"We always try not to repeat ourselves" said Nick Holmes some time ago, before the release of the thirteenth album by Paradise Lost, a phrase that more or less encapsulates the "chameleonic" spirit of the English band. And it's truly commendable to see how Holmes and company, who, with their renowned name, could offer us yet another carbon copy of the previous album, go in the opposite direction, always wanting to experiment with something new and differentiate each work. This risks losing some long-time fans but gaining others. "Tragic Idol" nonetheless continues on the path of "Faith Divided Us - Death United Us" but deviates slightly, assuming its own precise identity.
When the disc is inserted into the player, it's difficult to ignore Solitary One, an opener with a sad and melancholic atmosphere that literally immerses us in that dark and majestic sound that characterizes the band. The guitars return punctually to roar, creating a sound wall with a strong impact where Holmes’ harsh and scratchy voice soon arrives, not hesitating to showcase a clean singing style in the beautiful chorus, softened by an equally pleasant keyboard loop.
The following track Crucify raises the tempo, the track in question being in full Paradise Lost style and highlighting Greg Mackintosh's extraordinary guitar skills: the riffs are venomous, and the solo in the middle is very well structured.
Fear of Impending Hell is what one could define as a ballad, with slow rhythms combined with acoustic parts and completely clean singing. Again, there is a well-executed guitar solo, almost obligatory! A track that will surely be remembered but will soon be overshadowed by the lead single: Honesty in Death is the classic heavy track yet simultaneously catchy, like many of the other songs that have characterized the group's entire sound in the past. Unforgettable.
Now it's time to change the record and decidedly raise the stakes, and Paradise Lost does so with the very aggressive Theories from Another World. Adrian Erlandsson relies on double bass drums, and Mackintosh churns out sharp and heavy guitar lines. An aggressive piece that closes in a stern and martial manner.
A classic Heavy Metal riff, rather unusual for the quintet, introduces the powerful In This We Dwell; here too, double bass drums, a successful chorus, and another solo masterfully crafted by Greg. Again, sharp riffs, solos, and refinements for "To the Darkness", seeming to underline the greater dose of melody implemented this time by the band; all consistently supported by Aaron Aedy's other guitar. Exceptional here is the change of rhythm in the middle and sublime is Holmes' vocal power, unleashing hoarse yet truly expressive tones.
The attention seems never to wane. The title track certainly doesn't shine in originality but immediately stands out for slightly slower rhythms and undeniably catchy tunes (perhaps even too much), and here an indispensable solo appears, with Holmes reconnecting with those tones present in the wonderful "In Requiem", once again showcasing his great vocal versatility.
Worth Fighting For is a very dark and peculiar track, characterized by interesting drumming, which immediately grabs the ear, and it's always entrusted to Mackintosh and Aedy, who deliver truly dark riffs.
We reach the end, and everything slows down. Tragic Idol closes with the majestic "A Glorious End", a track decidedly oriented towards a Doom sound. The interlude, where the voice remains in the foreground—here light and delicate—and an acoustic guitar painting melancholic melodies, is interesting. Perhaps the least brilliant track of the entire work, but equally substantial.
A few lines should certainly be spent on the lyrics. "Faith Divided us..." could count on a slightly deeper registry, but Tragic Idol is no less, and throughout its ten songs, it touches themes such as love and the pain that can ensue (Solitary One), death and the materialism of modern civilization (respectively Honesty in Death and Theories From Another World), or again the unpredictability of destiny (in This We Dwell).
Moral of the story?
Technically at impeccable levels, "Tragic Idol" is another unmissable piece of these five gentlemen's discography. The total absence of orchestral sounds, so cherished in recent works, is nevertheless felt and might leave many fans slightly disappointed; Paradise Lost lose slightly their characteristic atmosphere, and with this album, they cannot transmit the same sensations as they did with "Faith Divided Us - Death United Us", "In Requiem", or the masterpiece that was "Icon". So, except for very rare exceptions, say goodbye to the beloved dark and melancholic interludes that have conditioned our emotional state in the past. Here the pace rises significantly, there is no room for anything that isn't guitar, drum, and bass, and it is clear that the final result is still excellent; we have in front of us a solid album, rock-solid, hard yet simultaneously more airy, melodic, and varied compared to the previous one. We have about 45 minutes of "Metal" (and, these days, pardon us if it's not much!), a sublime performance by Holmes and Mackintosh, highlighting all their artistic skills. What more do we want?
Yet another album substantially different from the previous ones and although it does not reach the peaks of "Icon" or "Draconian Times", it is still another success for Paradise Lost. Without a doubt!
Tracklist and Videos
Loading comments slowly
Other reviews
By Hellring
'Tragic Idol' sounds tremendously heavy, though it is not appropriate to compare it to the very first works.
The latest works, beyond the positive opinions, show a band now steered towards a precise 'credo.'
By Hellring
An absolute gem in the manual of 'how doom metal should sound'.
A work that rarely fails (except in the confusing 'Victim of the Past').