Rare is it for a band to have had such a long lasting effect on the musical landscape they exist within. Since their formation in Halifax, West Yorkshire, Gothic Metal pioneers Paradise Lost have thrived in perpetual darkness: a place where rays of light seldom threaten to break the black clouds, where nightmares last an eternity. Returning with their fourteenth studio record, ‘The Plague Within’, Paradise Lost are once again refining the chemical equation to their sonic alchemy with the kind of creative invincibility few can afford.

Produced by Jaime Gomez Arellano [Ghost, Ulver, Cathedral] at London's Orgone Studios, the frostbitten riffs thunder beneath the bittersweet euphoria of Nick’s vocals, drifting between rich melodic soars and icy snarls. It’s an organic body of work that confronts the trials and tribulations of struggling alone in darkness, but also one that treads incredibly exciting and genuinely new sonic ground in the process.

“’Punishment through Time’ was the first song we put together,” explains Nick. “As usual when we begin a new album, we try to clear the slate. After 14 albums it can be difficult to know where to start, but even though it’s a distant memory, the best option is usually to think about the music we loved and excited us as teenagers and I guess this song is a result of that. With a real 80s vibe, I think it’s the only song of its kind on the album.”

“As far as writing goes, being impulsive doesn't always work and can be risky,” he continues. “But we decided to write a total doom song halfway through recording the drum parts for ‘Beneath Broken Earth’. Much to our drummer Adrian’s horror, no doubt! ‘An Eternity of Lies’ actually took the longest to get together, with originally about 15 different versions until we settled with the final one.”

If you are looking for some cheap thrills, look elsewhere, as Paradise Lost have thrown away the tried and true formulas and have opted for the road less travelled with ‘The Plague Within’ and have sculpted a masterpiece in doing so.