Paradise Lost (band)
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox musical artist
Paradise Lost are a British gothic metal band. Formed in Halifax, West Yorkshire, in 1988, they are considered to be among the pioneers of the death-doom genre, and regarded as the main influence for the later gothic metal movement. As of 2005, Paradise Lost have sold over two million albums worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Their line-up has remained stable for such a long-standing heavy metal band, consisting of singer Nick Holmes, guitarists Greg Mackintosh and Aaron Aedy, and bassist Steve Edmondson. Holmes and Mackintosh are the principal composers, with almost all of the band's songs credited to them. During the years, the band have only changed drummers. Template:Toc limit
History
Early years and Peaceville Records (1988–1991)
After their formation in 1988, Paradise Lost released three cassette demos, Paradise Lost, Frozen Illusion, and Plains of Desolation, before being signed to Peaceville Records in 1989. They recorded their debut album, Lost Paradise, at Academy Music Studio in December of that year. The album was released in February 1990.<ref name=allmusicBio>[[[:Template:AllMusic]] Paradise Lost Biography, at allmusic.com]</ref>
In November 1990, Paradise Lost returned to Academy Music Studio to record their second album, Gothic, which was released in March 1991. The band began to move away from the death/doom sound of their previous releases by adding keyboards and female vocal accompaniments.<ref name=AllmusicGothic>Template:Cite web</ref>
Music for Nations (1992–1998)
Paradise Lost left Peaceville and were signed to the Music for Nations label and released Shades of God in July 1992.<ref name=allmusicBio /> The band's musical approach continued to evolve with this album as evidenced by the addition of quieter passages in the song's compositions, the softening of vocalist Nick Holmes's death grunt, and Gregor Mackintosh's incorporation of acoustic guitar to his sound.<ref name=allmusicShades>Template:Cite web</ref> The album contained the song "As I Die", later released as a single/EP.
In the summer of 1993, the band recorded their fourth album, Icon, released in September of the same year. The band continued to develop their sound away from their doom roots and more towards the dynamics and sound of "As I Die" from their previous album. On Icon, Nick Holmes abandoned his death grunt and started using a "James Hetfield-style bark".<ref name=allmusicIcon>Template:Cite web</ref> It was after this album, in December 1994, that original member Matthew Archer quit and was replaced by drummer Lee Morris.
The band entered the studio in January 1995 to record their fifth and most successful album, Draconian Times, which was released in June 1995. Mackintosh says about Draconian Times, "that it's the album by which everything else we do gets judged. Rightly so, as it's the backbone of our career and sound".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The album charted in the Top 20 album chart in a number of countries including the UK and Germany.
Following the success of Draconian Times, and after four years of continuous touring, the band began to get bored with their signature sound and started to experiment with Depeche Mode-esque synth-pop and electronica.<ref name=base>Template:Cite web</ref> This new direction shaped their next album One Second, released in 1997, and was most epitomised by the lead single, "Say Just Words". The album was one of the band's most successful releases, particularly in Northern Europe, cracking the German, Swedish, and Finnish top ten charts.<ref name=GermanCharts>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=SwedishCharts>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=FinnishCharts>Template:Cite web</ref>
EMI (1999–2001)
The band moved to EMI Electrola in Germany for its next album, Host, released in 1999, on which they continued to experiment with new sounds, appearing to shed their metal roots.<ref name=allmusicHost>Template:Cite web</ref> While this album continued to alienate their traditional fanbase in places like the UK, it was their highest charting album in Germany, entering at number 4 on the Album Chart.
