PARADISE LOST · Ascension | BLACK 2LP

Black double vinyl in gatefold sleeve.

Background information about 'Ascension'

PARADISE LOST deliver their most devastating statement yet with Ascension, a masterwork that proves why they remain the undisputed masters of gothic metal after 35 years. This stunning 17th album showcases the Yorkshire legends at their most potent, seamlessly blending crushing heaviness with ethereal beauty across ten meticulously crafted tracks. Produced by guitarist Gregor Mackintosh at Black Planet Studios, Ascension traverses the band's entire sonic spectrum while maintaining their signature minor-key melancholy that has defined generations of dark metal.

From the ominous opening of "Serpent on The Cross" – which begins with a gloriously dark riff before exploding into thunderous classic metal driven by double-bass drumming – to the haunting finale of "The Precipice" with its piano-led introduction, every track serves as a meditation on life's unpredictability and humanity's relationship with mortality. Songs like "Silence Like The Grave" deliver perfect gothic metal atmospheres while "Tyrant's Serenade" showcases the band's ability to make simplicity sound massive, crowned by Gregor's characteristic haunting guitar leads. The album explores themes of ascension to better places, both fictional and spiritual, while confronting the harsh reality that death is life's only guaranteed reward.

For fans of: Type O Negative, My Dying Bride, Katatonia, Anathema

Manufacturer: Warner Music Group Germany Holding GmbH, Alter Wandrahm 14, 20457 Hamburg, Germany, Contact: www.nuclearblast.com