Draconian Times

Music For NatioNs, 1995

Draconian Times was Paradise Lost’s Black album; a slab of majestic contemporary metal that met the mainstream on its own terms. Here, the band streamlined their sound without losing their identity, just as Metallica had done half a decade earlier. Enchantment and The Last Time stripped away the murk to reveal a sparkling melodic heart, Elusive Care gave full flight to the old-school goth leanings that had always been lurking in the shadows, while Once Solemn veered towards punk territory.

Briefly, it looked like Draconian Times would elevate Paradise Lost in metal’s superstar bracket. It didn’t, but it remains one of the great albums of the 1990s.