On the next album, 2001's Believe in Nothing, Paradise Lost continued this synth direction but adding rock elements to the music, forcibly by EMI at the time. Due to the loss of creative control, Mackintosh said that the album "doesn't really exist for him".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
GUN Records (2002–2005)
In May 2002, the band signed to GUN Records, and on the album that followed, Symbol of Life, the metallic roots of the band began to resurface;<ref name=allmusicSymbol>Template:Cite web</ref> the band decided to work with producer Rhys Fulber to reestablish their metal sound.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The album included guest musicians Devin Townsend, Jamie Muhoberac, and Lee Dorrian.<ref name=allmusicSymbolCredits>Template:Cite web</ref>
In March 2004, Lee Morris left the band due to "personal and musical differences"<ref name="Blabbermouth (a)">Template:Cite web</ref> and was replaced by Jeff Singer.
Paradise Lost released Paradise Lost, their tenth album, in 2005, also on GUN Records.
Century Media (2006–2016)
The eleventh album, In Requiem, was released in the spring of 2007 on Century Media;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> it was generally well-accepted and highly rated by both critics and fans, pleased to see the band returning to their heavier, gothic metal sound similar to that of earlier albums like Draconian Times.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The full-length was preceded by a single, "The Enemy" and on the single, Singer was finally listed as a permanent band member. In a recent video interview, Mackintosh and Holmes revealed that Singer had already auditioned for the band when Archer left, but they chose Morris instead because Singer "had a pink drumkit".<ref>Prod vidéo metal et production indépendante Template:Webarchive</ref>
In November 2007, Century Media released the DVD Over the Madness, which documents the impact Paradise Lost has had on gothic metal and provides insight into the mindset and workings of the band. Disc 2 includes further interviews, rehearsal footage, plus backstage and memorabilia sections.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 13 August 2008, drummer Jeff Singer announced his departure from the band on the Paradise Lost official website. He wanted to be with his family, had an upcoming job, and the then-upcoming South American tour would interfere with that. As a result, Paradise Lost had to cancel the South American tour dates that they had planned.<ref>Paradise Lost Drummer Quits; South American Tour Cancelled Template:Webarchive blabbermouth.net. 13 August 2008.</ref> Soon after, on 28 August 2008, the Paradise Lost official website announced that the cancelled South American tour has been reconfirmed<ref>Paradise Lost Not Cancelling South American Tour blabbermouth.net. 9 September 2008.</ref> and that Mark Heron from Oceansize would take over on drums.
At the beginning of 2009, Paradise Lost recorded an album with producer Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden. At the time there was no full-time replacement for Jeff Singer and drums were played by Swedish drummer Peter Damin.<ref>Paradise Lost Begins Recording New Album; Video Available blabbermouth.net. 9 February 2009.</ref> On 16 March 2009, when recording for the album was already finished, the band recruited Adrian Erlandsson (At the Gates, ex-Cradle of Filth) as a full-time drummer for the band.<ref>Ex-Cradle Of Filth Drummer Adrian Erlandsson Joins Paradise Lost metalunderground.com. 16 March 2009.</ref>
On 18 June 2009, Paradise Lost officially announced Faith Divides Us – Death Unites Us as the title of their album to be released on Century Media Records on 25 September 2009 in Germany, on 28 September 2009 in the rest of Europe and on 6 October 2009 in the US.<ref>Paradise Lost Reveals New Album Title metalunderground.com. 18 June 2009.</ref>
Paradise Lost headlined the Jägermeister Stage at Ozzfest 2010 on 18 September 2010.<ref>Paradise Lost To Headline 'Jägermeister' Stage At U.K. Ozzfest Template:Webarchive blabbermouth.net. 10 August 2010.</ref>
In late 2011, Paradise Lost began recording its 13th studio album Tragic Idol in The Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire. The album was released on 23 April 2012.<ref>Paradise Lost Announce New Album for 2012 Template:Webarchive paradiselost.co.uk. 28 November 2011.</ref> Adrian Erlandsson was unable to play a few live shows for this album so the band got Jeff Singer again to fill in.
Paradise Lost performed some of their songs at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards with Cristina Scabbia on Paradise Lost's song "Say Just Words" and with Gus G. of a Black Sabbath cover, "Into the Void".
