Review by Richard Henry for MPM
Up to the big city again tonight, on a surprisingly nice day for what is going to be a gloom filled evening!
To say I am very excited tonight is an understatement, I first heard these guys in 1992 when I saw As I Die on MTV and I have been a fan ever since, first up though, we have Cwfen, hailing from Glasgow check these guys out on band-camp, I have to admit I haven’t listened to them before so this is a first for me, let’s see what they have to offer!
Cwfen
Bodies
Boom, in with this heavy down picked riff, really sort of sludgy with the vocal just slightly over the top of it providing the melody to it, this one is just a slow driving sort of song, love that little guitar melody part that comes in, sort of opens up the song, then a lovely jangly sort of dissonant riff comes in over the floor tom groove part, then the chorus part the vocal seems to get a bit lighter and it really lifts up the song over the driving riff behind it, very hypnotic and atmospheric, great opener!
Wolfsbane
Love that opening riff, then the drums just come in, really jangly guitar part and a solid foundation, low sung vocal, that riff though, but more aggressive vocal on the second verse, building up energy and feel, then a really nice chorus part, some lovely drum work going there as well, the whole song just keeps building up through the next verse and into the chorus, then a break for a really nice guitar part, decent response so far for the crowd as well, love that melody guitar part over the top of the riff.
Relixs
Just a slinky little groove on the bass and drums with a clean guitar comes in then a sliding octave guitar part, the crowd seem to be into these guitar as well, be interesting to know how many had heard of them before tonight, I love the vocals, they are so delicate them when the band kicks in they just get more purposeful, is another belting track!
Whispers
Slow drum groove kicks this one off, then a really cool soft guitar part comes in and it comes right down to the bass and drums with the vocal for a part before that guitar figure comes in again, when the heavier guitar comes in work that soft vocal it’s just gorgeous sounding, these guys are a revelation to me so far, absolutely loving this track, it’s almost uplifting in a way, then that middle section worn the melody guitar reinforces that before the vocals come in again, another belter of a track!
Penance
Drum Groove to kick this one off, then the guitar come in and smother everything, it’s just so atmospheric, as I said I have heard these guys before but I am loving them, almost black metal vocal in the verse, like real early wave, but then when the chorus comes in, is like a crack of light appearing through the dark clouds, it just opens up the whole thing, that melody guitar part in the middle is just beautiful, it’s more than textural it just adds so much to the track before slipping back into the savage verse vocals again, I absolutely loved this track!
Embers
Starting with a clean guitar sound with a really slow drum beat, then you get a atmospheric sort of lead guitar melody coming in over the top of everything, it’s all about the atmosphere as the vocal comes in over the bass and drums, before the heavy guitars come in for the chorus, once it hits that middle section there is a really nice roof comes in and the tempo picks up a bit the track just keeps building up till the end!
Rite
Finishing tonight with the last track from 2025s “Sorrows” album, love that drum groove that kicks in right away, the growled vocals straight away on this, a really direct approach on this song, then it just opens on the chorus with the twin vocals coming in, the crowd are into it as well, sometimes hard to gauge as it’s not a moshy crowd but you can see the heads nodding along, this one just doesn’t let up, it’s slowly lumbering along, live the harsh vocals though, and that is a wrap from the Scottish guys!
I am really impressed with these guys, not what I was expecting but they where really good, defiantly get yourself onto Bandcamp and pick up the album “Sorrows” a good chunk of it was played tonight, excellent opening band!
Paradise Lost
Serpent on the Cross
Kicking off with the first track from the new album “Ascension”, the band come onstage and that sorrowful guitar line comes in, then Jeff builds up to that growl from Nick, love the tempo change when the main riff comes in and we kick off into the track proper, as Gregor said he wrote these songs when remixing Icon and you can tell, it’s a proper banging track to kick tonight off with!
Tragic Idol
Second track is the title track from 2012s “Tragic Idol” album, clean guitar comes in first on this one, before the band comes in with a slow heavy rhythm with Greg doing his thing and adding all that mournful melody over it before Nick comes in on the verse with a soaring vocal for the first half before dropping down for the second half of the verse, that chorus is just massive live as well, absolutely killer track!
True Belief
Blast from the past, back to 1993s “Icon” album, this one was massive on MTV back in the day, it’s a slow plodder of a song, from that slow building guitar melody at the start with the drum fills so that chugging rhythm on the verse, I love the chorus this one work the crowd helping out singing this back to the stage, then that middle section allowing Jeff to get some drum fills in there, great drummer and check out “Plague of Angels” the other band he plays drums in!
One Second
They are getting around the back catalogue so far, now we are on 1997’s “One Second” album, I remember when this album came out and as a huge fan of these guys, I just didn’t get it, now this album when I listen to it, the songs are amazing, different from what came before but amazing, this one just gives me goosebumps hearing it, I was happily singing away to the whole thing, verse and chorus,
Once Solemn
“Draconian Times” album up next for this one, now if you where ever going to have a pit at a PL gig, this is the one, absolutely driving track, loved this song when I first heard, and it certainly doesn’t lose any impact live, lots of heads moving along to this one, love that double kick under the “can’t find the words to say” part, Jeff just driving this one along back there, again tasty and powerful drummer, I would say my favourite track of tonight, but I could be speaking too soon on that one!!
