Icons of goth and doom, Paradise Lost have revealed the second single, “Serpent on the Cross,” from their long-awaited 17th album, Ascension, that’s out September 19th via Nuclear Blast Records. You can pre-order the album now on a variety of formats, here.
Commenting on the song, vocalist Nick Holmes says: “The cross represents stability, prosperity, hope, and happiness. The serpent represents trepidation, anguish, and overbearing sadness, lurking in the shadows, ready to take everything away.”
Produced by Greg and mixed by Lawrence Mackrory, Ascension is a mournful reflection on power, impermanence, and the passage of time. The album cover matches its bleak grandeur: 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. At the same time, 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.
Commenting on the record, Holmes states: “Ascension is a cavalcade of molten misery, a vigorous sorrow-filled stroll through a wicked world of glorious triumph and pitiful tragedy.”
Paradise Lost are currently performing at festivals across Europe and will embark on the first leg of the “Ascension of Europe” tour this fall. Tickets are available here.
