Gothic

Even as the band was helping to define the basic tenets of the newly born doom/death metal movement, Halifax, England's Paradise Lost was already evolving at a fast clip. The group's second, aptly titled album, Gothic, though a perfectly logical step in retrospect, seemed at the time of its release like something of a departure for the band's earliest fans. This perception was largely enforced by the less deliberate, more energetic arrangements given songs like "Dead Emotion" and "Shattered," not to mention Paradise Lost's slightly cleaner approach to guitar crunch. Further standouts such as the title track, "Eternal," and "The Painless" also made cautious use of keyboards and even female vocals, which together added atmospheric nuances to the group's ultra-depressive power chords. Gaining in confidence, young vocalist Nick Holmes' growling style was still utterly unmusical here, but at least he was making himself heard over the band's monolithic din. His lyrics were also becoming increasingly more mature, and this maturity would help push Paradise Lost ahead of its demon-obsessed competitors with each subsequent album. [Snapper's 2003 reissue included two bonus tracks, dub versions of "Rotting Misery" and "Breeding Fear."]