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Review: Paradise Lost - Symbol of Life
Paradise Lost
www.paradiselost.co.uk
Symbol of Life

Label: Koch Records
Year released: 2002
Duration: 53:08
Tracks: 13
Genre: Gothic Metal

Rating:
3/5


Review online: September 22, 2004
Reviewed by: 4th Horseman
Readers' Rating
How do you rate this release?

Rated 3/5 (60%) (16 Votes)
Review

"Symbol Of Life" – oh yes…if I had a nickel for every person that I converted and introduced to the world of metal as a result of the song "Erased" from this album, I would be 35 cents richer than I am today. This album inarguably features the catchiest song in all of metal, and one that is friendly enough for anybody in this world to listen to and start their journey into metal. That song is of course, the aforementioned "Erased"… a very simplistic but yet catchy as hell song. There are other catchy tracks on this album, such as "Isolate" or the awesome cover for "Small Town Boy" but there is a lot of pure horseshit that comes along with it on this disc too. Throw in a strongly nu-metal influenced track on here as well.

Paradise Lost claimed that "Symbol Of Life" was a return to form and back to their glory days of "Icon" from 1993…Pssh! Hardly. This album is decent, yes; but nowhere near as good. There are clear vocals all the way through and it doesn't have that epic, dark and gloomy feeling to it. "Symbol Of Life" tries nothing new whatsoever, and entirely stays within the confines of a tried, tested and simple formula for gothic metal…granted Paradise Lost are the ones that started it all, but the songs on here are far too simplistic and basic, even for a Goth Metal band. Anyway, the music is captivating at times and the choruses are damn sticky. If that is all you need, then what the hell am I complaining about. You like Gothic Metal? Go get this album then. But don't tell me later I didn't warn you about the dull and boring tracks on here as well! In all honesty, this album, at times, sounds like a heavier form of Depeche Mode. So yeah, if you like that sound and want to explore the heavier version of it, this album is for you.

More about Paradise Lost...
Review: Draconian Times (reviewed by 4th Horseman)
Review: Gothic (reviewed by 4th Horseman)
Review: In Requiem (reviewed by 4th Horseman)
Review: Lost Paradise (reviewed by MetalMike)
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