Paradise Lost: Discovering Hidden Music Gems

Paradise Lost. Paradise… Lost….. Just listen to these two words. How cool they sound! This must be one of the best names for any music band ever, right? And yes, the band took inspiration from the famous poem “Paradise Lost” by John Milton when picking their name.

Have you heard this group? Even though they are one of the founders of Doom music genre, I wouldn’t be surprised if you have no idea who they are. Paradise Lost is rather well known by metal fans, and mostly in Europe. But surprisingly (at least for me) they didn’t get the level of fame they totally deserve in US.

And yet, this is one of the best metal / rock bands in the world. Their music has been excellent for about 30 years now. Yes, they are still very much in business and keep giving us amazing hits.

Who are the Paradise Lost? Short Bio

Paradise Lost is an English metal band formed in 1988 in Halifax, West Yorkshire. They are widely regarded as pioneers of the death-doom genre, together with such groups like My Dying Bride and Anathema. PL had a significant influence on the gothic metal movement and remain as one of the prominent musical leaders of the genre.

Another interesting fact about the band is that Paradise Lost maintained a stable lineup for so many years. Lead singer Nick Holmes, guitarists Greg Mackintosh and Aaron Aedy, and bassist Steve Edmondson were there in the beginning and they are still together. Holmes and Mackintosh are the primary songwriters. By 2024 Paradise Lost has released 16 studio albums.

For the latest news about the band you can always check their official website and socials.

Music Style of Paradise Lost

Withing their 30+ years history the band has explored multiple sub-genres of metal and rock. The first albums were primarily of Doom/Gothic/Death metal genres. However in between 1997 and 2002, Paradise Lost went through some big changes in their music style.

Albums like “One Second”, “Host” saw the introduction of lighter sound with additional electronics and keyboards, and Holmes started singing clean vocals. The “Host” in particular had more obvious synth-pop and dark wave vibes.

“Believe in Nothing” took them on a journey towards alternative rock. “Symbol of Life” showed tendencies of getting back to the heavier gothic metal sound. Both Mackintosh and Holmes said that at least partially these changes were caused by personal stuff going on in their lives and within the band.

Since the release of “In Requiem” in 2007 the band has been consistently producing their trademark heavier death and doom metal sounding hits.

What makes Paradise Lost so special?

With such a long career and so many albums Paradise Lost someway somehow were able to always release amazing songs. Yes, their music was touching different genres over the years, but every single album has at least a few exceptional songs. And for me that’s more than enough to consider a band to be truly Great.

I absolutely love the fact they went through various genres. Started heavy, went lighter, returned to heavy sound. All across multiple albums, with each having plenty of devoted fans who consider that particular release their best. This is a proof of extraordinary talent and love for the craft.

Best Song by Paradise Lost

I have to admit Paradise Lost is one of the toughest bands to create a list of the best songs for. It all depends on your current mood and how you’re feeling at the moment. Thankfully, the band has released a lot of superb songs so there’s a wide choice. Still, picking TOP 10 was extra difficult, because I love so many of their songs. Yet, I did it, feel free to check this Full playlist of their best Hits.

As for the singular best songs of this band, it is literally impossible to select one. I have at least 5 singular best songs by Paradise Lost and they are all on the #1 spot. But if you have never head this band before, and I can recommend just one song to start with, it will be Darker Thoughts from the album ‘OBSIDIAN’.

Enjoy great music.