Total Metal Shop

PARADISE LOST “Icon” /CD/


    Band Info

  • Product Code: 82876 82915 2
  • Availability: In Stock

  • € 19.90
  • € 15.90

  • Price in bonus-scraps: 199

< >

PARADISE LOST

The first re-release of the fourth full-length studio album by legendary British Gothic Doom Metal band.
After several years of experimentation and musical growth, Paradise Lost released their career-defining album, "Icon". On this release, they demonstrated the streamlined approach that would be present on all of their following albums and would eventually become their calling card. Gone are the Progressive tendencies showcased on their previous album, "Shades Of God". The end result is a very focused album that combines all of Paradise Lost's strengths in a concise format. The album marked a departure from the Death/Doom sound of their early work, and was the last album to feature Matthew Archer on drums. The lumbering rhythm guitars along with the steady rhythm section serve as the platform for the trade-offs between Gregor Mackintosh's signature leads and Nick Holmes's gruff vocals. The simple, yet incredibly effective, guitar work is the first indication of the band's new approach - combining their atmospheric and gloomy character with the bare-bones Heavy Metal style, that became so popular after the release of Metallica's "Black Album". The second indication would be Nick's new vocal style, which also seemed to be influenced by mid-career James Hetfield. Despite the fact that Paradise Lost were obviously paying attention to the then-current trends in Metal and implemented those characteristics in their sound, they managed to maintain a strong sense of identity and avoid becoming a pale Metallica clone. The stripped down arrangements and structures ended up highlighting the strong songwriting that is showcased throughout the album, as each haunting melody is given plenty of room to echo and grasp the listener. Although the band received some criticism for significantly toning down the heavier aspects of their sound, "Icon" created quite the buzz upon its release and elevated Paradise Lost's profile to new heights.
The band strikes a good balance between the more energetic numbers and the slower ones, while maintaining consistency throughout the entire album. Songs like "Remembrance", "Dying Freedom", "Widow", "Weeping Words" and "Poison" showcase the band's ability to convincingly execute powerful Heavy Metal tracks at a higher tempo without losing focus on the melodic and atmospheric aspects of the song. And even though their previous albums also featured some quality up-tempo material, the much improved production job and the more concise songwriting help in elevating the aforementioned tracks to new heights. Among the slower songs on the album you'll find career highlights such as "Joys of the Emptiness", "Colossal Rains" and "True Belief", which manage the impossible task of being both soul-crushingly depressing and incredibly infectious, which, in a way, sums up perfectly the essence of Paradise Lost.
The word "evolution" often comes to mind when one examines the process-driven career of Paradise Lost, and "Icon" presents a significant step in that process. It marks the point where the band went from being an exciting and innovative young group in search of its voice to a confident, fully realized force with a clear sense of identity and vision. An absolute highlight in the band's stellar discography!
In February 2018, "Icon" was inducted into the Decibel Magazine Hall of Fame, becoming the second Paradise Lost album to be featured in the Decibel Hall of Fame (alongside "Gothic"), with the magazine naming it influential to the development of the Gothic Metal subgenre.
Sony BMG Music Entertainment (UK) Ltd., 1993/2006 (82876 82915 2). Made in Austria. Re-press.


Tracklist:
1. Embers Fire 4:44
2. Remembrance 3:26
3. Forging Sympathy 4:43
4. Joys Of The Emptiness 3:29
5. Dying Freedom 3:43
6. Widow 3:04
7. Colossal Rains 4:35
8. Weeping Words 3:50
9. Poison 2:59
10. True Belief 4:30
11. Shallow Seasons 4:55
12. Christendom 4:30
13. Deus Misereatur 1:57
Total playing time: 50:25 min.



Leave a review

Please login or register to review

Last viewed

HIDEWEAVER “Silver Bullet” /Digipack CD/

HIDEWEAVER “Silver Bullet” /Digipack CD/

Debut full-length album by Italian Melodic Heavy Metal band. "Silver Bullet" is an album that impresses with its originality and sophistication.  Every single note will be a milestone in a journey to that freak-show called Heavy Metal.  If you want to get lost in a dream of po..

€ 4.90

LADY BEAST “Lady Beast” /CD/

LADY BEAST “Lady Beast” /CD/

The debut full-length studio album by American Heavy Metal band. If you're into glorious and hard-driving female fronted Heavy Metals bands surrounded by an air of authenticity, look no further than Pittsburgh’s Lady Beast, as it raises itself swords and shields above the rest! This comp..

