Paradise Lost's top guitar solos

Death Metal! The metal style Paradise Lost started with. Their music changed from album to album as their technical, composional and experiment capabilities evolved within the effort to find its own, unique musical identity.

All of their songs are composed and written by Nick Holmes and Gregor Mackintosh. Aaron Aedy being responsible only for the rhythm and acoustic guitar duties.

Exceptions are only "Yearn for Change" and "I See Your Face" from "Draconian Times" who has contributions from Aaron Aedy, Stephen Edmondson and Lee Morris.

 

Along with Paradise Lost we have a lot of, more or less popular bands who, at that time offered a pleiad of guitar solo performers and their very personal signature : 

Chuck Shuldiner, Rick ”Rozz” from Massacre, James

Murphy, Trey Azagthoth from Morbid Angel, Robert Vigna from Immolation, Jack Owen from Cannibal Corpse, Allen West from Obituary, Bill Steer from Napalm Death and Carcass, Patrick Mameli from Pestilence and so on...

This entry will review Gregor Mackintosh solos:

Lost Paradise

1.Intro
2.Deadly Inner Sense - Short solo, String-bending lead, Tapping solo. The main solo. Place 5 (nothing special!)
3.Paradise Lost - Solo following the rhythm guitar. Cascade-like followed by string-bending lead and tapping,following the general music line. Place 6 (nothing special!)
4.Our Saviour - No solo!
5.Rotting Misery - Best solo so far!!!
Number 1,almost like on the ICON. String-bending lead at the end.
6.Frozen Illusion - Solo! Place 4. Solo following the rhythm guitar at the end.
7.Breeding Fear - Solo following the general music line - tapping. Cascade like solo almost lead.
8.Lost Paradise - Place 2!
9.Internal Torment II. - Melodic follow, solo tapping. Rapid Death-Metal-ish lead followed by melodic following the riffs. Place 3.
Again melodic following the riff at the end. 

 

 Gothic

1.Gothic - Starting solo following the music line, Melodic moody solo! Place3
2.Dead Emotion - Solo Place7, Melodic and horror-like with tapping.Place2
3.Shattered - A short one. Place4. A horror-like short one. A Cascade solo!
4.Rapture - Mostly following the general music line. Place9
6.Eternal - Solo Place8
7.Falling Forever - Solo Place5
8.Angel Tears - Moody mostly following the general rhythm guitar. Place6.
9.Silent - Melodic-moody following the general music line. Place10. Second solo - Place11
10.The Painless - Solo Place1
11.Desolate - No solo!

 

 Shades of God


1.Mortals Watch the Day - Solo. Place5
2.Crying for Eternity - Seventies-like solo. Place3
3.Embraced - No solo!
4.Daylight Torn - Solo following melodic line. Solo with tapping. Place7
5.Pity the Sadness - Solo Place4. Solo Place1
6.No Forgiveness - Seventies-like solo following the music line. Place6. Seventies-like solo. Place9
(Wah-Wah?) Metallica-like solo at the end.
7.Your Hand in Mine - Short one. Place8. Tapping two solos. Place10. Solo following the music line.
8.The Word Made Flesh - Melodic solo following the music line. Place10. Solo Place4
As I Die - Cascade-like goth solos. Place2

 

One second


1.One second - A god one,but following the harmonic guitar melodic line
2.Say Just Words - No solo!
3.Lydia - No actual solo! He just let the guitar screach - whistle at the end of the song.
4.Mercy - No solo!
5.Soul Courageous - No Solo!
6.Another Day - A great solo!!!
7.The Sufferer - No solo
8.This Cold Life - No solo! Some electro effects at the beginning of the song following the guitar melodic lines just like their cascade solos on ICON.
9.Blood Of Another - No solo!
10.Disappear - Electro-effects at the beginning of the song following the guitar melodic lines
Electro or guitar effect following the guitar melodic line at the end of the song
11.Sane - No solo!
12.Take Me Down - No solo!

 

...To be continued and completed.... 

Please allow a comparison between Paradise Lost and Metallica. Let's find out why!

First reason is that in metal magazines of that time, it was stated that, after the "Draconian Times" album was released in 1995,

Paradise Lost topped Metallica in some of the North-European metal tops at that time and Paradise Lost received the nickname "The European Metallica". 

The second reason for this approach is that Paradise Lost has been influenced by Metallica's music when they decided to adopt clean vocals, and represents Nick Holmes' first favorite band when he started to listen to metal music.

That being said we can imagine almost each Paradise Lost album paralleled to a Metallica's LP.

We can start with "One Second" LP and there is some elements to compare it with "Load" album.

Both are the bands' first less metal and more rock oriented albums. One being labelled Hard Rock and the other one Gothic Rock. Also, they adopted a new look when they gave up their long hair.

Going back in time, again "Draconian Times" should be the PL's black album. Easily the most appreciated and successful album from their discography containing iconic, memorable songs.

 

This album being still within the metal genre. A perfect combination of doom, gothic and heavy metal. 

 

"Icon" is the powerful one.

Similar, somehow, with "...And Justice for All". The beneficiary of a strong Arena-Rock sound, and very compact from the beginning to the end. 

Also, we can imagine that the song "True Belief" should be their "One" hit single.

 

Moving back in time "Shades of God" and "Master of Puppets" has the tree points to sustain the plan;

Battery, Master of Puppets and Welcome Home (Sanatorium) respectively; Mortals Watch the Day, Pity the Sadness and As I Die. 

 

On the other hand Gregor Mackintosh, Nick Holmes and Stephen Edmondson stated in an interview, that the main influence for this album is Black Sabbath's "Master Of Reality".

 

On "Gothic" album Paradise Lost found and  consolidates their artistic identity, much like "Ride the Lightning". Also, defining the music style they've created ,Gothic Metal, exactly how Metallica draw a strict line for the Thrash Metal genre there!

 

"Lost Paradise" is a strong musical statement who

killed 'em all with the attitude and big sound, especially at the vocal delivery. 

The album created the Doom-Death genre much like Metallica started the Thrash-Metal mania in 1983.

"Host" is some kind of a natural continuation (some say a little bit exaggerated as the guitar section was drawn back in favor for the electronica arrangements) of "One Second" and seems to be the Paradise Lost's "Reload" LP.

The infamous (nu-metal?) "St.Anger" has the counterpart collection of songs gathered under the name of "Believe in Nothing".

A blend of Gothic-Rock and Alternative-Metal. The band being not so much happy with it as they stated it contains some compromises. 

Even though, the album has at least tree strong points ; "I Am Nothing" ; "Mouth" (a very memorable and definitory Gothic-Rock masterpiece) and "World Pretending".

Starting with the "Symbol of Life" album Paradise Lost re-establish their music within the Metal genre

creating unforgettable songs up to this day much like (one of) their heroes did from "Death Magnetic" and their follow up LPs.