Paradise Lost – Gig Review & Photo Gallery 14th December @ The Triffid, Brisbane QLD

Posted on December 15, 2017 by KaydanHowison

Paradise Lost
The Triffid, Brisbane, NSW
December 14th, 2017
Supported by: Level H & Caetera

Entering the Triffid tonight it’s hard not to be disappointed by the underwhelming turnout, an observation only made more obvious once inside the at least decently air-conditioned old aircraft hangar, where the crowd hang around in the darkness with about as much space between them as a failing relationship.

The opening band Level H therefore have their work cut out for them; a task I at first assumed they were unable to handle as they opened their set with an arguably misplaced instrumental track which led you straight down into boredom city. Thankfully, it was a steady rise from here as each song after battered your eyes and ears with death metal and enough green light to summon Swamp Thing. The crowd lapped it up regardless, as heads threw themselves in glorious abandon as they reached they climax of their short, sweet, albeit average set.

Subsequent band Caetera have no such issues when it comes to commanding a crowd with frontman Adrian Rosa and the rest of the band crafting a gloriously, majestic spell of sound and fury. Each note and vocal smashes you headfirst into their sonic devastation and when you add in enough strobe to give you a seizure, you have the perfect combination. This swirling maelstrom is devoured by the alcohol fueled members of the crowd, who perform their own moshing rituals to greet the fury being spewed before them.

Paving way for the legends themselves to take the stage.

Taking to the stage a short time after, the legendary originators of gothic doom metal Paradise Lost take to the stage. Frontman Nick Holmes cuts a particularly suave individual as he and his band open with ‘From The Gallows’ begin their funeral procession into the abyss. Each subsequent song is a trip down the river of death itself as the band envelops the crowd in a sublime retrospective of their illustrious and varied career. The backbone of this slowly unfolding ceremony is Holmes who goes from emitting harrowingly, disgusting death metal vocals, to pristine clean vocal passages in the blink of an eye.

His stage presence is also alarmingly hilarious, something you would never expect from a band of this variety, with Holmes coming across like your dad telling the best/worst jokes at a party. Leaning into this old man persona, it’s important to note his insistence that only he and his band are on the stage as random drunk punters attempt to make their way onstage, only to be pushed away and forgotten with a simple flick of his wrist.

The highlights tonight are various as newer songs such as ‘An Eternity of Lies’ crush you with the bands newfound sense of doom majesty, whilst older songs from the now iconic Draconian Times inject their own sense of melody urgency into the event being played out on stage. Even the underrated albums such as One Second sound absolutely monstrous with their hypnotic keys, with the only downside being these weren’t played live and instead relegated to backing track status. The band end their set with a glorious three song encore beginning with the destructive ‘No Hope In Sight’ and ending with the beautiful ‘Just Say Words’ which sees everyone in the room screaming the words alongside Mr Holmes and his funeral conductors.

Honestly Paradise Lost was an unmissable experience filled with some of the most mesmerising gothic doom the world has to offer. Do yourself a favour and jump off this cliff into the void of dad jokes and beautifully depressing sonic grandeur before this tour is over and you’re just left wondering why you never went in the first place.

Review by Kaydan Howison

Photo Gallery courtesy of Gethin Hill (Gethin Hill Photography)
Please credit Wall of Sound and Gethin Hill if you repost.

Caetera