On 15 August 2013, the cover and artwork for their compilation album of B-sides, Tragic Illusion 25, were released. From September to October 2014, some of the songs from the album were released, such as a new song entitled "Loneliness Remains", and older songs that were remade such as "Our Savior 2013" from Lost Paradise and the title track "Gothic 2013" from Gothic. The album was released on 5 November 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 27 October 2013, it was announced that the writing for the 14th studio album will begin after their 25th-anniversary tour and the recording to the album will start in June 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 29 December 2014, it was revealed that The Plague Within would be the title for upcoming album.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 26 January 2015, the release date for 2 June 2015 was announced, along with the producer, Jaime Gomez Arellano and the recording location of Orgone Studios, London.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Speaking to Rock Sins, Nick Holmes stated that the new album would have elements of all previous Paradise Lost material including a return to the death/doom of their early output, stating that "there's some songs that could've been written in 1989, a couple of really old school doom/death songs which are gonna surprise a couple of people when they hear it".<ref>An Interview With Nick Holmes on Bloodbath, Replacing Mikael & new Paradise Lost Rock Sins. Retrieved 5 February 2015.</ref> The Plague Within is considered by many traditional fans to be their best and most complete album in many years, as well as being a true return to their signature sound.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Nuclear Blast (2016–present)
On 1 September 2017, Paradise Lost released their 15th studio album, Medusa. The band continued their return to a much heavier, more doomier sound. Singer Nick Holmes said "...definitely our heaviest album; the heaviest we've done". Medusa was well received by fans and critics alike.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2018 marked the band's 30th anniversary and was celebrated through select dates around UK and mainland Europe, including their first gig in the hometown of Halifax, as well as a South and North American tour with Solstafir and The Atlas Moth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In November 2019, Decibel Books issued the band's authorised biography, No Celebration: The Official Story of Paradise Lost. The book was authored by American journalist David E. Gehlke.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In March 2020, Nuclear Blast announced the release of the group's 16th studio album, Obsidian, for 15 May.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Nick Holmes described it as "one of the most eclectic albums we have done in some time, we have miserable songs, sad songs, slow songs and faster songs. Did I mention miserable?". The first single, "Fall from Grace", premiered on 20 March, along with a music video.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The next year, the band released a live album titled At the Mill; while the album was recorded live, the band played with no audience due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 7 September 2022, drummer Waltteri Väyrynen was announced to have departed from the band, who found a temporary replacement in drummer Guido Montanarini. Montanarini also performs with Paradise Lost guitarist/keyboardist Gregor Mackintosh in the band Strigoi.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Väyrynen since joined Opeth as their permanent drummer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In October 2022, Mackintosh and Holmes announced the formation of Host, a synth-pop side-project that is "taking the concept of what we attempted to do on the Paradise Lost album Host but approaching it in a modern context".<ref name="host ix">Template:Cite web</ref> A music video for the single "Tomorrow's Sky" was uploaded to the label's YouTube page on 21 October 2022. Their debut album, entitled IX, was released on 24 February 2023 via Nuclear Blast.
