In Requiem

Released 2007 Review: I've noticed in various metal publications (as well as the reviews here) that Paradise Lost's 2007 album In Requiem is being hailed as a "return to form" and the band's best album since 1995's Draconian Times. What exactly did the band have to "return" from? I suppose Host and Believe in Nothing could be considered below Paradise Lost's usual high standards, but One Second, Symbol of Life and Paradise Lost were all fantastic albums. In Requiem is simply the logical extension of those recent works. I will grant that In Requiem seems like a tighter, more focused album than its predecessors. The band seems far more interested in writing good metal songs than in coming up with dance beats, which is fine by me. Once again, Paradise Lost demonstrates why no one can touch them when it comes to balancing a dark atmosphere and subject matter with completely irresistible melodies (see for example, songs like Enemy and Beneath Black Skies). There isn't a lot of experimentation, nor are there any Dead Can Dance or Smiths covers this time around. Of course, I tend to think that Paradise Lost can do whatever they want at this point, considering the fact that they pretty much invented the whole gothic metal genre. So yeah, it's a really solid album. I just think that most of the praise it is receiving could just as easily have been heaped upon either of the band's previous albums. I do think that the cover artwork for In Requiem is one of the best, if not the best, of the band's album covers to date. Track Listing: 1. Never For The Damned 2. Ash & Debris 3. The Enemy 4. Praise Lamented Shade 5. Requiem 6. Unreachable 7. Prelude To Descent 8. Fallen Children 9. Beneath Black Skies 10. Sedative God 11. Your Own Reality