Paradise Lost

The Profile

Paradise Lost are an English band from Halifax, formed in 1988, widely associated with early death/doom and the development of gothic metal. Reviews highlight their shifts from extreme doom/death to more melodic gothic metal, a prominent late-’90s electronic/synth-rock phase (notably One Second and Host), and later returns to heavier gothic/doom.

Publicly known as a Halifax, West Yorkshire (England) band formed in 1988. Core members include vocalist Nick Holmes and guitarist Gregor Mackintosh; the group is commonly cited among the key acts in British gothic metal and death/doom.

Across these reviews, Paradise Lost are portrayed as a Halifax, England metal institution: early death/doom pioneers who helped shape gothic metal, then deliberately swerved into electronics and rock before returning to heavier gothic/doom. Classic-era albums like “Gothic,” “Icon,” and especially “Draconian Times” are treated as benchmarks. Later records such as “The Plague Within,” “Medusa,” and “Obsidian” are described as reaffirmations of their oppressive, melancholic heaviness, while “One Second”/“Host” remain divisive but acknowledged as bold.