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Paradise Lost - Symbol Of Life



7.8 | 473 votes |
Release date: 21 October 2002
Style: Gothic metal

Owners:

454 have it
22 want it
1 trades it


01. Isolate
02. Erased
03. Two Worlds
04. Pray Nightfall
05. Primal
06. Perfect Mask
07. Mystify
08. No Celebration
09. Self-Obsessed
10. Symbol Of Life
11. Channel For The Pain
12. Xavier [Dead Can Dance cover] [bonus]
13. Small Town Boy [Bronski Beat cover] [bonus]

Additional info
Label: GUN / Supersonic Records

Recorded in June and July, 2002 at Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire, England and in 2002 at Dreamcatcher Recording Studios in Bradford, England.
Additional recording by Carmen Rizzo at Studio 775 in Los Angeles, California.
Mixed at The Green Jacket in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.
Additional digital editing by Chris Potter.
Mastered by Kai Blankenberg at Skyline Studios in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Guest review by
John P. Dunphy
Rating:
8.5
When a band decides to change direction in musical style, fans may sometimes cry 'sellout!? and refuse to give the new music a chance.

For a band like England's Paradise Lost, that possibility has appeared on more than one occasion, as they are definitely a band of much change.

Their first release, Lost Paradise, in 1990 revolutionized what would become known as ?doom metal". The slow, trudging dirges generated a large underground following for then-teenagers Nick Holmes , Greg Mackintosh , Aaron Aedy , Stephen Edmondson and Matthew Archer .

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published 02.09.2003 | Comments (2)

Guest review by
Passenger
Rating:
9.0
Even though not many will agree with this statement, "Symbol Of Life" is, to me, Paradise Lost's best album. I could go back in their career and pick albums with distinct characteristics that do, most definitely, stand on their own as solid and original works, but that don't quite effectively transmit to me the sad atmosphere their simple song writing can bring as well as "Symbol Of Life" does. I won't say this one represents everything Paradise Lost has done in their career, because it doesn't, but it sure is their most varied and multi layered album - whether you like this sound or not is a different subject. The truth is that, even though it is also their heaviest album since "Draconian Times" (songs like "Two Worlds," "Self-Obsessed," or "Channel For The Pain" prove it), it is still very much dependent of the electronic influences and generally much mellower rockish style of "One Second" and "Host."

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published 21.08.2006 | Comments (7)

Guest review by
hottercraft
Rating:
5.4
I don't know what they wanted to do, but they made an album with a sound similar to some groups that do Nu-Metal or mix Metal with electronic music, like Rammstein. It is definitely a less Metal sound than in their previous releases, this sounds more Rock than Metal. However, I can say that the vocals are still good and there are good guitar riffs, but it's fucked by the fucking electronic ambient. When we listen to this album, we'll think that we're in space or in a videogame like The Matrix...

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published 01.10.2006 | Comments (22)

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Comments

Comments: 8   Visited by: 615 users
24.12.2009 - 19:32
VPeter

Of all Paradise Lost's electronic album I like this one the least. It moves me little... One second has it's grey autumn blissful depression feel, the self titled expands on it and has lot's of heart to it. Belief In Nothing has it's summer melancholy and Host it's Depeche mode vibe. This... has little, it's still pretty decent and it's way better than Lost Paradise and Shades of God, but potential got wasted here...
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25.08.2012 - 10:36
Night Sight

Perfect best i'v heard of them
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Alone in birth
Alone in the darkness
Alone in death
Alone in the daylight
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25.08.2012 - 16:04
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by VPeter on 24.12.2009 at 19:32
it's way better than Lost Paradise and Shades of God.


Urgh, hell no. Some their best metal albums by far and definitely best overall along with Draconian Times. The only electronic albums worth something would be One Second and Host. This one has barely a couple of tracks that are good. Erased is probably the best song here.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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02.10.2016 - 19:11
Rating: 8
Sircheesewhistle

Songs like "Erased" seriously makes this album for me.
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07.12.2020 - 10:55
JoHn Doe

7.9/447 votes - that's about right.

I'd rate this 7.5.
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I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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13.02.2021 - 00:51
Rating: 8
X-13

Modern and Unique ! Not more than an 8 for me but I like its different atmosphere
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13.02.2021 - 01:00
JoHn Doe

Written by X-13 on 13.02.2021 at 00:51

Modern and Unique ! Not more than an 8 for me but I like its different atmosphere

"8" means "very good".
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I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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02.12.2021 - 11:42
Rating: 5
This was really difficult for me listen to, forced my way through the 11 tracks only because i love the band. the gothic/doom records are spot on (most of them).
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