Paradise Lost
Symbol Of Life

THE REVIEW

Paradise Lost seemed truly lost after the disappointment of "One Second," the commercial pop of "Host," and the boredom of "Believe In Nothing."
With this "Symbol Of Life," however, they seem to regain body and soul, framing a new evolution of the band.

The music remains shrouded in darkness, a condition only partially unbalanced by songs like "Isolate" and "Self Obsessed," two of the most "physical" tracks on the album, where the atmospheres oppress rather than depress. The gothic reverberations are rediscovered with the single "Erased," thanks especially to the remarkable contribution of the female voice that echoes pure and clear, in contrast to the large and sometimes unsettling voice of the singer. The quality is confirmed with the solemn "Two Worlds," a true monument to the apocalypse, or in the excellent "Perfect Mask," certainly the most twisted, enigmatic, and psychotic track.
The rhythmic "Mistify" softens the power in favor of melody but continues to maintain the perfect decadent spirit, a trend fully outlined in the subsequent "No Celebration," icy and disheartening.
Finally, we arrive at the concluding black pearl. "Channel For The Pain" opens a true river of rage that flows impetuously and without boundaries, dragging with it, in its fury, suffering and alienation, until the end.

Thus stands "Symbol Of Life," a work that, while not having the timeless depth and charm of "Draconian Times," recreates a reality where light is never seen, but the eyes open to the darkness.

"...The times I've fallen... The times I've failed..."