Paradise Lost formed in Halifax, England, back in 1988, and from the start they carved out a reputation as pioneers of the death-doom sound. Their second record, Gothic, released in 1991, reshaped heavy music by weaving melody, keyboards, and gothic atmosphere into the slower, heavier framework of doom metal. That album set the stage for an entire subgenre, and over the next three decades Paradise Lost would keep evolving—sometimes experimenting with electronic elements, sometimes returning to pure heaviness, but always circling around the same dark, melancholy gravity. Their mid-nineties high point, albums like Draconian Times, showed how their knack for blending soaring melody with bleak subject matter could reach both critics and a wider audience. Through lineup changes and shifts in the metal scene, the core of Nick Holmes, Gregor Mackintosh, Aaron Aedy, and Steve Edmondson has stayed intact, giving the band remarkable stability over nearly forty years. With more than two million albums sold worldwide, their influence runs deep across doom, gothic, and extreme metal.
That long history sets the stage for Ascension, the band’s seventeenth studio album, released September 19th, 2025, on Nuclear Blast Records. It’s their first collection of new material since Obsidian in 2020, making this the longest wait between original albums in their career. The release also marks a turning point, as it is the final record with drummer Guido Montanarini, who departed earlier in the year. Produced by guitarist Gregor Mackintosh and mixed and mastered by Lawrence Mackrory, the album was recorded at Black Planet Studios in Yorkshire and in Swedish studios for drums and vocals. The cover art is The Court of Death by George Frederic Watts, a Victorian painting steeped in allegory, perfectly in line with the album’s themes of mortality and despair.
Ascension offers ten tracks, beginning with “Serpent on the Cross” and including “Tyrants Serenade,” “Lay a Wreath Upon the World,” and the lead single “Silence Like the Grave.” It balances crushing riffs and dense atmospheres with gothic grandeur, delivering what Paradise Lost have always done best. Critics across the board have praised the record. Tuonela Magazine called it one of the strongest in their catalogue, while Angry Metal Guy highlighted the consistency and lack of weak songs, even if “Sirens” didn’t land as powerfully as the rest. GhostCult singled out Nick Holmes’ performance and the sheer force of the rhythm section. Most agree the band hasn’t reinvented themselves here, but instead delivered a refined, cohesive statement of what Paradise Lost represent in 2025.
The significance of Ascension is that it feels less like a radical new chapter and more like a powerful reaffirmation. After almost four decades, Paradise Lost remain vital. They don’t need to chase trends or reinvent themselves; they simply have to continue walking the path they created in the first place. With Ascension, they prove they’re still doing it with conviction, consistency, and the same bleak sense of grandeur that has kept their music resonant for so long.
Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M1yG0qmT0Q
At The Gates - Blinded by Fear
Cooper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpxFUo7oxWM
Powerwolf - We Drink Your Blood
Mik
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvuCvGUpFpA
Royal Republic - Stayin' Alive (Official Video)
Jesse Starcher
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17lFxyH4YE0
Fra Diavlo - Every Irish Song Ever
Mark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1_kMRiyt5w
PARADISE LOST - Tyrants Serenade
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