Fathers of Gothic Metal, pioneers of the English Doom scene and one of the 3 pillars, along with ANATHEMA and MY DYING BRIDE, in the creation of the Death/Doom sub-genre.PARADISE LOST is one of the most controversial Metal bands to date, their experimentation with their music a constant desire to evolve. This has led some fans to turn their backs to them, but others remained and with Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us the band shows that, in regard to some other bands, they are here for their fans.
Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us is the twelfth release for PARADISE LOST and picks up where In Requiem left. The rough production that is reminiscent to older albums such as Icon and Draconian Times is evident in this album. The calm and sometimes eerie intros to some of the songs lead to a musical storm with hard riffs, deep harmonics, powerful bass and drum lines and a deep emotional heaviness. The choice of 7-string guitars for this album, which is also the first time to be used by PARADISE LOST in the bands history, results to a deeper more foreboding guitar sound, that twist and turns from a melancholy to angry riffs and solos, such as in the songs Frailty and The Rise Of Denial.
There is no catharsis in Faith Divides Us - Death Unites us; all songs drive you deeper in the black spiral of your soul. Contradiction between faith, self and the inevitable death war against each other in every song of the album with the help of the gruff voice of Nick Holmes and the captivating guitar of Greg Mackintosh. From the dark mid-tempo of As Horizons End to the heaviness of I Remain and the majestic title track Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us one can see the undertones of rage inside the melancholy.
The album is not an easy-to-listen one; the inner fight that is ambient in all songs demands from the listener to follow down the same path the songs and music pave for him. The undeniable skilled song writing of PARADISE LOST makes the albums contradictions become etched in your mind. The voice of Nick Holms is deeper, harder and more brooding. There are small moments were the voice becomes more simple acoustic but she is drowned quickly for a darker sound again similar to older more doom toned albums.
Faith Divides Us - Death Unites us is far from becoming the band's best album, but never the less it is a great CD in accord with the great music crafting abilities of PARADISE LOST. The slow turn to a more Gothic/Doom past shows that PARADISE LOST wants to keep all the bands fans happy, be it old or new. Yet the album is also far from becoming a simple fan catcher, remaining true to the band's musical progress and firm evolution.
Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us unites a glorious past with a brilliant future. What remains is to see them on the road, so they and we the fans can share the emotions of the new album, together.
PARADISE LOST - Faith Divides Us Death Unites Us (NEW VIDEO)