### Paradise Lost: Tragic illusion 25 (the rarities)

#### 15/12/13 || Ironpants

The lads in Paradise Lost has been doing the good ‘ol nostalgia tour a while back, and of course they had to release something to go with it. A rarities compilation can be a kind of a “Greatest Hits” album, only opposite if you don’t watch your step.

If you have a shitload of songs that have been released earlier in different special editions or as bonus tracks, it usually means that the songs themselves really didn’t cut it in the first place. I’m not saying that this is the case here, but my “spider-sense” always acts funny when stuff like this is released.

My own personal references for Paradise Lost stops somewhere when “Draconian times” was released, after that they got their group-discount on their gender transition and turned all goth rock on our unsuspecting asses. I liked their albums up to that one, but my then much younger and vital brain refused to give access to my stereo if you played some non-death metal, let alone some dark goth rock. Nowadays, I am more gullible and can let anything pass that first border control.

As always I exaggerate a bit, but it is true in a way, I was on bad terms with Paradise Lost for a while, but instead of hating them, I just ignored them. Mature, right? Now when I am working as a reviewer (and my goodness, it is hard work!) I can’t just ignore shit that is sent to us.

If you are a hardcore Paradise Lost fan, you might not find very much too put up on a pedestal here, one new song and two re-recordings of older songs. The rest is stuff gathered from various releases, so chances are that you already have those songs if you are a true follower? If you like me have none of those limited editions, it could be an album that allows you catching up on the band. Be aware though, that it is from their whole career so it is a mixed bag of stuff here.

The new song, ‘Loneliness remains’ actually sends small promises of quality whenever the band decides to enter the studio again. It´s a very doomy slow song with Nick Holmes dark Peter Steele-like mumble mixed with actual singing. Then we are served all kinds of stuff, from the cheesy Spear Of Destiny cover “Never take me alive” that gives a weird Scorpions feeling over the album and “Missing”, an Everything But The Girl cover. Both of those are exactly what make me wonder what went wrong in the PL camp?

There is also a couple of good songs in “Cardinal zero” and “Sons of perdition” to name a few. As a mini-bonus they have re-recorded ‘Gothic’ and “Our saviour” and put them as the ending songs on the album. And when I hear those two I suddenly remember what made me like Paradise Lost back in the day. That unique doom death mix, simple and brutal and on “Gothic” also a beauty in that female voice (even if the re-recorded clean voice isn’t even near the original beautiful voice). They have stated that they re-recorded these two for fun more or less.

And that leaves me with an empty feeling, I understand that this is not their cup of tea anymore, and even if that new song in the beginning sends some hope my way that they are going back in style a bit, that goth-rock ghost hovers above Paradise Lost, acting as a guardian over their legacy, forever watching the gate that keeps the good stuff locked in.

- Information
- Released: 2013
- Label: Century Media
- Website: www.paradiselost.com
- Band
- Nick Holmes: vocals
- Greg Mackintosh: lead guitar
- Aaron Aedy: rythm guitar
- Steve Edmondson: bass
- Adrian Erlandsson: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Loneliness remains
- 02. Never take me alive (Spear Of Destiny cover)
- 03. Ending through changes
- 04. The last fallen saviour
- 05. Last regret (Lost in Prague orchestra mix)
- 06. Faith divides us – Death unites us (Lost in Prague orchestra mix)
- 07. Cardinal zero
- 08. Back on disaster
- 09. Sons of perdition
- 10. Godless
- 11. Missing (Everything But The Girl cover)
- 12. Silent in heart
- 13. Gothic 2013
- 14. Our saviour 2013