PARADISE LOST - DRACONIAN TIMES

Paradise Lost are a British gothic metal band formed in 1988 in Halifax. They are regarded as pioneers of the death-doom genre and as a key influence on the later gothic metal movement. Bands that have cited Paradise Lost as an influence or covered their material include My Dying Bride, Anathema, The Gathering, Amorphis, Cradle of Filth, Katatonia, Moonspell, Lacuna Coil, HIM, and Nightwish. As of 2005, Paradise Lost have sold over two million albums worldwide. The band’s lineup has remained largely stable, consisting of singer Nick Holmes, guitarists Greg Mackintosh and Aaron Aedy, and bassist Steve Edmondson, with Holmes and Mackintosh as the primary composers. Over the years, the drummer position has changed several times. After forming in 1988, Paradise Lost released three cassette demos—"Paradise Lost", "Frozen Illusion", and "Plains of Desolation"—before signing to Peaceville Records in 1989. Their debut album, "Lost Paradise", was recorded at Academy Music Studio in December 1989 and released in February 1990. The band returned to the studio in November 1990 to record their second album, "Gothic", released in March 1991, which introduced keyboards and female vocal accompaniments. Paradise Lost left Peaceville and signed to Music for Nations, releasing "Shades of God" in July 1992. The album continued their musical evolution, incorporating softer passages, acoustic guitar, and a reduction of Nick Holmes’s death growls. The song "As I Die" was released as a single and EP. Their fourth album, "Icon" (1993), further moved away from doom metal, with Holmes adopting a James Hetfield-style vocal delivery. Original drummer Matthew Archer departed in December 1994 and was replaced by Lee Morris. The band’s fifth album, "Draconian Times" (1995), was their most commercially successful at the time, reaching the Top 20 in several countries. Following extensive touring, Paradise Lost experimented with synth-pop and electronica on "One Second" (1997), particularly on the single "Say Just Words". Paradise Lost signed to EMI for "Host" (1999) and "Believe in Nothing" (2001), continuing their exploration of electronic sounds, though "Believe in Nothing" was recorded under label pressure. In 2002, they signed to GUN Records and released "Symbol of Life", which reintroduced heavier elements. Lee Morris left in 2004, replaced by Jeff Singer, and the band released the eponymous album "Paradise Lost" in 2005. On Century Media, Paradise Lost released "In Requiem" (2007), returning to a heavier, gothic metal style. Drummer Jeff Singer left in 2008 and was replaced temporarily by Mark Heron, with Adrian Erlandsson joining later. Subsequent albums included "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us" (2009), "Tragic Idol" (2012), "Tragic Illusion 25" (2013), "The Plague Within" (2015), "Medusa" (2017), and "Obsidian" (2020). Live performances and tours continued alongside releases, with lineup adjustments as needed. Paradise Lost’s sound has been described as death metal, death-doom, and doom metal, and they are considered a creator of gothic metal, beginning with "Gothic" (1991). Influences cited by the band include Black Sabbath, Dead Can Dance, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Tony Iommi, Jimi Hendrix, and gothic rock acts such as Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and The Cure. Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Lost_(band) Studio albums Lost Paradise (1990) Gothic (1991) Shades of God (1992) Icon (1993) Draconian Times (1995) One Second (1997) Host (1999) Believe in Nothing (2001) Symbol of Life (2002) Paradise Lost (2005) In Requiem (2007) Faith Divides Us – Death Unites Us (2009) Tragic Idol (2012) The Plague Within (2015) Medusa (2017) Obsidian (2020) Ascension (2025) Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.