Paradise Lost

I've checked in on Paradise Lost over the years but this is the first time I've felt compelled to stop and listen in about a decade. When I read claims about aging bands returning to their heavy roots I'm suspicious, especially if the band in question put out a string of boring albums that had little or nothing to do with their doom-laden origins. To my surprise, Faith Divides Us ― Death Unites Us lives up to at least some of the hype. Through ten tracks of heavy goth rock with ominous undercurrents and pulsing energy Paradise Lost hint at a more extreme past while keeping hold of the contemporary accessibility they've worked so hard to cultivate. The classic counterpoint of higher-pitched guitar lines pushing through the slow weight of thick power chords is nostalgic and dynamic, and a reminder of the band's capacity for depth and complexity. Mixed with a few grains of psychedelic groove, it's almost enough to override the occasional slip towards generic hard rock. A little weak in the middle, Faith Divides Us ― Death Unites Us begins and ends strong, but the album climaxes before radio-friendly closer "In Truth." With its driving rhythm and uneasy guitar harmonies, which echo the band's early feats, "Universal Dream" reminds me a little of the Paradise Lost that was.