Album Review: Paradise Lost - Draconian Times 25th Anniversary Edition
Reviewed by Paul Hutchings
The minute those notes on the piano are caressed at the start of ‘Enchantment’, everything stops. It’s the start of a seminal album in the metal world and in the case of ‘Draconian Times’, the word masterpiece is appropriate. Albums which reach milestones are often viewed with rose tinted glasses, the quality often merged with emotional memories. For ‘Draconian Times’, the glasses are gold tinted, such is the calibre and quality of an album that one can never tire of listening to.
An album that defined the band creatively, for me ‘Draconian Times’ would stand comfortably in the top ten UK metal albums of all-time. To coincide with the anniversary, Music for Nations reissues ‘Draconian Times’ in a number of different formats with some extras tacked on for the enthusiast.
The album was recorded at Surrey Studio Ridge Farm and the gothic mansion of Great Linfield Manor in Bedfordshire. Produced by Simon Efemy, the band’s line up comprised the core members who have been there from the start in Nick Holmes, Gregor Mackintosh, Aaron Aedy and Steve Edmonson with Lee Morris on drums.
It is an album that unlike many of that era, still gets played on a regular basis. The gothic overtures of ‘Enchantment’ give way to the jangling guitar work that signals the start of ‘Hallowed Land‘ and from there on this is an album that contains nothing but killer songs. There truly is no filler here. There are fan favourites draped through the record and songs that remain fixtures in the set list. ‘Shadowkings’, the peerless ‘Shades of God’ and the epic album closer ‘Jaded’ are all underrated tracks in the band’s now vast discography.
The revised edition includes the original album plus a host of unreleased extras including four tracks from a BBC Live Session, several demos, and a cracking cover ‘Walk Away’ by Sisters of Mercy. Regardless of the extras, ‘Draconian Times XXV’ deserves to be celebrated. There is no band on the planet like Paradise Lost and this record is an album that everyone should listen to at least once in their life. If you haven’t the time is right to rectify that.
ICYMI - Check out our interview with Nick from earlier this year.
