Report

Paradise Lost Ascends To Another Level In London

Great lineups can be like buses. You'll wait ages for one, then two come along at once. Only last week, Testament rampaged through the UK with Obituary, Destruction and Nervosa, and now fans of Gothic doom have their own dream tour as Paradise Lost embarked on the UK leg of their first European tour to promote their new album, "Ascension." It's an exciting time to see Paradise Lost, as "Ascension" has been hailed as an instant classic, with some going so far as to call the seventeenth outing their best yet, which is no easy feat considering their legendary status. It's not just Paradise Lost with a buzz about them on this tour, as joining them on the trek are Messa, the Italian doom band whose latest album, "The Spin" is also a contender for album of the year, and High Parasite, the "death pop" band fronted by Aaron Stainthorpe, whose departure from My Dying Bride after thirty five years was confirmed on the first date of the tour.

Speaking of which, it was High Parasite who got the evening underway, and very quickly too, hitting the stage mere minutes after the front doors opened. They released their debut album, "Forever We Burn" last year and it's another record full of superb tunes, gripping atmospheres and impressive song writing, so I for one was very eager to hear how the music would sound in a live setting. As it turns out, it sounds even better. High Parasite performs with enormous energy, getting the crowd moving and clapping along to a number of songs from the get go with the opening number, "Parasite." Stainthorpe himself is in tremendous form, his voice sailing across the room with majesty and force, like a ship charging through stormy waters.

Of course, there's more to the band than their most famous members and every one of them put in a great shift to make this set as fun and memorable as it could be. The singles "Wasn't Human" and "Let It Fail" sounded fantastic tonight and while not everyone was familiar with their work, those who were sang along to every word they knew, particularly on these two songs. "Hate Springs Eternal" was another highlight of the set, before they concluded their short time with the title track from "Forever We Burn." This was an exhilarating performance and, even though they'll be getting Lacrimas Profundere, I feel bad that mainland Europe won't be seeing High Parasite on this tour, as they fit in perfectly and are guaranteed to make new fans with every show. More...

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Interview

Unprocessed Drummer Discusses New Album "Angel"

The great cycle of metal goes that while we say goodbye to stars and bands of our younger days, we get to see younger bands on the ascent. In less than two weeks, on Halloween to be precise, there'll be a new release which indicates that Germany's Unprocessed will be the latest group to rise, as they unleash their sixth full length album, "Angel." Throughout the year, there's been a steady build to the record's release, and with every fresh taste and news item that leaks, Unprocessed's stock just continues to become higher. In anticipation of "Angel," I had the opportunity to put some questions to drummer Leon Pfeifer, who discussed the music, artwork and even the alcohol that gives the album such flavour.

Diamond Oz: Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. It's an exciting time for the band, with the release of "Angel" being right around the corner. What would you say makes this a different album from "... And Everything In Between"?

Leon Pfeifer: We're very excited for the release of "Angel!" It’s in some ways the continuation of what we started with AEIB. Yet "Angel" is much more diverse throughout the album. Where AEIB was as dark as possible, "Angel" is more open and diverse. We have very dark and heavy moments as much as melancholic and lighter moments.

Oz: With this being your sixth full length album in eleven years, along with two EPs in that time, you appear to be one of the most prolific bands going today. What do you think fuels you to remain so creative and productive?

Leon: We are in the fortunate situation where Manu and David are creative Songwriting-Machines, breathing riffs, beautiful atmospheres and melodies. The back and forth between all of us is inspiring and fuels the creative output. Also being completely self-sufficient with recording, producing, mixing and mastering helps so much when it comes to having a steady creative output.

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