On 24 March 2023, Paradise Lost announced on their Facebook page that touring drummer Guido Montanarini had become an official member of the band.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In a November 2023 interview with Portugal's Metal Global, Holmes said that Paradise Lost have been working on new material for the follow-up to Obsidian: "Hopefully at the beginning of next year, we can have a few months downtime so we can actually get working more on the album. But we've got a few songs done. I think we've got a few songs done; we need to review them. So, yeah, we'll hopefully write an album next year, anyway. Whether it's gonna be recorded [next year], I don't know, but hopefully at least written".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In May 2025, prior to the release of Ascension, Montanarini became the sixth drummer to leave Paradise Lost;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> according to Mackintosh, he was dismissed because of "a lot of butting heads".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was replaced by Jeff Singer, who had previously drummed for Paradise Lost during the 2000s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ascension was released on 19 September 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Style and influences
Originally coming from death metal,<ref name=laing>Template:Cite web</ref> Paradise Lost exerted a decisive influence on the development of death doom and gothic metal in the early 1990s,<ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref name="allmusicInRequiem">Template:Cite web</ref> with their 1991 album Gothic being considered style-defining and name-giving for the latter genre.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=salmeron /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The apparent influence of the band's early releases has been observed in the work of Anathema, Cathedral and Winter.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Other bands that have cited Paradise Lost as an influence (or have covered them) include My Dying Bride,<ref name="pmetal">Template:Cite book</ref> Anathema,<ref name="pmetal" /> The Gathering,<ref name="pmetal" /> Amorphis,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cradle of Filth,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Katatonia,<ref name="Katatonia bio">Template:Cite web</ref> Moonspell,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lacuna Coil,<ref name="spirit">Template:Cite web</ref> HIM,<ref name="spirit" /> Nightwish<ref name="spirit" /> and many others.
Guitarist Aaron Aedy said, "In Bradford we used to go to a number of clubs where one minute they'd be playing serious gothic music, and the next minute they'd have on Kreator or something".<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> Nick Holmes cited Iron Maiden's singer Bruce Dickinson in his main influences along with Metallica for their Master of Puppets album.<ref name="laing" /> Holmes said that the band's early influences were Black Sabbath and Dead Can Dance: "the old Black Sabbath, that's, to me, the inspiration for when we started the band".<ref name="salmeron">Template:Cite web</ref> Guitarist Mackintosh said that he took inspiration from "Tony Iommi a lot" and also "Johnny Marr [...] Jimi Hendrix and classic music", mixing all these styles with metal music and rock music.<ref name="salmeron" /> Mackintosh also stated that gothic rock was an influence, citing bands like "Southern Death Cult and early Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie and the Banshees, early Cure".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The band was also influenced by sludge metal band the Melvins, which influenced the band's extremely slow tempos. Vocalist Nick Holmes said, "we liked the idea of combining the sort of slower Sabbath riffage, but making it even slower to get the whole doom metal thing going. But honestly, we were so obsessed with the death metal stuff in those days that we didn't really venture that far outside our own musical field".<ref name=":0" />
The band experienced a considerable shift in style between 1997 and 2002, on their albums One Second through Symbol of Life; One Second saw the heavy use of electronics and keyboards and Holmes using clean vocals,<ref name=decibel>Template:Cite web</ref> with Host moving even more towards synthpop / dark wave. Believe in Nothing moved the band to a more alternative rock direction, with Symbol of Life re-establishing a heavier gothic metal tone. Both Mackintosh<ref name="musicradar">Template:Cite web</ref> and Holmes<ref name="blabbin">Template:Cite web</ref> expressed ambivalence about this period of the band, citing personal problems within the band at the time.<ref name="musicradar" />
Band members
- Paradise Lost at Luppolo in Rock 2024
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Nick Holmes
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Gregor Mackintosh
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Aaron Aedy
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Stephen Edmondson
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Guido Montanarini
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Current
- Nick Holmes – vocals (1988–present)
- Gregor Mackintosh – lead guitar, keyboards (1988–present)
- Aaron Aedy – rhythm guitar (1988–present)
- Stephen Edmondson – bass (1988–present)
- Jeff Singer – drums (2004–2008, 2025–present)
Former
Drummers
- Matthew Archer (1988–1993)
- Lee Morris – also backing vocals (1994–2004)
- Adrian Erlandsson (2009–2015)
- Waltteri Väyrynen (2015–2022)
- Guido Montanarini (2022–2025)
Session/touring members
- Mark Heron – drums (2008–2009)
- Peter Damin – drums (2009)
- Milton "Milly" Evans – lead guitar (1999, 2009–2010), keyboards, backing vocals (2011)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Timeline
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</timeline>
Discography
- 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)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>