Paradise Lost has never been through any line-up changes... except for their drummer. After four album, Matthew Archer left the band and was replaced by Lee Morris who after five albums left the band in his turn. Now the band has a session drummer, Jeff Singer (he plays drums... Nick Holmes still handles the vocals).

Now Paradise Lost returns with their 10th album called... Paradise Lost. How original, isn't it ? I saw their new video Forever After a while ago and the first thing that struck me was that Nick Holmes has grown long hair again. This rocks.

This new album has been spinning in my car for the last couple of months and I really wanted to wait until I was sure what to write about it because I somehow feel like I overrated Symbol of Life. Now I have come to the conclusion that this album is their best since Icon and Draconian Times, but I might also say that it is probably even better than Icon and Draconian Times. Why probably ? Because to be sure of it, I would have to wait years before writing this review for music is like good wine. Sometimes it takes a bunch years to unveil its real potential.

This new album again produced by Rhys Fulber is definitely a refreshing album. Refreshing because it would be easy for the band to recycle their sound, which I believe they do not whatever people think. Besides, I find only positive things about this album. Killer songs, great vocals effects (no grunts however), nice keyboards, excellent sound. I like these dark atmospheres throughout the album. Call them predictable, I call them unpredictable. Call them Depeche Lost, I call them Paradise Mode. Call them boring as hell, I tell you go to hell.

The band again comes up with some killing hits. Grey is the first one on the album. A simple track with a killing chorus. It is so simple to do great songs, isn't it ? Foverer After is another anthems for the band and what the hell if people find it cheesy. Sun Fading sounds like it was kept secret since the recording of Draconian Times. The whole album is quite reminiscent of that era indeed, although they kept what was best since that time. The band indeed learnt from their mistakes and definitely roused a collection of very inspired songs that are powerful and energetic, if not dark and atmospheric. It didn't come up so easily however and I needed quite some listens to really appreciate all the subtleties of this record.

This time additionnal backing vocals on Forever After and Over The Madness by Heather Thompson from Tapping The Vein (they toured with them a couple of years ago). There are also some female choir on Forever After by Leah Randi (a source tells me she is engaged or possibly already married to Rhys Fulber).

The limited digipack edition contains a couple of remixes. Don't Belong and Over The Madness. This isn't really interesting. I wish the band had come with a couple of covers, unfortunately I just read in an recent interview that the band had not recorded any cover this time. Fortunately, the first single off the album, Forever After, comes in limited edition with four non album tracks.Through the Silence, Sanctimonious You, Let me Drown and A Side You'll Never Know. Unfortunately, I still haven't had the chance to listen to them.