Somewhere in this evolution, there has been takeoff with Shades of God, still raw but already very subtly measured and marked paw of the group, already with their sound. Then Icon hit hard, with hits such as Fire or Embers True Belief. This disc was beating hard and aimed high, strong a deserved success. And then one day in 1995 when I was drinking a Morbid Angel (cocktail kills) at the Ministry - hardcore coffee (the best bar in the world, peace, rest his soul) to Paris (Cape ... uh, sorry, you know), I asked the Taulier spend Paradise Lost (yes, one could ask what we wanted, and it's happening on a sound concrete ... a dream!). Expecting to hear the first Icon agreements, what was not my surprise with this line of piano that opens Enchantment of Draconian Times, followed by a monstrous wall of guitars ... O joy, tears of happiness, immediate petrification. .. I was taped and will always remember. I left even my identity card deposit to borrow the disc that evening (he had a preview) and listen again. A killer.
This album is THE JEWEL of gothic, 9th symphony metal, the bible of the dark. If we can consider Paradise Lost as Baudelaire hard rock, Draconian Times is his Flowers of Evil ... Once we listened, we can only start again.
Imposing, magisterial, divine, taping, sensational, unique ... superlatives fail to describe the strength of the disc that has changed the world of metal goth upon its release. Have you ever shed tears when listening to a disc? Well it's time to start, because it will take you very far. His imperial melodies from one end to the other of the cake, her overpowering walls of guitars, his arrangements, his subtlety, strength ... Paradise Lost hit a home run with this masterpiece in its huge crossing time very well.
Its twelve songs imbued with a rare emotion succeed with density, inaugurating the way with the powerful Enchantment ... that is! Devastating mid-tempo, on which Nick Holmes started on a low and clear vocalise, surprising his world, because until then, the voice were pushed to the limits of clear / death, Mr. Holmes and we did not know this as subtle facet grandiose . Behind him is a dark symphony in which the entire group is in unison. Mackintosh has carved monumental riffs and his acolytes cut down a titan of work, including the rhythmic reinforced concrete.
Hallowed Land, in syncopated drums and The Last Time (first single) to follow crazy crescendo in style, before a welcome break entammée is sampled by a short interview Manson (Charles), the killer, yes. His laius is relayed by a heavy sonic cathedral and heavy at will, which is the sublime Forever Failure, sung by a power transcended Holmes. Behind it is Once Solemn who raises the disc furious cavalcade, again very inspired. It has already taken five titles in the eardrums and we do not know where we are. This is why the group makes cruelly with a live anthem, Shadow Kings, mid-tempo sing low pest, ultra powerful. What a slap!
Elusive Cure and Yearn for change, the more convoluted, also help to give the disc a longer life span because they come back willingly to find out all the drawers and dark lace. Re-slap on Hands Of Reason (Shadow Kings way), and atomic unstoppable.
It ends with I See Your Face and Jaded, quieter (relativisez the term, careful), who complete the listener under hypnosis, still far in the Imperial Galaxy of the English group. A must.