Most people will know Medusa as the Gorgon from Greek mythology; she is the infamous beast with venomous snakes for hair who will turn anyone that dares to look into her eyes to stone. It is this hideous creature who Paradise Lost have chosen to be the figureheard for their 15th studio album as, from a philosophical perspective, she is more than simply a monster. Singer Nick Holmes started his research, intrigued to find greater meaning behind the symbol of Medusa and became particularly fascinated by the Gorgon’s nihilistic connotations. “Attempts to avoid looking into her eyes represent avoiding the ostensibly depressing reality that the universe is meaningless,” is an idea that was adopted by American novelist Jack London and a thought that could have easily emerged from Paradise Lost’s lyrics over the past three decades.

Founded in 1988 in Halifax, West Yorkshire, the band are not only known as one of the most distinctive acts in metal – their music defined the gothic subgenre and raised doom metal to a new level – they are also considered pioneers of an entire musical generation. Never ones to hesitate to explore undiscovered paths, Paradise Lost have encompassed many genres during their career – from their death metal beginnings to the more mainstream electronic dark pop album ‘Host’, electronic influences on ‘Symbol Of Life’, alongside majestic gothic moments. Vocalist Nick Holmes, guitarists Greg Mackintosh and Aaron Aedy, along with bassist Steve Edmondson, have never ceased to follow their own vision. The quartet have been an inseparable unit since their inception, with only the drummer’s position changing hands several times. With a new drum prodigy – 22-year-old Finn Waltteri Väyrynen – behind the kit, the legends are now returning to their early beginnings. The band have already brought back the sound of their roots with their critically acclaimed last album ‘The Plague Within’ and now it has become clearer than ever that they’re continuing the theme.

‘Medusa’ is Paradise Lost’s heaviest full length release of the past 15 years, melding crushing doom metal with Nick’s harsh death growls and raw organic sounds, heralding a new era of pure Northern misery. Recorded at Orgone Studios in the misty countryside of Woburn with producer Jaime Gomez Arellano (Ghost, Ulver, Cathedral), a truly brutal beast of an album has been born. It not only expands Paradise Lost’s musical boundaries but also unveils the band’s darkest thoughts. The meaninglessness of our own existence is expressed through bitter yet laconic lyrics, typified by their eighth-minute opening track ‘Fearless Sky’: “I’ve always liked the expression ‘the richest man in the graveyard’, as it sums up so much about life, our purpose for existence, and what all material possessions actually mean once we have gone” states singer Nick Holmes.