€ 9.90

SUICIDE SILENCE “Blue Logo” /Patch/

SUICIDE SILENCE “Blue Logo” /Patch/

Embroidered bordered woven patch. 65x40mm  ..

€ 0.90

DEF LEPPARD “Pyromania” /CD/

DEF LEPPARD “Pyromania” /CD/

The third full-length studio album by legendary British Hard Rock/Heavy Metal band. Band's first album to feature guitarist Phil Collen and produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange. While Def Leppard had obviously wanted to write big-sounding anthems on their previous records, "Pyro..

€ 14.90

BITTERNESS “Dead World Order” /GLP/

BITTERNESS “Dead World Order” /GLP/

The seventh full-length studio album by German Melodic Death/Thrash Metal band. Nearly 20 years in business and not tired of delivering ‘into-the-face’ Metal! The trio from Southern Germany premiered in 2002 with "Dawn Of Golden Blood" and released five more records to date. ..

€ 21.90

ENTHRONED “Xes Haereticum” /CD/

ENTHRONED “Xes Haereticum” /CD/

The sixth full-length album by cult Belgian Black Metal band. Enthroned are, along with Cirith Gorgor, one of those bands who surely deserved more luck and attention by the whole scene. While Marduk and Dark Funeral are considered almost Rock Stars, this band continued releasing very good albums, w..

€ 11.90


Related Products

PARADISE LOST “Logo” /Patch/
PARADISE LOST “Logo” /Patch/

Embroidered bordered woven patch. 85x40mm ..

€ 0.90

PARADISE LOST “Draconian Times MMXI” /CD; Live/
PARADISE LOST “Draconian Times MMXI” /CD; Live/

The fourth live album by the legendary British Gothic Doom Metal band. Filmed at a sold-out show at The Forum, London on April 1st, 2011, this live album goes back in time to Paradise Lost's 1995 classic album, “Draconian Times”, and combines their matured experience with a new-foun..

€ 14.90

PARADISE LOST “Shades Of God” /CD/
PARADISE LOST “Shades Of God” /CD/

The third full-length studio album by legendary British Doom/Death Metal band. "Shades Of God" integrated more melodies and subtle passages that marked the band's transitioning sound. It features the use of growling noticeable in the band's previous efforts, although shows the beg..

DIscount -13%

€ 13.90 € 15.90

PARADISE LOST “One Second” /CD/
PARADISE LOST “One Second” /CD/

First re-release of the sixth full-length studio album by legendary British Gothic Rock/Doom Metal band. With "One Second" band once again have proven that they are a pure force of Doom that is here to stay. This album contains a brilliant combination of mysterious keyboard harmonics and ..

DIscount -18%

€ 13.90 € 16.90

PARADISE LOST “Draconian Times (25th Anniversary Edition)” /2LP/
PARADISE LOST “Draconian Times (25th Anniversary Edition)” /2LP/

The second re-release of the fifth full-length studio album by legendary British Gothic Doom Metal band. "Draconian Times" is the most commercially successful release from one of the creators of Doom/Death Metal subgenre, also known as pioneers of Gothic Metal. The album continues where &..

DIscount -10%

€ 44.90 € 49.90

PARADISE LOST “In Requiem” /CD/
PARADISE LOST “In Requiem” /CD/

The eleventh full-length studio album by legendary British Gothic Doom/Death Metal band. This band, after more than 20 years on scene, still maintain relevance. But now darker and heavier. "In Requiem" is at first a continuum from where they’ve stopped with "Symbol Of Life"..

€ 19.90

PARADISE LOST “Lost Paradise” /LP/
PARADISE LOST “Lost Paradise” /LP/

The first re-release of the debut full-length studio album by legendary British Death/Doom Metal band. Timeless debut of Brutal and Atmospheric Death Metal legends and one of the early highlights in the formative years of Peaceville Records! Paradise Lost are known for being the founders of the Go..

DIscount -13%

€ 34.90 € 39.90

PARADISE LOST “Gothic” /LP/
PARADISE LOST “Gothic” /LP/

The first re-release of the second full-length studio album by legendary British Gothic Death/Doom Metal band. The album, which introduced the world to Gothic Doom Metal! "Gothic" was the album responsible for a whole sub-genre: Gothic Doom Metal, upon its release in 1991. Creating a mor..

