- Product Code: NB 3797-1 | 27361 37971
- You will get bonus-scraps: 30
- Availability: In Stock
-
€ 29.90
- Price in bonus-scraps: 299
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 predecessor. "Medusa" proved that the band’s rekindled flirtation with their death doom roots was more than a mere aberration, bringing us more music in the vein of the previous album’s grimmest and most desolate cuts from the crypt.
Don’t let the magenta-colored background of the front cover fool you: "Medusa" is one of the band’s blackest and bleakest efforts to date, with eight crushing tunes that have much more in common with, say, "Gothic" or "Shades Of God" than with "Icon" or "Draconian Times", the last two of course representing the band’s most heralded era. 2012’s "Tragic Idol" marked a brief return to that mid-nineties sound many of their fans love and revere, and we can assume that another record in the same vein must have been commercially tempting. Instead, Paradise Lost decided to throw their fans a curveball with "The Plague Within" and then doubled it up with the even more rugged and harsh "Medusa". Kudos to these stubborn Yorkshiremen for continuing to defy expectations and still being able to surprise people even after thirty years in the business!
"Medusa", even more so than "The Plague Within", is a highly consistent but not an instantly accessible affair, at least not for those who prefer the band’s mellower, velvety side. One of the major points of criticism for many listeners is the way Greg Mackintosh’s signature lead-guitar harmonies take a back seat on "Medusa", which is geared more towards crushing Doom riffs and a barren atmosphere of blackness and despair rather than one of melancholic grandeur. However, the lack of overt melodicism on most of the other tracks can make the raw and unrelenting "Medusa" a tough pill to swallow for some. In fact, the true strength of "Medusa" lies in just that relentlessness and homogeneity. Indeed, we did get what we were expecting: eight songs of Doom Metal, with the modernity of the production balancing the Death elements that are included. Fans of broad guitar tones should rejoice at the rumbling heft of the riffs, most of which crush down at a slow pace and with juddering heavy drumming from new member Waltteri Väyrynen.
"Medusa" is an excellent addition to Paradise Lost's already towering discography. This album is like a drug for your heart, mind and soul. If you like to discover your dark side and embrace it to escape from reality, buy this record, that is one of the few highlight releases of 2007. Lay down and bask in it!
Strictly limited 180g black vinyl in gatefold cover.
Nuclear Blast Tonträger Produktions- und Vertriebs GmbH, 2017 (NB 3797-1 | 27361 37971). Made in the EU. First press.
Tracklist:
Side A
01. Fearless Sky 8:31
02. Gods Of Ancient 5:50
03. From The Gallows 3:42
04. The Longest Winter 4:31
Side B
01. Medusa 6:20
02. No Passage For The Dead 4:16
03. Blood & Chaos 3:51
04. Until The Grave 5:41
Total playing time: 42:42 min.