I have been waiting for the moment when I would set my ears on a new PARADISE LOST album. Since 2001 the band has been undergoing a considerable process to regain their old selves and it had been a thing of mere beauty. Every passing album seems better than the one before it. The days of the early 90s, of "Shades Of God", some of "Gothic" and "Icon" are back in even a bigger shape than earlier. I think that the cycle is mostly completed. The question is if there will be another album in the vein of "Lost Paradise", yet on the other hand I can't see this coming, probably not on the next album at least. "Tragic Idol", via the band's constant label of Century Media, is PARADISE LOST's strongest of forms. It is actually as I mentioned earlier, it is like looking in history's face only to watch it with a new cover and sound.

Through the dark journey that I took with "Tragic Idol" I had no time to rest. My mind was constantly working, waiting to be mesmerized by the next thing that would be coming to grab attention. Quite of an emblazoned experience I might add. Greg Mackintosh's lead guitar playing, especially those great wah wah fast and slow paced solos, reminded me of the glorious era of "Icon" and "Draconian Times". There is nothing better than those highly emotional solo outbursts along with the gripping melodic touches that became one of PARADISE LOST's prime signatures. When it came to the rhythms and riffing, it was just as I imagined. Though the riffing on the last release had a few additional darkened connotations than on this one, on "Tragic Idol" the style of playing fitted even better to PARADISE LOST's past. For core fans, as myself for example, it would serve as an absolute gold mine. Furthermore, and that is one of the most important of all probably, there are the vocals of Nick Holmes. In short, I can't get enough of this guy. His vocal pattern might have went back twenty years, yet his voice, even the crooked version of the present, is more refined and formidably catching the ear with ease.

It was rather hard to choose the best tracks out of "Tragic Idol" as each and every one of those on the list played its magic on me with its shadowy figure and of course the highly enjoyable music that knocks out front. Nonetheless, "Fear Of Impending Hell" and "Tragic Idol" are two standouts that should be entered to the Metal hall of fame and to the history book of PARADISE LOST. I have never been so touched by such intense lyrics and such addictive music by this band for a long time like I had with these two, even if I enjoyed almost every tune that they wrote for the past seven years. Summing this up I conclude that PARADISE LOST made every expectation I had and I am glad that they did. Don't hesitate to go and fetch this one fast, it is a great contender for the album of the year.