Paradise Lost

Draconian Times was originally released in 1995 and was a bit underwhelming at the time. With the benefit of hindsight and the help of this re-release, it can now be remembered for the masterpiece that it is. On Draconian Times, Paradise Lost injected a huge dose of the big sound that Metallica brought into the world with their "black" album, creating a goth metal disc that had anthemic songs that should have been huge hits in the era of "Enter Sandman" and "Wherever I May Roam." It wasn't to be, though, and the lads took their infamous sharp left turn from here into the realm of Depeche Mode-influenced "electro depresso pop." However, this album is a snapshot of a time when the band was poised to take over the metal world, with songs like "Hallowed Land" and "Enchantment" combining great vocals, catchy riffs, smart production and a solid drum performance. This re-release contains a Smiths cover and a fairly unremarkable unreleased track from the recording sessions of this album. That's no reason for someone to buy this if they already own a copy, but the important thing is to have a copy of this very important and neglected piece of modern metal history.