Paradise Lost built their career on guitar-driven doom metal, but Believe in Nothing (2001) is a different beast. The band traded their signature riffs for a more atmospheric, synth-heavy sound. The result is an album that splits the difference between gothic rock and electronic music, and it mostly succeeds when it leans into the darkness.
The record opens with “I Am Nothing,” a slow-burning track that sets the tone. It’s moody and heavy, but it doesn’t hit hard enough to justify the shift. “Mouth” follows with a more urgent rhythm, and “Fader” continues the trend, both solid but unremarkable.
Then comes the album’s standout. “Look at Me Now” is the best moment here, a song where the band’s melodic instincts shine through the synthesizer haze. It earns its place easily.
“Illumination” slows things down again, and “Something Real” is a forgettable filler track that passes without leaving much of an impression. “Divided” picks up the pace, but it’s more interesting than it is memorable. “Sell It” is the other track worth noting, a darker, more forceful cut that shows the band can still write a proper metal riff even in this new direction.
“Never Again” and “Control” are competent but interchangeable, the kind of tracks that fill out the middle of the record without demanding attention. “No Reason” is a brief, atmospheric interlude that doesn’t stick, and the closer, “World Pretending,” ends the album on a note that’s more melancholic than triumphant.
What works on Believe in Nothing is the atmosphere. The band is still capable of producing hauntingly dark moments, and the less guitar-driven nature of the songs never verges on sounding overly commercial. But the ambition isn’t matched by consistency. Too many tracks feel like sketches rather than finished songs.
The album is at its best when it commits fully to the new direction, and worst when it tries to split the difference between old and new. The band is clearly reaching for something bigger, but the execution doesn’t always land.
Opening Tracks
- “I Am Nothing” — moody but underwhelming
- “Mouth” — solid but unremarkable
- “Fader” — same
Middle Stretch
- “Illumination” — slower, forgettable
- “Something Real” — filler
- “Divided” — more interesting than memorable
- “Sell It” — darker, forceful, the other standout
Closer
- “Never Again” — competent but interchangeable
- “Control” — same
- “No Reason” — brief, atmospheric, forgettable
- “World Pretending” — melancholic closer
The Verdict
Believe in Nothing is a bold, uneven record. It’s a step forward for Paradise Lost’s sound, even if the execution doesn’t always match the ambition. The highlights — “Look at Me Now” and “Sell It” — are strong enough to justify a revisit, while the rest of the album is more forgettable than memorable.
It’s a record that rewards patience but punishes repetition.
- I Am Nothing4:02
- Mouth3:46
- Fader3:57
- Look at Me Now3:38
- Illumination4:31
- Something Real3:35
- Divided3:27
- Sell It3:12
- Never Again4:38
- Control3:29
- No Reason3:15
- World Pretending4:29
