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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Last Doom Metal Classics..., January 15, 2009
Way back in the early '90s, three bands from the United Kingdom -- all signed to Peaceville Records -- would forever change the face of doom metal. Any true metaller worth his or her salt knows about the Peaceville "Big Three" and, as well, know that each of those bands are, today, worthless of the awe-inspiring mantles they respectively carved for themselves via their early works. Countless imitators would arise in their wake, trying to capture the haunting atmosphere of doom and death metal united in unholy matrimony. During the ensuing years, one band arose from Denmark that was worthy of the crown these once mighty kings had wrought. That band was Saturnus, and the jewel that won the diadem of doom was, and shall forever be, Paradise Belongs to You.
This album is, simply put, enthralling. Saturnus is able to take the songwriting sensibilities of early Paradise Lost; the suffocating atmosphere and heart-rending guitar harmonies of early Anathema; and the necrotic romanticism of early My Dying Bride -- allowing the influence of these giants to come together in one breathtaking release that is completely relevant and unforgettable. From the opening title track, which slowly builds into a grand outpouring of morose harmonies, thundering drums, and absolutely incredible vocals -- any doom aficionado knows that this is an absolute treasure. The following track, "Christ Goodbye", is actually a doom anthem, beginning with a tranquil intro and suddenly exploding into an amazing riff that blends heavy churning power chords and regal melodies. In a paradoxically eternal instant, the song falls back into tranquility, only to build upon itself until hammering the listener again with an amazing chorus based on the initial riff and bridge that will force even the most reserved of doom fans to headbang with reckless abandon. This song is almost perfect, for the band would release a superior live version on a later EP -- boasting a faster tempo and the backing of a full choir. The Roskilde Festival version of "Christ Goodbye" is the ultimate take on this incredible song.
One complaint is that there are numerous interludes of nature sounds, but, this aside, when the band kicks back into doomy form with "Pilgrimage of Sorrow", they touch on the best aspects of early My Dying Bride. The bridge and chorus are again rife with gorgeous melodies and a piano accompaniment. Saturnus has quite a flair for the theatrical in their compositions, for as slow and onerous as they are, never does this band inspire boredom or apathy in the attentive listener. Of course, there is always that one track on any good metal album that simply "kills you" figuratively. On this release, that would undoubtedly be "I Love Thee". What, on the surface, might appear to be a melodramatic gothic ode, is actually one of the heaviest doom songs ever written. Each note is perfectly placed, until at 2:26, we are left with a lonesome, mournful clean guitar bridge. Slowly, keyboards worm their way under the surface like maggots in a coffin. When vocalist Thomas Jensen begins his subtle narration, it's as if the reaper has touched your shoulder with his rusty scythe. At 4:19, a steady rhythym emerges, punctuated by spine-tingling guitar harmonies -- and Jensen's low, brutally guttural growl reminds you that this is seriously heavy doom metal. "I Love Thee" is, simply put, the sort of song you wish had no end. It is so intense, so harmonious, and so unbelieveable. The final harmony that signals the falling away of this rapturous song is a sad, fading phantasm. It's a memento mori -- reminding you that such beauty in this unlikely marriage of heaven and hell that is "I Love Thee" is as mortal and as fated as every one of us. This is a song I dare you to forget.
The recording and mixing are solid, so no serious complaints about the overall sound and engineering are to be had. The inlay and lyrics are a bit hard to read and awkwardly typefaced, but the cover -- a simple photograph of a dead deer frozen in the snow, is chilling and cruel, and draws the listener in to the world of sorrow that Saturnus so masterfully creates in this album -- their magnum opus.
Truly, Saturnus' Paradise Belongs to You is in a class of its own. Masterfully building upon the mossy ruins of the Peaceville Three, this Danish band managed to create one of the last truly relevant doom/death releases before the genre fell prey to over-the-top gothicism, weak female vocal gimmicks with no death growls to be heard, and tired, overworn cliches. The next time some poseur tries to shove lily-livered "Goth Metal" garbage down your throat, raving about simpering romantic bathos, remind them of this Saturnus album -- and that there was a time when metal was still part and parcel of doom metal.
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by Saturnus 
