Metal · 1993 · 10 tracks

Icon

Paradise Lost's pivotal 1993 album, where gothic grandeur meets crushing doom metal. Brooding baritone vocals and prominent keyboards forge a melancholic, powerful sound.

September 23, 1993 · Heavy Metal Collection

Icon is the sound of a band confidently stepping into their gothic metal identity, leaving behind the rawer edges of their death/doom beginnings for a more refined, yet equally heavy, melancholic grandeur. The album washes over you with its dense, layered soundscapes, where Nick Holmes' commanding baritone vocals weave tales of introspection and despair over a foundation of crushing, mid-tempo guitar riffs. It's an album that demands to be absorbed, its atmosphere thick with a sense of encroaching twilight and profound contemplation, perfectly balanced between aggression and mournful beauty.

Tracklist · 10 Tracks

02

Remembrance

3:26

03

Forging Sympathy

4:43

04

Joys of the Emptiness

3:29

05

Dying Freedom

3:44

07

Colossal Rains

4:36

08

Weeping Words

3:51

09

Poison

3:00

11

Shallow Seasons

4:56

12

Christendom

4:31

13

Deus Misereatur

1:57

Moments Worth Listening For

The dramatic entrance of the female vocals on a key track, elevating the melancholic atmosphere to an almost operatic scale.

A particularly crushing, slow guitar riff that drops in after a more melodic passage, hitting with immense weight and intensity.

The interplay between the lead guitar's mournful melody and the prominent, almost church-like keyboard pads, creating a vast, desolate soundscape.

The moment Nick Holmes' baritone vocals shift from a clean, almost crooning delivery to a more guttural, intense roar, signaling a surge of raw emotion.

Reviews

AllMusic

Where This Album Departs

How does Icon sound next to the rest of Paradise Lost's catalogue?

Late Night+2.4σ

Late Night saturates this record far more than the artist's norm.

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