| Host | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 24 May 1999 [1] | |||
| Recorded | September 1998 – February 1999 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 53:00 | |||
| Label | EMI | |||
| Producer | Steve Lyon | |||
| Paradise Lost chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Cutting Edge | [3] |
| Laut.de | [4] |
| Q | [5] |
| Rock Hard | 8.5/10 [6] |
Host is the seventh studio album by British gothic metal band Paradise Lost.
Following One Second , Host saw the band moving further away from their previous metal sound to something more akin to a melancholic style of synth-pop incorporating downtempo, leftfield, and trance electronic styles. Songs were constructed primarily of programmed drums and synthesizer melodies, with simple, rock-style guitar added for choruses. Vocalist Nick Holmes resolved to simple melodies with his clean singing style, often doubled and harmonized; the resultant material resembled crossover acts like Psykosonik [ citation needed ] and electronic band Depeche Mode.
The singles "So Much Is Lost" and "Permanent Solution" both have music videos released; in an interview, Holmes and Mackintosh explained that the videos were higher budget compared to other videos they made. [7]
Due to an injury, Gregor Mackintosh often played keyboards instead of guitar while touring the album with his guitar technician Milton "Milly" Evans playing his guitar parts. [8]
While the album was critically well received, opinion about it continues to be split. Holmes commented on this album in 2007, stating:
"From Host through to Believe in Nothing , we didn't really kind of know where we were going. We were really in a dilemma." [9]
Aedy said Host is the "darkest" Paradise Lost album, but noted the band was not happy with the production. [10] The album was remastered and re-released in 2018. [11]
The album eventually served as the inspiration of Holmes' and Mackintosh's side-project Host; in the press release about the formation, Mackintosh noted that "We always stood by Host as an album". [12]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "So Much Is Lost" | 4:16 |
| 2. | "Nothing Sacred" | 4:02 |
| 3. | "In All Honesty" | 4:02 |
| 4. | "Harbour" | 4:23 |
| 5. | "Ordinary Days" | 3:29 |
| 6. | "It's Too Late" | 4:44 |
| 7. | "Permanent Solution" | 3:17 |
| 8. | "Behind the Grey" | 3:13 |
| 9. | "Wreck" | 4:41 |
| 10. | "Made the Same" | 3:34 |
| 11. | "Deep" | 4:00 |
| 12. | "Year of Summer" | 4:16 |
| 13. | "Host" | 5:12 |
| Total length: | 53:00 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 14. | "So Much Is Lost (Lost in Space Mix)" | 6:22 |
| 15. | "Languish" (instrumental) | 4:08 |
| 16. | "So Much Is Lost (String Version)" | 4:18 |
Cellists and other string arrangements
Violists
Backing vocals
| Production
Album design
| Violinists
|
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [13] | 33 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [14] | 7 |
| French Albums (SNEP) [15] | 67 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [16] | 4 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [17] | 38 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [18] | 19 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [19] | 61 |
Paradise Lost is an English gothic metal band that formed in 1988 in Halifax, considered to be among the pioneers of the death-doom genre, and regarded as the main influence for the later gothic metal movement. Bands that have cited Paradise Lost as an influence, or have covered them, include My Dying Bride, Anathema, The Gathering, Amorphis, Cradle of Filth, Katatonia, Moonspell, Lacuna Coil, HIM, Nightwish and many others. As of 2005, Paradise Lost have sold over two million albums worldwide.
Nicholas John Arthur Holmes is an English singer, best known as the lead vocalist of British gothic metal/doom metal band Paradise Lost and Swedish death metal band Bloodbath.
Gothic is the second full-length album released by British heavy metal band Paradise Lost.
Gregor Mackintosh is a British guitar player. He is the lead guitarist in the metal band Paradise Lost, which he founded in 1988 together with singer Nick Holmes, rhythm guitarist Aaron Aedy, and bassist Steve Edmondson. He is the main composer of one of the pioneer bands and founding fathers of the gothic metal genre, considered to be influential to many other artists.
