Review by Jeger on September 17, 2025.

For more than three decades, the prestigious Paradise Lost has proven to be a veritable institution of the arts. Since the days of the Peaceville Three: Anathema, My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost, it's been their class that has superseded the character and the output of their fellows. Uncompromising in their craft and straight from the heart with their music. The darkest of days and the most desperate of nights conceptualized majestically through celebrated LPs like '95's "Draconian Times", '07's "In Requiem" along with their magnum opus, 2020's "Obsidian" - volumes of the utmost importance to Extreme Metal as a whole.

We all strive for something better; frantically grasping onto the next rung of life's shaky ladder; trying to adapt to the unpredictability of existence, all the while as we fall short of our own unrealistic expectations. And our reward? Death absolute… It's in life's closing moments when we finally understand where we went wrong. What a fucked up winless game life is. What better way to relish in this miserable truth than with another Paradise Lost record? The Yorkshire Quintet is back… On September 19, Paradise Lost will unveil their latest misery-drenched offering in "Ascension" via Nuclear Blast.

Finally, a mainstream Extreme Metal album that is actually worth reviewing. I've been licking my chops for this one, and now it's finally here for me to tear through like a starved wolf through lamb's flesh. Nick Holmes happens to be my favorite vocalist and Paradise Lost are certainly one of my favorite bands. But the time for objective criticism has arrived. Will "Ascension" live up to the imposingly high standard left by 2020's "Obsidian"? Let's get into it…

Guitars tuned low, bass-heavy, melancholically melodic and set off by Holmes' renowned dual-sided vocal attack. Heart and gut-wrenching following an elegant female vocalized intro to the opening track, "Serpent On The Cross". Epically Gothic is the atmosphere and chugging along are the riffs. Fuck, man… So far, so good. Production quality is stark like a cancer diagnosis and mixing is spot on, as each phase cuts through with authority while maintaining a nice sense of harmony. Holmes' gutturals are deeper, more sinister. No cleans for this track. PL kicking things off brutally. The following track, "Tyrants Serenade", delivers the comprehensive Paradise Lost experience. In with those Peter Murphy-like cleans and into the spotlight with those Doom-hearty chops. A haunting chorus to leave you in a state of foreplay-like enthrallment. Eagerly anticipating every passage now as wind-gusted atmospheric elements provide a most desolate vibe. And entering in, a murder of crows to signify the coming of "Salvation" - a dreadful slow-burner. Like an ecstatic form of torture does this one feel. Impossibly heavy riffs, wailing leads and dense, thudding rhythms. Laying the suffering on thick now.

Chills? Check. Goosebumps? You betcha. What "Obsidian" lacked in experimentation, "Ascension" delivers in spades. So much depth, so many layers to peel back and a myriad of styles to explore. Pure class, integrity and just the right amount of unpredictability. An almost "The New Order" era Testament feel to "Silence Like The Grave" during its verses: sleazy thrash riffs and grimy vocals lead into another memorable chorus. Superlative after superlative intertwining with conventional song structure; resulting in a multi-faceted yet classic experience.

Isn't it intriguing the way people cope with loss? With death? What to do with so much pain? It's enough to drive one mad. I believe we're all quite mad and it just gets worse with age. It's as intriguing as the HIM-like "Diluvium". Shades of "Razorblade Romance" accented by a little Judas Priest action? Dig it… It's heavy, it's slow, it's swift, it's hypnotic, it's elegant, majestic and soothing - le package totale. "Ascension" closes with "The Precipice". Somber as post-funeral realizations of totality and hopeless as mortality's promise. A proper epic and a fine example of much of what Paradise Lost is capable of as far as setting such a beautiful yet utterly dreadful tone.

Album of the year material… Paradise Lost sit austere upon the highest artistic vantage here and it's not even fair. Despite such a tour de force effort, "Ascension" feels like one of those albums that a band just has a blast writing and recording. I'm sure it felt great for the collective to relinquish their inhibitions and incorporate so many different influences into one record. And it's done seamlessly, flawlessly. Not a moment's disjoint or a second's awkwardness. The best being the best, and toward this there can be no argument. Ladies and gentlemen! This is what perfection sounds like. Bravo! I know you've been waiting a long time for this one. Enjoy.

Rating: 10 out of 10