Heavy metal is a hard category when a band wants or needs to change.
So it isn't a surprise that Paradise Lost lost many fans when the group's previous albums, Draconian Times and One Second, were released.
Host isn't an exception -- vice versa, it goes even deeper into experimental rock.
This time Paradise Lost even uses synths and programming, but mixing them with distorted guitar sounds better than you may expect.
Host sounds, surprisingly, like Depeche Mode with distorted guitars.
Of course, this isn't a bad thing.
Host is a big step for Paradise Lost at both artistic and progressive levels.
Death isn't such a contemporary topic for singer Nick Holmes anymore, but depressive lyrics about failures in life define the mood of Host.
When guitarist/keyboardist Gregor MacKintosh's intelligent keyboard usage is added to this mood, it is easy to align with the band.
Songs like "So Much Is Lost," "In All Honesty," and "Permanent Solution" are the highlights, but there are no boring moments on Host.
Paradise Lost promises a lot for the band's next album.
Hopefully they can show even more progress, and move on from their Depeche Mode season.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | So Much Is LostNick Holmes | Paradise Lost, Nick Holmes | Play | 04:16 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 2 | Nothing SacredNick Holmes | Paradise Lost, Nick Holmes | Play | 04:02 | 9 MB | 27 MB |
| 3 | In All HonestyNick Holmes | Paradise Lost, Nick Holmes | Play | 04:00 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 4 | HarbourNick Holmes | Paradise Lost, Nick Holmes | Play | 04:23 | 10 MB | 29 MB |
| 5 | Ordinary DaysNick Holmes | Paradise Lost, Nick Holmes | Play | 03:28 | 7 MB | 23 MB |
| 6 | It's Too LateNick Holmes | Paradise Lost, Nick Holmes | Play | 04:44 | 10 MB | 29 MB |
| 7 | Permanent SolutionNick Holmes | Paradise Lost, Nick Holmes | Play | 03:16 | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| 8 | Behind the GreyNick Holmes | Paradise Lost, Nick Holmes | Play | 03:13 | 7 MB | 21 MB |
| 9 | WreckNick Holmes | Paradise Lost, Nick Holmes | Play | 04:41 | 10 MB | 32 MB |
| 10 | Made the SameNick Holmes | Paradise Lost, Nick Holmes | Play | 03:33 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 11 | DeepNick Holmes | Paradise Lost, Nick Holmes | Play | 04:00 | 9 MB | 26 MB |
| 12 | Year of SummerNick Holmes | Paradise Lost, Nick Holmes | Play | 04:16 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 13 | HostNick Holmes | Paradise Lost, Nick Holmes | Play | 05:12 | 11 MB | 35 MB |
| 53 mins | 121 MB | |||||
| 53 mins | 362 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aaron Aedy | Guitar |
| 2 | Gini Ball | Violin |
| 3 | Dinah Beamish | Cello |
| 4 | Matthew Cullen | Assistant Engineer |
| 5 | Susan Dench | Viola |
| 6 | Stephen Edmondson | Bass |
| 7 | Andy Farrow | Management |
| 8 | Sally Herbert | String Arrangements, Violin |
| 9 | Nick Holmes | Composer, Primary Artist, Vocals |
| 10 | Steve Lyon | Engineer, Mixing, Producer, Programming |
| 11 | Gregor MacKintosh | Guitar, Keyboards, Programming, String Arrangements |
| 12 | Lee Morris | Drums |
| 13 | Paradise Lost | Primary Artist |
| 14 | Leo Payne | Violin |
| 15 | Jocelyn Pook | Violin |
| 16 | Paul Postle | Photography |
| 17 | Audrey Riley | Cello, String Arrangements, Vocals (Background) |
| 18 | Julia Singleton | Violin |
| 19 | Anne Stephenson | Violin |
| 20 | Stylorouge | Art Direction, Design |
| 21 | Christopher Tombling | Violin |
| 22 | Howie Weinberg | Mastering |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |