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Paradise Lost - Obsidian



8.5 | 598 votes |
Release date: 15 May 2020
Style: Death doom metal, Gothic metal

Owners:

269 have it
38 want it


01. Darker Thoughts
02. Fall From Grace
03. Ghosts
04. The Devil Embraced
05. Forsaken
06. Serenity
07. Ending Days
08. Hope Dies Young
09. Ravenghast
10. Hear The Night [digipak bonus]
11. Defiler [digipak bonus]

The Best Gothic Metal Album Of 2020
Top 20 albums of 2020: 2

Staff review by
nikarg
Rating:
8.0
I cannot be very objective with Paradise Lost. It's not just the fact that I grew up with their records, but also that they themselves grew up digging the same music that I did when I was younger.

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published 11.05.2020 | Comments (35)

Guest review by
Gothic Metalhead
Rating:
9.4
I am going to throw this out there and this may seem shocking to some, but I find it very hard to look for an album that I really love from Paradise Lost. I've always had more admiration for their death-doom era in which they not only pioneered but also became the pioneers of gothic metal with their second album Gothic. Even with Draconian Times, I don't necessarily like every song off that album and have my share of criticisms about the album, which is odd. There's no doubt that album is one of the most influential gothic metal albums, but I expected something phenomenal. Then I listen to an album like Obsidian where I finally say to myself: "Finally, a Paradise Lost album that I love inside and out."

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published 01.02.2021 | Comments (2)

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Comments page 2 / 4

Comments: 95   Visited by: 1473 users
19.05.2020 - 00:02
Rating: 7
chomskeet

Written by FYA on 15.05.2020 at 21:35

Meh, Expected something more different, especially after the interview with "eclecticism" and "80s goth" influnences. Good album but nothing more than that for me.


Agreed, I usually agree with metalstorm when bands/albums perform well within the community. However, despite listening to every PL album when they come out, I always find myself scratching my head wondering how this band is so well received, I just find them pretty boring. I would much prefer to listen to Slumber's "Fallout" or Swallow the Sun's "The Morning Never Came" if listening to Doom metal (although metalstorm does classify them as melodic doom). There are some symphonic parts of this album that remind me of Septicflesh, however, I'd also just rather listen to them.
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19.05.2020 - 13:16
Rating: 10
mechanix1980

Amazing album of Paradise Lost, I have enjoyed it
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19.05.2020 - 23:35
Rating: 7
Redel

This album grew on me slightly over repeated listens.
It is a really good album (7.3), I am surprised, probably their best since Draconian Times.
For me, there are no songs that stand out very much.
I slightly prefer the following though:
Darker Thoughts, Fall from Grace, Ghosts, Forsaken, Serenity, Ravenghast
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20.05.2020 - 01:00
Rating: 7
Nick Carter

Isn't Metalstorm overreacting a lil bit on this one? It is a good album, but I can't seem to listen to the outstanding moments in it.
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#MetalIsForEveryone
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20.05.2020 - 10:58
Rating: 6
beyondtehdarksun

I also fail to hear anything special, my impression is that of a TPW with more variation but less inspiration. TPW remains their only album that ever 'clicked' with me.
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"We are blind to the world within us, waiting to be born"
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20.05.2020 - 14:39
Rating: 8
Cynic Metalhead
Paisa Vich Nasha
Written by Nick Carter on 20.05.2020 at 01:00

Isn't Metalstorm overreacting a lil bit on this one?


Apart from some inflated comments(which is common on forums), all seems to be very normal. It's you who is overreacting here.
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21.05.2020 - 01:50
Rating: 8
SAY10

Written by beyondtehdarksun on 20.05.2020 at 10:58

I also fail to hear anything special, my impression is that of a TPW with more variation but less inspiration. TPW remains their only album that ever 'clicked' with me.


I like Obsidian, can appreciate it is a very well composed and performed album, but like you TPW is the only album from Paradise Lost that I never get tired of. On the contrary, I'm always coming back to it.
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22.05.2020 - 16:44
Rating: 9
GiwrgosOtinanes

They delivered one more great disc ,with the darkest thoughts one of their best songs ever , it hits you from the first notes and lyrics . Good job keep up the metal!
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22.05.2020 - 19:52
Saeed_p

Written by Nick Carter on 20.05.2020 at 01:00

Isn't Metalstorm overreacting a lil bit on this one? It is a good album, but I can't seem to listen to the outstanding moments in it.

I feel the same. It's a good one but nothing extraordinary here.
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22.05.2020 - 19:58
Rating: 5
angel.
Evil Butterfly
You can't be serious to call this album Solid or vote it more than 5! It's not even anything close the classic PL !
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The Fangirl.
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23.05.2020 - 01:35
Rating: 9
VileVick-Bryant

I can definitely say Ravenghast is my favorite track.
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23.05.2020 - 08:51
Paradise Lost are back, Obsidian is a great album
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23.05.2020 - 13:35
Mountain King
K i K o
Wow, you rarely see such high rating for albums that were released recently so I need to listen to this one. I've only heard Draconian times years ago and can't really remember anything from it although I know it's a classic.
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24.05.2020 - 02:08
RichardPickman

Dont get me wrong please, but isnt this just the typical paradise lost copycat album?
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24.05.2020 - 12:22
Rating: 5
angel.
Evil Butterfly
Written by RichardPickman on 24.05.2020 at 02:08

Dont get me wrong please, but isnt this just the typical paradise lost copycat album?

