Host

"Host" is Paradise Lost's most unique album and is the one that would've split the fan community for good.This is not a metal record. In fact, I don't really know what kind of music this is. On first listen it sounded to me as if Paradise Lost had invented a completely new musical style overnight. It is rocky, guitars are still ever-present, although disguised by effects. There are many musical layers on this album, many one would not believe is actually a guitar. The drums are slow and effective. Lee relaxed on this album it seems. Greg's use of keyboards adds a beautiful, colourful atmosphere to the songs. Steve's bass is channeled through effects on different songs, producing a peculiar sound. It sounds particularly brilliant on "Year of Summer" and "Host". Nick's voice is excellent. On this album he has chosen to sing all the way through, and it suits extremely well.On first listen of "Host" I was stunned by the emotion Paradise Lost had created with their new musical style. I've heard many people refer to this album as "pop", how comical. "Pop" music has never been miserable. "Host" is very downbeat indeed, which is characteristic of Paradise Lost. Songs like "Harbour" and "Wreck", two of my favourites, are examples of just how low the mood can go. "Its too late" also demonstrates this. More energetic songs like "Permanent Solution" and "Behind the Grey" possess hard rock elements in the form of this new found sound. The vocals on the latter I find particulary impressive. The atmosphere on this album is incredible. "So much is Lost" (the classic opener), "Ordinary Days" and the closer "Host" best demonstrate this. "Host" is a lengthy song full of low keyboards, a pounding bass riff during the chorus, an anthemic vocal line also during the chorus and a slow guitar solo. A string section also adds enormously to the drama of this song. "Host" is definately my favourite song this album, it is one of the best songs Paradise Lost have ever written. such an incredible way to finish an album."Nothing Sacred" has great use of strange keyboard effects and a nice, smooth structure. It is one of the albums rather more disturbing songs along with "Deep", another heavily atmospheric song and "In all Honesty". "Made the Same" is one of the rockier songs on the album, suitably positioned near the end of the album.This is one of the greatest albums of all time. It is Paradise Lost's most indulgent piece of work, and one very personal to Nick Holmes as it was written around a sad event in his life.Unique, dark, genuis.

I don't think any Paradise Lost fan was expecting this one. Their previous album, "One Second", traded in their guitar-driven sound for one more steeped in electronic gloom-- with mixed results. There was a backlash among fans and the most popular songs were those few that still incorporated plenty of riffs. So it comes as a complete surprise that "Host" cuts the guitars out almost completely, severing the ties with their earlier style. The results are astounding-- Paradise Lost can write dark music in any form, and they can do it well.The band tapped Steve Lyon as producer, an excellent choice. Lyon's work with dark wave Depeche Mode offshoot Recoil and the Cure demonstrated an uncanny ability to create moods using massive "walls" of sound. The result is an aural drowning experience for the listener, but one that is immersive without being overbearing. Keyboards and other machines are used to generate foggy and desolate sounds, mixing beautifully with the music. Strings add an organic element to the songs, keeping them from collapsing under the weight of electronic waves. Guitars occasionally show up, but only with supporting roles in the more angry songs on the album.Singer/lyricist Nick Holmes improved here over his first attempt at "clear" singing in "One Second". On that album his unsteady new style is at times a detriment to the songs. Here he holds his own, turning in impressive performances on such songs as "So Much is Lost" and "Ordinary Days". On the downside, drummer Lee Morris has a diminished role, playing second fiddle to a couple of programmed drum machines, and rythmn guitarist Aaron Aedy is almost completely out of the picture. It's a shame, but it certainly doesn't hurt the album. Lead guitarist/songwriter Greg Mackintosh does an excellent job writing dark music using a different technical formula. "So Much is Lost" and "Behind the Grey" grab the listener immediately with their intense despair. Others take awhile to make an impression. On my first listen through, I didn't catch on to "Wreck", but now I think it's one of the better songs on the album-- its plodding gloom has much more to it than may first grab the attention and is one of the more emotionally touching songs on "Host". Mackintosh also offers some excellent uptempo numbers in "Ordinary Days" and "Year of Summer". These in particular stand out as examples of PL music that is not only well done without the old guitar reliance, but can sustain a fast pace without sacrificing the moody despair of the music.There are a couple of low moments-- "In All Honesty" doesn't rise above its ironically preachy and annoying character, and the title track "Host" is a sodden bore, but these are buoyed by the rest of the album, making "Host" stand as a triumph for Paradise Lost.

As a big Paradise Lost fan, I had no choice but to purchase this imported CD after it came out even though the price is really steep. I'd seen in the English press that Host had been compared not entirely favorably with Depeche Mode, but that didn't stop me...and I'm glad it didn't. This is a very enjoyable album - the songs are catchy and well-written with more variety than I expected. Furthermore, the Depeche Mode comparisons are clearly overstated - to my ears, the songs on this CD only occasionally resemble those of DM; this CD reminds me a lot more of Paradise Lost's excellent previous effort, One Second, than anything by Depeche Mode! Nevertheless, I do miss the guitars of earlier Paradise Lost albums and the sound of the album is a bit sterile - sterile in the sense that it lacks the raw energy of Draconian Times-era Paradise Lost. Part of this sterility is due to the style of music PL have adopted for this album and part to the production. In any case, I'd rather not dwell on this album's flaws, since they are relatively minor. It's a moody album that's spent plenty of time in my CD player on the New York City subways. I can't wait to hear what Paradise Lost come up with next - hopefully they will continue to borrow from the past while continuing to add innovations with each new album.