One of Britain’s biggest chapters in metal history, PARADISE LOST, release their highly anticipated live release “Symphony For The Lost”. This special show was performed, captured on video and recorded live at The Ancient Roman Theatre of Philippopolis in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, feat. the Orchestra of State Opera Plovdiv and Rodna Pesen Choir on its first section and a second set with only the band present on stage. Well, as a fan of the band, I have more than enough to say about this whole recording, so let’s see what’s going on here!
First of all, PARADISE LOST have made clear to their audience and fans the redirection towards their death metal roots concerning their music, with their latest release “The Plague Within” and since a teaser video was out – about two months ago- for this release, I really have to admit I caught myself confused, since it was quite interesting as an idea with all those favourites and a full orchestra on the background, but the sound clips sounded the least bizarre. So, after being teased enough, I had to listen to the whole experiment from beginning to its end, to be sure of what went on there that special night.
The night kicks off with “Tragic Idol” and it really sounds bad! Nick sounds tired and the orchestral parts out of tune! Unfortunately, this sentence sums-up the entire first part of the show, with the band and the orchestra experimenting together on stage! Paradise Lost sound miles away out of their terrain and held back during the whole first part of the show. It all sounds badly rehearsed and not fitting together at all! None of the first eight songs with the orchestra makes it to the “interesting” point. Even “Victim of the past” a new song back then, which appeared as a regular track on their latest release “The Plague Within” does not sound that intriguing, but I’d say maybe it was closer to reality than every other song! “Soul Courageous” sounds awfully bad and the arrangement really out of tune, just before the final “defining song for PARADISE LOST” – Gothic-, as Nick announced it closes the first section of the release. I’m really sorry that I have to say this, but even this one that already had a vast orchestral arrangement, didn’t meet up the minor expectations, although during this song, the band starts to sound a bit more confident, but this is where this experiment is near its end! That’s almost everything I could point out for this part of the show. PARADISE LOST way off their ways and orchestral arrangements that did not fit the songs, nor did they make any of the songs a bit more interesting in any possible aspect!
Going on to the second part of the recording, beginner “The Enemy” sounds already quite more confident and balanced and so does the rest of the set, including another eight fan favourites and “hits”. The entire second part, doesn’t sound far above a medium level performance by the band, even though it sounds a bit smoother and tighter than the first one.
PARADISE LOST happen to be one of the bands that, paved their own way for many years and survived, one way or another. We should all take this release as another experiment, that was somehow not that well planned or performed! I dearly regret to this day that I wasn’t able to be there, to tell you how it all felt in the heat of the moment, nor can I compare it to what is captured on tape! I believe though, with all my heart and ears, that “Symphony For The Lost” is a fan-oriented release so, if you don’t consider yourselves amongst the hard-core fans of the band, just listen to their albums or some other live release with playback orchestras! For fans or not…
[page_title text=”Symphony For The Lost Trailer”]