Paradise Lost have announced the upcoming arrival of their 17th studio album, arriving September 19th via Nuclear Blast. You can pre-order the album now on a variety of formats, here.
Produced by Greg and mixed by Lawrence Mackrory, Ascension is a mournful reflection on power, impermanence, and the passage of time. Its bleak grandeur is matched by the album cover: George Frederic Watts’ The Court of Death, a fitting image of surrender and silence in the face of mortality. The painting depicts Death as an enthroned angel flanked by allegorical figures of Silence and Mystery guarding sunrise and the star of hope, while a warrior surrenders his sword and a duke his coronet, showing that worldly status offers no protection. The painting’s bleak, prophetic vision embodies Ascension’s dark, tormented soundscapes as mournful verses collide with dire, foreboding riffs.
The music video for the album’s first single, “Silence Like The Grav,e” can be watched below.
Commenting on the record, vocalist Nick Holmes says: “Ascension is a cavalcade of molten misery, a vigorous sorrow-filled stroll through a wicked world of glorious triumph and pitiful tragedy.”
Paradise Lost was recently rejoined by drummer Jeff Singer, who previously played with the band between 2004 and 2008 and appeared on the albums Paradise Lost (2005) and In Requiem (2007).
Less than a week before, the band had parted ways with its drummer of the past two years, Guido Zima Montanarini. Paradise Lost announced his exit in a social media post on May 29, saying: “We’ve made the difficult creative decision to part ways with our drummer, Guido Zima. We thank Guido for his contributions to the band and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
