Album by Paradise Lost

I’m still figuring out my relationship with death metal, but this felt like a step toward understanding it. Maybe? I mean, if I’m being honest, it’s still super scary stuff.

The vocals are still deep in that “demon growling from an atomic wasteland” territory — not exactly my comfort zone — but they’re clearer than I expected. I could actually make out parts of what he was saying, which made it easier to latch onto than some other albums in this style.

Musically, it’s heavy in a very physical way. The guitar riffs are thick and chunky, and the drums just hammer everything forward. It doesn’t feel chaotic so much as relentless. With a genre like this, I’ve always found myself drawn more to the music than the vocals, and this one does not disappoint.

There’s also a real sense of mood running through it. Everything leans dark — not just aggressive, but bleak. It feels like it’s telling some kind of larger story, even if I’m not fully catching all the details. There’s a lot of doom and gloom baked into the atmosphere, and the band commits to it completely.

I wouldn’t say this fully converted me, but I found myself more engaged than I expected. It’s intense, and a little overwhelming, but it feels more approachable than I thought it would.

Still sounds like a demon that wants to kill me though.

Verdict: Worth a Spin

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