Draconian Times is the fifth studio album by British heavy metal band Paradise Lost. Two tracks from the album, "The Last Time" and "Forever Failure", were released as singles with music videos, and both charted.
Lost Paradise is the debut album by British heavy metal band Paradise Lost. Released in February 1990 by Peaceville Records, it features the band's early death-doom style. The album was re-issued in 2003 and included three bonus tracks.
Believe in Nothing is the eighth studio album by British metal band Paradise Lost, released on 26 February 2001.
Shades of God is the third studio album by British metal band Paradise Lost, released in 1992. It retains the heavy instrumentation and growled vocals characteristic of the band's previous death-doom efforts, and also shows the beginning of the band's transition to a more melodic, gothic metal sound heard on the follow-up album Icon.
Symbol of Life is the ninth studio album by British metal band Paradise Lost. It marks a departure by the band from their synth-based approach and returning to a much heavier sound, although not abandoning the keyboards altogether. This album was the final release featuring drummer Lee Morris.
Icon is the fourth studio album by British heavy metal band Paradise Lost, released in 1993. It marked a departure from the death-doom sound of their early work, and was the last album to feature Matthew Archer on drums.
One Second is the sixth studio album released by British metal band Paradise Lost. The album marks the group's transition from a gothic metal act to a more electronic direction. It is the bestselling record of their career and enabled the band to sign with the German branch of major label EMI. One Second is Paradise Lost's first album recorded in digital format.
In Requiem is Paradise Lost's eleventh studio album, again with Rhys Fulber on production duties. Greek artist Seth Siro Anton, from metal band Septicflesh, was responsible for the artwork.
Shogunlisten (help·info) is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Trivium. The album was released worldwide on various dates between September 23, 2008, and October 1, 2008, through Roadrunner Records. It is their last release to feature original drummer Travis Smith. Work on the album is noted to have begun with producer Nick Raskulinecz in October 2007, with the band stating that they chose not to work with Jason Suecof again as they wanted to explore new ideas.
Drown in Darkness – The Early Demos is a compilation album featuring the music of Paradise Lost from their demos made in 1988 and 1989. Tracks one through three is taken from the band's 1988 demo "Paradise Lost"; tracks four through six is taken from the band's 1989 demo "Frozen Illusion"; tracks seven through twelve is taken from the band's other 1989 demo "Plains of Desolation". There was a seven minute, twelve second trailer of this demo, where most of the band members behind the demos were interviewed concerning the demos and the time surrounding the recording and releasing of the demos.
The Anatomy of Melancholy is a live album by the British gothic metal band Paradise Lost. It was recorded on 12 April 2007 at the Koko (London). The album was released on double DVD and double CD. There is also a deluxe 4-disc edition containing both aforementioned releases. The artwork was provided by Greek artist Seth Siro Anton.
Koloss is the seventh studio album by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah, released on 23 March 2012 in Germany, on 26 March in the rest of Europe, and on March 27 in North America, by Nuclear Blast.
Phantom Antichrist is the 13th studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, released through Nuclear Blast on 1 June 2012.
The Plague Within is the fourteenth studio album by British gothic metal band Paradise Lost. It was released on 1 June 2015 in Europe and 2 June 2015 in North America via Century Media Records. This album shows the band returning to their death-doom roots, mixed with elements of the gothic metal sound they are most known for.
Medusa is the fifteenth studio album by British gothic metal band Paradise Lost, released on 1 September 2017 via Nuclear Blast.
Obsidian is the sixteenth studio album by British gothic metal band Paradise Lost. It was released on 15 May 2020 via Nuclear Blast. Music videos were released for the songs "Darker Thoughts" and "Fall from Grace". Metal Hammer named it as the 11th best metal album of 2020. Obsidian is the band's last album to feature Waltteri Väyrynen on drums, who went on to join Opeth in 2022.
