Ascension

Paradise Lost have always been architects of gloom, forging a sound that marries the icy precision of death metal with the mournful grandeur of gothic rock. 'Ascension', their latest missive from the abyss, continues this legacy, offering a potent cocktail of crushing riffs and soaring melodies—though it doesn't quite reach the dizzying heights of their classic era.

The band's signature sound is immediately apparent: Nick Holmes's vocals, weathered and world-weary, weave through layers of tremolo guitars and cavernous keyboards. The production, thankfully, is crisp and clear, allowing each instrument to breathe within the oppressive atmosphere. Tracks like 'Serpent On The Cross' and 'Tyrants Serenade' exemplify this perfectly—glacial riffs give way to surprisingly catchy vocal hooks, underpinned by a subtle but effective keyboard presence that elevates the proceedings beyond mere wall-of-sound brutality.

The album breathes with an undeniable atmosphere, even if some passages could benefit from ruthless pruning.

However, 'Ascension's' greatest strength is also its most significant flaw: its length. At over an hour, the album occasionally succumbs to repetition and self-indulgence. While the individual components are often excellent—the mournful acoustic passages in 'Salvation', the crushing doom of 'Diluvium'—their cumulative effect can be somewhat exhausting. There's a sense that several tracks could have been trimmed or even excised entirely without sacrificing the album's overall impact.

The band clearly understands the power of recurring motifs, and these reappear throughout, subtly linking the songs together into a cohesive whole. The interplay between the guitars is often breathtaking, with harmonies adding depth and texture to the already dense soundscape. 'Sirens' showcases this beautifully, its melancholic melody lingering long after the final note fades.

Holmes's vocal performance remains a highlight; he navigates the album's shifts in dynamics with ease, transitioning from guttural growls to soaring clean vocals without missing a beat. The keyboards, often relegated to background textures in heavier albums, are more prominent here, adding an almost cinematic quality to the overall sound—a welcome addition that enhances the gothic atmosphere.

'The Precipice' and 'This Stark Town' suffer most from the album's overlong runtime; while both contain moments of brilliance, they ultimately feel bloated and meandering. A tighter edit could have sharpened their impact considerably. It's a frustrating aspect of an otherwise compelling record—a testament to the band's continued ability to craft genuinely evocative music.

The doom elements are present and accounted for, but never quite reach the crushing intensity of earlier Paradise Lost albums. This isn't necessarily a bad thing; it allows the melodic aspects of their sound to shine through more clearly. 'A Life Unknown', the album closer, provides a fittingly bleak conclusion, leaving the listener with a lingering sense of melancholy and unease.

Ultimately, 'Ascension' is a solid addition to Paradise Lost's extensive discography—a record that rewards repeated listens but occasionally tests one's patience. It's not their finest hour, nor their darkest, but it remains a compelling example of gothic metal at its most atmospheric and melancholic. A little less indulgence, a little more ruthlessness in the editing room, would have elevated this from good to truly great—but even with its flaws, 'Ascension' is far from a failure.