Faith Divides Us – Death Units Us
Title track of 2009’s album of the same name, after bringing the tempo way up there is only one way to go, and that is to bring it right down to the mellow verse of this one, however it builds up into that massive chorus to this one that just slowly lumbers along, I love the shifts from the heavy chorus back into that verse part again, great dynamics live on this track, that middle section though when that little melodic guitar lick comes in is just perfect with the riff from Aaron just complementing it perfectly, before Greg has an absolutely soaring melody part that comes in before the last chorus!
Pity the Sadness
All the way back to 1992, the first album I got of these guys “Shades of God”, forget everything I said about favourite track earlier, this is the album that I first bought from Paradise Lost, I legitimately have goosebumps here, I love this track, so no surprise I was singing and head banging my way through this one, just driving straight ahead slab of a song, peppered with the Greg melodic guitar as it climbs up into the chorus part, before it slows right down after the second chorus, love that bass line from Steve that leads us right back into the verse again, that solo may be the most shred Greg gets to be fair, this is my favourite track of this evening!
Salvation
All the way to the new album again, third track from the new one, mournful guitar melody to kick this one off, before Jeff slams in with those hits on the floor toms, the tempo is down to a crawl on this one with Nick growling out the lyrics, then that pick up as Greg comes in with the counter point guitar line as everything is building up and then that space and the main melody comes in and Greg takes a solo, the bit that really hits live is after the second chorus and Nick comes in with the clean vocal part, that just lifts the track so much despite how heavy it is, also that part after the second solo just slaps so hard, with a brutal driving riff coming in, this one is a proper epic track live!
Nothing Sacred
Off to 1999’s “Host” album, now I actually grew to really like this album, and this one live just has a really moody vibe, they totally change character from the originals, and the other thing is the guys have really got the set list pacing right, going from the last track to this one that is so much more laid back and sort of chill, a great track live, I must go back and re listen to this album again, really good crowd response to these tracks as well that are more laid back!
Tyrants Serenade
Back to the new album again, kicking off with that dissonant guitar riff then the band kicks in, Aaron’s head never stops moving the whole night, these guys are tight, love that verse when that slow dragging guitar riff comes in, ah ok, there is a track running with some vocals on that chorus, I think Nick is singing the growled vocal and the clean is on banking, that key change is lovely in the middle section, that break after the middle and then it builds back up again before a tiny break and back into the chorus again, blinding track!
Requiem
Hitting 2007’s “In Requiem” album, the big choir intro comes in for this as we are bathed in light and then Greg breaks the silence with that guitar melody, before Jeff comes in with a barrage of drum fills, love this one with the double kicks over that stabbing riff, that’s got some people moving about behind me in the crowd, that’s a savage verse riff before the kicks come back in, this one is brutally heavy in parts with the syncopated riff and double kicks, great vocal from Nick and he is a good bit up there in the clean vocal before the break with the piano and the counter point guitar melody between Aaron and Greg, absolutely love this track!
Mouth
Track from 2001’s, “Believe in Nothing” album, I love the riff at the start of this one, it’s another sort of uptempo bouncy track, really hard hitting as well, then it strips right back to the verse which is really minimal, again its tracks like this that really take on a new life in the live setting, and so far the crowd reaction has been really good tonight In the limelight 2, there are tracks that you can tell more people know but songs like this have the heads moving, Greg just gives that shining light to the song with that little guitar melody over Aaron’s octave riff, really good chorus to this one!
Say Just Words
Another from 1997s “One Second” album, and there it is, that piano intro has just hit, this one is a real uptempo banger of a track live and way heavier than the version on the album, again loads of heads moving along to this one, good few singing back the chorus to Nick on the stage and great energy to this one, again at the time I didn’t get it with this album but I absolutely love it now and tonight we have had the one two punch of the first two songs off that album, love this one!
After a long break the guys are back on for a three song encore!
No Celebration
From 2002’s “Symbol of Life” album, the military snare drum into with the melody guitar, it’s a proper bouncy guitar riff and feel on this, before it breaks down to a simple drum and bass part with Nick over the top before the two guitars come in, that middle section really hits with a proper down picked riff part before it comes back into that chorus again, I really like this track anyway and live it takes on a really different feel, way heavier!
Ghost
Only one tonight from 2020’s “Obsidian” album, this was a track I loved when i heard it, from that single kick with the dirty bass line coming in from Steve, such a groovy part before the build up into that chorus with the lively little guitar melody from Greg then that sort of thrash beat on the chorus before slipping back to the slower riff after it, Aaron just anchoring everything down over on the other side of the stage, these guys are sharp as anything tonight, seriously tight!
Silence Like the Grave
Closer tonight is another from the new album “Ascension”, I love that little counterpoint guitar figure at the start of this one before it comes crashing in, that riff live is just a sledgehammer, good few heads bobbing around to this track, it’s so direct of a song, love that half time drop switch on the beat as it hits the chorus, then Greg into a real Phrygian sounding lead part, it’s a great track to close with, it just has such energy!
That was a serious setlist, really covering a lot of the albums, nothing from the very first two but that is a lot of ground covered!
How are these guys still getting better, the last two albums have been immense, and when you think, they aren’t far off 40 years as a band, that was a masterclass tonight, if you get a chance to go see them on this leg of the tour, do not miss it!