DIscount -13%

€ 34.90 € 39.90

PARADISE LOST “The Plague Within” /CD/
PARADISE LOST “The Plague Within” /CD/

The fourteenth full-length studio album by legendary British Gothic Doom Metal band This album shows the band returning to their death-doom roots, mixed with elements of the gothic metal sound they are most known for. Paradise Lost proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that heading musically backward..

DIscount -18%

€ 13.90 € 16.90

PARADISE LOST “Drown In Darkness – The Early Demos” /Ltd. 2LP/
PARADISE LOST “Drown In Darkness – The Early Demos” /Ltd. 2LP/

The first re-release of the second compilation album by legendary British Death/Doom Metal band. Compilation album features the early years of Paradise Lost, including all tracks of the "Paradise Lost" demo 1988, all tracks of the "Frozen Illusion" demo 1989, as well as live boo..

DIscount -6%

€ 32.90 € 34.90

PARADISE LOST “Draconian Times” /CD/
PARADISE LOST “Draconian Times” /CD/

The second re-release of the fifth full-length studio album by legendary British Gothic Doom/Death Metal band. "Draconian Times" is the most commercially successful release from one of the creators of Doom/Death Metal subgenre, also known as pioneers of Gothic Metal. The album continues w..

€ 14.90

PARADISE LOST “Medusa” /Ltd. Digibook CD/
PARADISE LOST “Medusa” /Ltd. Digibook CD/

The fifteenth full-length studio album by legendary British Gothic Doom Metal band. Two years after the critically acclaimed "The Plague Within", Paradise Lost returned with yet another full-length studio recording and, it was pretty much the logical continuation of the path taken by its ..

€ 17.90

PARADISE LOST “Lost Paradise” /CD/
PARADISE LOST “Lost Paradise” /CD/

Remastered re-release of the debut full-length studio album by legendary British Death/Doom Metal band. Timeless debut of Brutal and Atmospheric Death Metal legends and one of the early highlights in the formative years of Peaceville Records! Paradise Lost are known for being the founders of the G..

€ 17.90

PARADISE LOST “Gothic” /CD/
PARADISE LOST “Gothic” /CD/

Remastered re-release of the second full-length studio album by legendary British Gothic Death/Doom Metal band. The album, which introduced the world to Gothic Doom Metal! "Gothic" was the album responsible for a whole sub-genre: Gothic Doom Metal, upon its release in 1991. Creating a mo..

€ 15.90

PARADISE LOST “Drown In Darkness – The Early Demos” /CD/
PARADISE LOST “Drown In Darkness – The Early Demos” /CD/

The first re-release of the second compilation album by legendary British Death/Doom Metal band. Compilation album features the early years of Paradise Lost, including all tracks of the "Paradise Lost" demo 1988, all tracks of the "Frozen Illusion" demo 1989, as well as live boo..

€ 13.90

PARADISE LOST “Draconian Times MMXI” /Ltd. 2LP; Live/
PARADISE LOST “Draconian Times MMXI” /Ltd. 2LP; Live/

The second re-release of the fourth live album by the legendary British Gothic Doom Metal band. Filmed at a sold-out show at The Forum, London on April 1st, 2011, this live album goes back in time to Paradise Lost's 1995 classic album, “Draconian Times”, and combines their matured e..

€ 47.90

PARADISE LOST “Draconian Times MMXI” /Ltd. 2LP; Live/
PARADISE LOST “Draconian Times MMXI” /Ltd. 2LP; Live/

The second re-release of the fourth live album by the legendary British Gothic Doom Metal band. Filmed at a sold-out show at The Forum, London on April 1st, 2011, this live album goes back in time to Paradise Lost's 1995 classic album, “Draconian Times”, and combines their matured e..

€ 49.90

PARADISE LOST “Faith Divides Us – Death Unites Us” /Ltd. TLP/
PARADISE LOST “Faith Divides Us – Death Unites Us” /Ltd. TLP/

The second re-release of the twelfth full-length studio album by legendary British Gothic Doom/Death Metal band. Paradise Lost's career trajectory comes virtually full circle on 2009's "Faith Divides Us – Death Unites Us", an album that sees the British Metal veterans resumi..

DIscount -5%

€ 37.90 € 39.90

SUPPORT UKRAINE
<b>SUPPORT UKRAINE</b>
GLORY TO UKRAINE!

SUPPORT THE ARMED FORCES OF UKRAINE