Paradise Lost’s Host is a deliberate break from metal. The album drops the guitars and picks up synthesizers, and the result is a dark, atmospheric record that leans more toward post-punk than black metal. It is also one of the band’s most overlooked works, despite positive reviews at the time.
Opening With So Much Is Lost
The record opens with “So Much Is Lost,” a track that sets the tone immediately. It is slow, moody, and built around synths rather than riffs. “Nothing Sacred” follows, continuing the dark atmosphere without losing the band’s emotional weight.
The Middle Stretch
“In All Honesty” and “Harbour” are the lesser moments, competent but unremarkable. “Ordinary Days” is where the album starts to find its footing. The song is built on a simple, repetitive riff that gives the record some movement after the first four tracks feel static. “It’s Too Late” continues the momentum, and “Permanent Solution” is the standout of the middle stretch — a driving, tense track that shows the band can still write a hook even without metal instruments.
Behind the Grey Through Year of Summer
“Behind the Grey” and “Wreck” are solid but not essential. They fill out the album’s darker mood without adding much new ground. “Made the Same” and “Deep” return to the quieter, synth-driven sound that defines the record, and “Year of Summer” closes the album with a brighter, almost hopeful tone before the final track.
The Anchor Track
“Host” is the album’s anchor. It runs over five minutes and brings everything together — the synth textures, the emotional delivery, the shift away from metal. It is the clearest statement of what this record is trying to do.
What the Band Said About It
Nick Holmes said of the period around Host, “From Host through to Believe in Nothing, we didn’t really kind of know where we were going. We were really in a dilemma.” Gregor Mackintosh said simply, “We always stood by Host as an album.”
The band’s own assessment is telling. This is an album they defended at the time, and one that critics later described as a dark, synth-heavy departure from their metal roots.
Key facts
– Album: Host by Paradise Lost
– Release type: Album
– Tracks: 13
– Total running time: 53 minutes
Running order
| # | Track |
|—|——-|
| 1 | So Much Is Lost |
| 2 | Nothing Sacred |
| 3 | In All Honesty |
| 4 | Harbour |
| 5 | Ordinary Days |
| 6 | It’s Too Late |
| 7 | Permanent Solution |
| 8 | Behind the Grey |
| 9 | Wreck |
| 10 | Made the Same |
| 11 | Deep |
| 12 | Year of Summer |
| 13 | Host |
Host is a brave record. It risks alienating longtime fans by abandoning metal entirely, and it succeeds in making something distinct while still carrying the band’s emotional core. The weaker middle tracks are a fair trade for the ambition of the whole project. This is a dark, moody, synth-driven album that rewards patience.
- So Much Is Lost4:19
- Nothing Sacred4:04
- In All Honesty4:05
- Harbour4:26
- Ordinary Days3:31
- It’s Too Late4:47
- Permanent Solution3:19
- Behind the Grey3:15
- Wreck4:44
- Made the Same3:36
- Deep4:03
- Year of Summer4:19
- Host5:12
