Paradise Lost have been extremely popular in the goth-metal circles of Europe for many years, but have remained a virtual unknown here in the U.S. Hopefully that will change with the Koch label re-releasing their most recent albums (as well as the forthcoming "Deus"). Long ago a mostly death-metal band, they've evolved into several different and compelling permutations, from the dark, Metallica-meets-Type O Negative world of "Draconian Times", to the moody, synth-pop Depeche Mode-isms of "Host". This, though, is my favorite - a return to the harder, guitar-edged sound of their past, without relinquishing the electronic textures of their recent releases - and with great songwriting, excellent instrumentation and an ever-improving vocalist. Like Tiamat, The Gathering and Flowing Tears, Paradise Lost are simply one of the best of the many gothic-inspired bands out today. Check out all their albums from "Draconian" on - you won't be disappointed!

For the last few years, there has been a division in PL's fanbase. On the one hand there are the old-schoolers, fans of PL's early gothic death-metal vibe; on the other, fans of PL's newer, more contemporary sound. I was one of the former; I loved everything up to 1995's Draconian Times album, and then One Second came along and, despite having its moments, it was a heartbreaking disappointment. After Host, I lost touch with the band, which was unfortunate considering I have their logo tattooed on my arm. But then, after hearing good things about their latest album, Symbol Of Life, I bought Believe In Nothing, and was more than pleasantly surprised.

The guitars are back! Maybe it's not as heavy as it used to be, but in terms of tunes and song structures, it far surpasses what PL used to create. In many ways similar to the stomping Once Solemn and B-side Fear, the album takes gothic rock to the next level, fusing pounding riffs with Nick Holmes' newly-discovered vocal dexterity, and throwing in the odd few samples to boot. Never short of musical hooks in the past, PL's material on this album sticks in the head like none before. The opening pairing of I Am Nothing and Mouth actually works better than the immortal juxtaposition of Embers Fire and Remembrance on the Icon album, something that I thought would never be possible. Once you reach the end of track two, you cannot pull away - the album [draws] you in and refuses to let go.

In short, Believe In Nothing is awesome. Not as heavy as Symbol Of Life, but altogether tighter and more consistent, this is the album that signals Paradise Lost's return to grace. They have successfully managed to bridge the gap between their old-school roots and their new-school developments to make what I believe is the best Paradise Lost album. After hearing One Second, I believed that the world's greatest band had died; now I know that like the phoenix rising from the ashes, they have been born again and have grown into something great. Whether you're into the old-school or new-school band, I guarantee you'll be into this.

I first started listening to Paradise Lost in the early 90's, and was quite blown away by their unique brand of doom metal. Although they have moved on since then, and Draconian Times will remain to be the most influential album as far as I'm concerned, Believe In Nothing embodies all that's great about PL, proving that they still have a certain unique flair for lyrical and musical composition that could carry on for a few more albums yet. Although they don't seem to have such a large following in the UK as they do in the rest of Europe, I urge everyone to support them in their upcoming UK tour. It will be the first PL gig I've been to and I'm expecting little more than genius.

"Believe in Nothing" was generally not recieved well by Paradise Lost fans. I have to say on first listen I was stunned!

This album saw the return of heavy guitars in a big way, and was in my opinion Paradise Lost's return to metal.

This album brings influences from "Draconian Times", "One Second" and "Host" together, and sounds brilliant. The musicianship is superb, and the bass on this album is extremely heavy.

Nick's vocals continue their trend of improving with every album, here a lot of singing is performed, and sometimes one can notice an edging back into Draconian-style yelling, and of course, the ever-present feeling of hopelessness and great cynicism. Greg's leads show up here and there, with their ever slow and despairing aura. Aaron's rhythmn riffs are very professional. Steve's bass as already mentioned continues to severely increase in volume with each successive album, here it reaches almost the point of explosion! Very nice. Lee's drumming is brilliant with some nice bass pedal drives and great precision.

"Believe in Nothing" posseses several standout songs, for me more than average on a Paradise Lost album. "Divided" is beautifully melodied, orchestrated and executed. This is one of the albums best songs. "Illumination" is a nice slow tune with atmospheric guitar work and great vocals. "World Pretending", the albums closer, is very dark and extremely heavy. Nick's singing here really is professional, the mood here really dives into new lows. For me, however, the best song is "Never Again". This is the album's darkest song, with a great deal of eerie guitar work going on in the background, along with a nice lengthy string-section bridge.

I do not have a favourite Paradise Lost album as such, but I consider "Believe in Nothing" to be the most underrated of them all, the most looked-passed, so to speak. This is a shame because for me it is one of Paradise Lost's most effective albums, and I think that people will be able to appreciate this better having heard the new Paradise Lost album "Symbol of Life".

"Believe in Nothing" is brilliant, I'd recommend this to anyonewho feels the need to sit down for a second and reflect on life, or just to enjoy the midnight hour!

Genius.

Oh yes this is another masterpiece by paradise Lost. I am a huge fan of them and i like very much the fact that they always change their style on every new album. This album is cool , little pop and melancholic. I cant say that is metal metal but its more gothic. i like very much the sound of the guitars and the sound loops in some tracks.