Paradise Lost - Faith Divides Us Death Unites Us - LP Gatefold Colored

Looking back at the progression Paradise Lost has made over the years, "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us" does seem to rely on two important ingredients that made this band worthy in the first place. Nick Holmes brings back the harsh vocal attack you could find on the band's '93-'95 material and while he doesn't sound as ''cool'' as he did earlier on. The heavier, yet elaborated approach sees Paradise Lost aiming for several contrasts; the vocals often alternate between wise angry bellows and baritone-esque cleans, yet both aspects are used often which you couldn't say so much about the band's earlier works.

''As Horizons End'' opens up with its thundering guitar chords, followed by gruff verses and its rhymed cleaner chorus. It's an excellent opening track and should remind you the band has definitely left their goth rock phase behind for good. "The Rise of Denial" has the most guitar chugged verse since "Colossal rain", but fortunately sees Greg and Aaron pull out a few more tricks in their advantage.

The lead segment Greg appears on is nothing but nostalgic sorrow whereas the punchy riff follows right after offers an extra dose of good old heaviness before the vocal-oriented chorus makes it present clear again. Mood-wise, this new approach might take a little getting used to those yearning for a serious copy of the Paradise Lost of old, but most of the time the results are more than satisfying to me.

''First Light'' is an emotional roller-coaster and demonstrates Nick Holmes' new-found vocal abilities at their best, especially during that deceiving chorus and even the title track's balladic tale doesn't shy away from a rougher chorus emerging between the tranquil verses with great effects. Still, "Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us" is a fine album of a band rediscovering their heavier pasts. It remains one of the band's more unique album.