Paradise Lost review at Thekla on 17th February 2018
Posted on: 2018-02-18
Our rating:
The show was everything you could want from the band – energetic, exhilarating, and heavy as all hell.
Gothic metal pioneers Paradise Lost played at Thekla on the 17th February 2018 to a packed-out crowd, exhibiting the usual powerful and rousing performance we have come to expect from the band.
A long-time favourite band of mine, Paradise Lost are the kind of band that consistently deliver, regardless of age, musical direction, or the trends of the time. After 15 albums (and counting) the band are stronger than ever, a fact which can probably be attributed to their unusual stability as a band. In a genre of ever-changing line-ups and artistic bust-ups, Paradise Lost have maintained their integrity and formed a genuine synergy that translates into their music, allowing for a more complex yet reliable creative vision. Singer Nick Holmes, guitarists Greg Mackintosh and Aaron Aedy, and bassist Steve Edmondson are an iconic unit, with Holmes and Mackintosh acting as principal composers of almost all of the band's songs.
Their latest album Medusa was released just last year to some solid critical acclaim. Bringing together a more doom-y and certainly heavier sound, the band seemed just as at-home playing these tracks as some of their more thoughtful and melodic pieces. They certainly delivered on the set list front, back to back classics (going from The Enemy into One Second, for example) from all eras, played with passion and conviction, keeping the crowd on their toes.
Toward the end of Pity The Sadness, Mackintosh’s amp struggled with the intensity and literally blew out on stage, but if anything at a heavy gig this sort of thing goes down very well. After a cheer and a nod, people just increased the severity of their head-banging in tribute to the fallen amp. There was nothing that could take away the vibe, especially after years of locals travelling to Exeter or Cardiff, waiting for the band to grace Bristol with their presence.
Although I’m not here to review their latest album, the songs from Medusa really do translate into live performances remarkably well. A venue like Thekla, with its dim lighting and industrial feel, was perfect for the heavy resonating doom that filled it, though in some senses I was surprised to see them in such a small place. The show was sold out, and even with limitations on tickets, it felt crammed to the rafters. A band like Paradise Lost does keep the reviewer wondering: when will their peak end?
The show was everything you could want from the band – energetic, exhilarating, packed out with classic tunes, and heavy as all hell. This is certainly one of the best gigs I have been to in Bristol in a long time, with every detail expertly accounted for from the set list to the choice of venue. If you ever have the chance to see them live – make it your business to do so.
Article by:
Miri is an English literature student at the University of Bristol who enjoys folk-punk & math-rock music, trailing round art galleries, and playing video games. She is a keen follower of politics and will read any science fiction you throw her way. Having lived in and around Bristol for many years she has developed a keen interest in the Bristol underground music scene and independent restaurants.
