Paradise Lost – One Second (20th anniversary edition)

Hard to believe it’s been twenty years since Halifax based goth metallers Paradise Lost released their One Second album. They confounded fans and reviewers alike as they threw a curveball by veering away from their heavier side by experimenting with electronics and keyboards, so to celebrate the anniversary, Music For Nations have released a remastered edition that comes with a free CD of a full gig from the Shepherds Bush Empire, London in 1998. It also includes a twenty page hardback book.

I never bought it back in the day so approached it with an open mind and to be honest I’m very impressed. Opener ‘One Second’ eases in with gentle piano and synths as lead vocalist Nick Holmes breaks into a melodic croon with sparse, heavy riffs that course throughout. First impressions were of Depeche Mode with balls. Other highlights include ‘Just Say Words’ with the keys taking a back step to grinding, heavy rock grooves that flow around a bitter lead vocal. A bank of synths opens  ‘Lydia’ that weave around huge riffs with a soar to whispered vocal.

Spine tingling morphing of goth and melodic industrial passages with a haunting vocal make ‘Mercy’ my personal favourite. Things heavy up as ‘Soul Courageous’ is all heavy guitars as the riffs surge and entwine around a menacing vocal. ‘Another Day’ is almost power ballad like as deathly quiet keyboards segue with swathes of doomy riffing. ‘The Sufferer’ is one of the best examples here of the forging of metal with electronica as it hypnotically pounds. ‘Blood Of Another’ ambles along on a slow, chugging riff and huge chorus.  The album ends on a high with the eerie ‘Take Me Down’ as an almost chanted vocal oozes over heavy synths.

So onto the live album which highlights just how much of a force to be reckoned with Paradise Lost are. Of the eighteen tracks, eight of which are taken from the One Second album and are given a new lease of life. The crowd reaction for set opener ‘Say Just Words’ is deafening and it is grittier than the studio version. Other highlights are an atmospheric ‘Disappear’, a hard and heavy ‘The Sufferer’ and a truly menacing ‘Soul Courageous’. The rest of the set is split evenly between the Draconian Times and Icon albums and one from Shades Of God. Pick of the crop are an epic ‘Hallowed Land’ featuring wailing wah-wah lead guitar work from Gregor Mackintosh. ‘Dying Freedom’ is a sure fire headbanger as is a thunderous ‘Shadowkings’.

An unstoppable bass heavy ‘Rememberance’ is matched in power by my highlight ‘As I Die’, a perfect example of melody and muscle and the set ends on a high with an abrasive ‘The Last Time’.

Paradise Lost band line up :-

Nick Holmes – Lead vocals.

Gregor Mackintosh – Lead guitar.

Aaron Aedy – Rhythm guitar.

Stephen Edmondson – Bass guitar.

Waltteri Vayrynen – Drums.

Lee Morris – Drums on Shepherds Bush Empire album.

One Second album track listing :- 

One Second.

Say Just Words.

Lydia.

Mercy.

Soul Courageous.

Another Day.

The Sufferer.

This Cold Life.

Blood Of Another.

Disappear.

Sane.

Take Me Down.

Shepherds Bush Empire live album track listing : –

Say Just Words.

Hallowed Land.

Blood Of Another.

True Belief.

Disappear.

Lydia.

Dying Freedom.

Mercy.

Shadowkings.

The Sufferer.

Rememberance.

Forever Failure.

Soul Courageous.

One Second.

This Cold Life.

Embers Fire.

As I Die.

The Last Time.