6. Paradise Lost - Gothic
Track List: 1. Gothic 2. Dead Emotion 3. Shattered 4. Rapture 5. Eternal 6. Falling Forever 7. Angel Tears 8. The Painless 9. Desolate
Recommended Track: The Painless. Death Metal vocals, corrosive riffs, keyboards and female vocals combine to prove Paradise Lost were always innovators, never followers. Part of the 'Peaceville Three' (a record label that launched the careers of English Doom pioneers Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Anathema), Paradise Lost arguably invented two genres, Doom/Death and Gothic Metal, some achievement from a band that produced such uncompromising material. Containing some of their most revered compositions, Gothic was instantly hailed as a classic on its release in 1991. Incorporating a sense of melody often not found in the genre, Paradise Lost were intent on pushing boundaries and with the introduction of orchestral elements and a daring use of female vocals the signs that Paradise Lost would continue to evolve with each subsequent release were abundantly clear. This album may be entitled Gothic and the band may have invented Gothic Metal but this remains an essential Doom Metal album from first track to last; a benchmark of the genre.