opera stage.
And when the songs and attempts fail, Paradise Lost are left with the droll voice of Nick Holmes, who now has almost nothing to lean on and stands out in a negative way with his monotonous delivery.
Sad, in all the wrong ways.

KALLE MALMSTEDT