Review by Kc
Doomsday Symphonies: A Heavy, Haunting Masterpiece That Sticks With You
If you’re a fan of heavy music that punches you in the gut while whispering existential dread into your ear, Doomsday Symphonies by Paradise Lost is gonna hit the spot. Released back in 1999 across the UK, Yugoslavia, and Czech Republic (yeah, weird combo), this album blends Gothic Metal, Doom Metal, and even some Death Metal vibes into something both beautiful and utterly crushing. It’s like staring at a stormy sky—dark as hell but kinda mesmerizing too.
Let’s talk tracks for a sec. First up, “As I Die.” Holy crap, this one hits different. The slow crawl of the guitars feels like drowning in cold water—it’s suffocating yet oddly peaceful. Then there’s Nick Holmes’ vocals, which switch between growls that could wake the dead and clean singing so haunting it gives me goosebumps every damn time. There’s something about the way he sings "as I die" that just lingers. Like, I don’t know if it’s sadness or acceptance, but either way, it sticks to your soul like tar.
Then there’s “Forever Failure,” man… this track is just brutal honesty set to music. The riffs are punishing, relentless—you can practically feel the weight of failure pressing down on your chest. But instead of being depressing, it’s cathartic. Like yeah, life sucks sometimes, but here’s a song that gets it. It doesn’t sugarcoat anything; it just lets you sit in the muck with it. And honestly? That’s what makes it special.
The production deserves a shoutout too. Mastered by Valentine, it’s got this raw, unpolished edge that fits perfectly with the whole vibe. No overly shiny nonsense here—just pure, gritty emotion. Props also go to Air & Fire for the art direction and design because, let’s be real, an album cover sets the mood before you even press play. This one looks like someone took all the despair in the world and turned it into artwork. Spot on.
What gets me most about Doomsday Symphonies is how timeless it feels. Even though it dropped over two decades ago, it still sounds fresh—not stuck in the '90s metal scene but ahead of its time. Maybe that’s why it was released under labels like Not On Label and Oxygen. Feels like they knew they had something unconventional on their hands.
Here’s the thing though—at the end of the day, albums like this aren’t just music. They’re companions through dark times. Listening to it now reminds me of late nights spent questioning everything, lying awake wondering if things would ever get better. Spoiler alert: they didn’t always. But somehow, hearing these songs made me feel less alone in the chaos.
Oh, random thought—I wonder if anyone from Yugoslavia who bought this back then realized they were holding onto a piece of UK doom magic. Weird to think about, right?
Anyway, give Doomsday Symphonies a spin if you haven’t already. Just make sure you’ve got tissues handy. Or maybe a stiff drink. Trust me, you’ll need one.
