 |
|
| Icon | |
|---|---|
| Album info | |
| Release | September 28, 1993 |
| Recorded | Jacobs Studios, Surrey and Townhouse Studios in June-July 1993 |
| Genre | Gothic metal, doom metal |
| Length | 50:26 |
| Label | Music for Nations, Metal Blade |
| Producer | Simon Efemey |
Icon is the fourth studio album recorded by British doom metal/gothic band Paradise Lost in 1993. This marked the end of their early death/doom sound. It was also the last album to feature Matthew Archer on drums.
Style[]
In 2008, speaking to Kerrang! about the album's music, Nick Holmes remembered:
We were pretty much the first band to coin the phrase 'gothic metal' so I don't have a problem with that label. We've actually done gothier albums than Icon, but if people want to say that it sums up something up that's fine with me. At the time there was also black metal, thrash metal and everyone wanted to describe what type of something was so we went 'Okay, we've got The Sisters of Mercy elements in our music, let's call it goth metal'. We were getting better as musicians as well and I was hopefully getting better as a vocalist. When that happens you want to fine-tune what you're doing. It's also about not wanting to get stuck or pigeonholed into one particular musical place. We've kept the whole gothic thing going right throughout our career, but we did want to do something a little different. With the vocals, a lot of it was kind of shouting in key as opposed to just shouting, its okay singing like Beelzebub, but your voice can get into trouble if you have a big tour.[1]
Track listing[]
All songs written by Nick Holmes and Greg Mackintosh.
| # | Track title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Embers Fire" | 4:44 |
| 2. | "Remembrance" | 3:26 |
| 3. | "Forging Sympathy" | 4:43 |
| 4. | "Joys of the Emptiness" | 3:29 |
| 5. | "Dying Freedom" | 3:43 |
| 6. | "Widow" | 3:04 |
| 7. | "Colossal Rains" | 4:35 |
| 8. | "Weeping Words" | 3:50 |
| 9. | "Poison" | 3:00 |
| 10. | "True Belief" | 4:30 |
| 11. | "Shallow Seasons" | 4:55 |
| 12. | "Christendom" | 4:30 |
| 13. | "Deus Misereatur" | 1:57 |
| 14. | "Sweetness" | 4:50 |
| 15. | "Your Hand in Mine (live)" | 6:40 |
Bonus tracks #14 and #15 (in the second cd edition) from "Seals the Sense" (e.p., 1994).
Personnel[]
- Paradise Lost
- Nick Holmes - Vocals, Lyrics
- Aaron Aedy - Guitars (rhythm), Guitars (acoustic)
- Gregor Mackintosh - Guitars (lead)
- Stephen Edmondson - Bass
- Matthew Archer - Drums
- Guest musicians
- Denise Bernard - Vocals (female)
- Andrew Holdsworth - Keyboards
- Production
- Matt Anker - Photography
- Geoff Pesche - Mastering
- Pete Coleman - Mixing
- Simon Efemey - Producer, Engineering
References[]
- ↑ Paul Travers, Kerrang! #1225, August 30, 2008. Treasure Chest. An Intimate Portrait of a Life in Rock. Nick Holmes. P. 54