It's not even a copycat rather a futile failed attempt of copycating, seriously average and boring album nothing comparable to their classic old sound.
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The Fangirl.
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25.05.2020 - 11:55
Rating: 10
tintinb

This is a terrific album. So many memorable moments in this album. Almost all the songs will go to my playlist. I have listened to The Plague Within, Medusa and Obsidian. I am really having a difficult time to pick a favourite out of these three.
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Leeches everywhere.
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26.05.2020 - 14:15
Rating: 8
nonZero

Wow, 8.7? I'm not a big fan of Paradise Lost, but it looks like I'll have to check this one out.
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Top 500 Albums (ordered & rated)
Top 200 Overlooked Albums (with genres)
So I Heard You Like Wintersun... (Time II find new bands)
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26.05.2020 - 14:22
Rating: 7
Dark Horizons

Good album, but they have done better albums...
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We are just a moment in time
A blink of an eye
A dream for the blind
Visions from a dying brain
I hope you don't understand
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26.05.2020 - 17:31
Rating: 10
jbm1980

At this point and with 16 albums I don't think Paradise Lost will compose just to please their fans, they have always done what they wanted.

For tastes the colors, for me this album is in the top five of the band, which is no small, I am forty years old and grew up listening to its best stages
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27.05.2020 - 13:41
DeathCastell

Darker Thoughts is an incredible song, Obsidian is a fantastic album
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29.05.2020 - 15:58
Rating: 10
metalbrat

Written by Jeeers on 18.05.2020 at 21:11

Still digging in... At the first listen the album didn't impress me that much, but the first 3 songs are damn good. Haven't listened much further than this yet...

It was the same here for me but believe me, after 3 more spins and i am completely drowned into it. What an album..
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In the beginning I was made of clay. Then I bit the apple and they changed me to metal 🤘
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29.05.2020 - 21:37
bradtiger

Darker Thoughts, Fall From Grace, The Devil Embraced, Serenity and Ravenghast to me the best of "Obsidian", regardless of Holmes's grunts "Hear the Nights", another great song, could well be on "Icon", with "Obsidian ", PL shows how nostalgic they can be without falling into repetition, of the best they have composed in their long history
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29.05.2020 - 22:50
Rating: 7
FYA
Destroyer
Wut, already in top 200 albums
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29.05.2020 - 23:43
Rating: 7
Redel

Written by FYA on 29.05.2020 at 22:50

Wut, already in top 200 albums


Well, popular band...
But I would rather say: Still in the Top 200!?
Because I think it often goes like this:
Many popular albums enter the Top 200 at an early point after release when all those fanboys who give away 9s and 10s easily have placed their votes.
After some time usually comes the haircut. It is after other people who need one or two more spins to evaluate an album and are not so easily overwhelmed have placed their 8s and 7s.
This time is crucial for the album. Either it is going to stay in the Top 200, or not.
Obsidian.... let's see. At the crucial time right now, I would say.
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30.05.2020 - 17:52
VPeter

I used to be a major fan of Paradise lost but then grew out of it, the high rating grabbed my attention and while I did enjoy it I don't really get the high rating.
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31.05.2020 - 18:13
Rating: 10
UniversalSun

I loved "Obsidian", I enjoyed your songs, I have been listening for 3
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01.06.2020 - 04:59
RichardPickman

Well, nope. Tried it a lot of times but... nope. Typical Paradise Lost. Mediocre at best. Mediocre is not bad at all. Its just not for me. And i tried their Albums since 1994...
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01.06.2020 - 07:16
Rating: 8
Ace Frawley
The Spaceman
Very enjoyable all the way through, with the opening track probably one of the best songs of the year for me.
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The sun shines over The Fool...
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01.06.2020 - 19:25
Rating: 6
toussa

Written by Redel on 29.05.2020 at 23:43

Written by FYA on 29.05.2020 at 22:50

Wut, already in top 200 albums


Well, popular band...
But I would rather say: Still in the Top 200!?
Because I think it often goes like this:
Many popular albums enter the Top 200 at an early point after release when all those fanboys who give away 9s and 10s easily have placed their votes.
After some time usually comes the haircut. It is after other people who need one or two more spins to evaluate an album and are not so easily overwhelmed have placed their 8s and 7s.
This time is crucial for the album. Either it is going to stay in the Top 200, or not.
Obsidian.... let's see. At the crucial time right now, I would say.


yes i remember the release of vektor's Terminal redux in 2016, i should have to screen shoot the moment when the album reached the first place of the top 200 (better than 9,2! what the hell!), and then decrease in the chart to reach 8,54. BUT ! after few years, many albums increase their rating. I call it the "nostalgy effect" (to default to find something more relevant). Currently, terminal redux is at 8,70.
This exemple is not the best, due to the extraordinary maximal rating and the drop, but many others recents albums reach, even exceed their note of somes months after their release.

That means even after Obsidian's rating had dropped, i think strongly the rating will increase until to reach, or with many luck, exceed the currently note (but with few years at least).

Ah, and i don't know why, but this band (like all the other in doom doom/death gothic etc), is not very popular in the website rateyourmusic (and with the rating also).
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08.06.2020 - 18:32
XaraMiiA

Anyone who knows some music realizes that "Obsidian" is a quality album. "Darker Thoughts" is an excellent song in every way.
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