One Second

Paradise Lost

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 26, 1997)
• Original Release Date: August 12, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Jive
• ASIN: B000000555
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #175,456 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Like Life of Agony, English band Paradise Lost softened up, expanding its parameters to assimilate with the anti-metal music scene of the late '90s. On One Second, the band eschews its former proto-Sabbath grind in favor of gloomy metallic pop that echoes with minor-key keyboard lines, desolate-sounding vocals and electronically treated percussion. Some of the songs use dynamics well, and many of the melodies are catchy, but on the whole, One Second is too radical a transformation to be a natural progression. At its best it comes across sounding like a watered-down blend of Queensryche and Gravity Kills, and at worst it's merely another Sisters of Mercy ripoff. --Jon Wiederhorn

Product Description
The British doom metal band's 1997 album features 12 tracks & a 20-page booklet with artwork & song lyrics. Music For Nations. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I like my metal heavy, but..., March 28, 2000

By A Customer

While I was a fan of albums like Draconian Times and Icon, I never thought that PL sounded too enthusiastic in that genre. Decent songs, but they would never stay in the CD player for long before I got tired of them. Although this CD may sound like a great departure from Draconian Times, I think this is where PL is more comfortable and it shows in the music. "Selling out" doesn't have to man going soft; it can also mean rehashing the same album ad nauseum to satisfy old fans who aren't able to deal with change.

...And to the guy who thought Amorphis' "Tuonela" was bad, I feel sorry for you. They worked very hard to produce a brilliant album, and because it's lacking, what, death vocals? you don't allow yourself to appreciate it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Goth? Metal? Goth-Metal? Who cares, it's great music!, March 7, 1999

By A Customer

The album that has some Paradise Lost fans up in arms. Is it a great, well-orchestrated, defining pinnacle in a fairly decent catalogue? Or is it a whiny collection of sad, depressing drivel from a band that lost its greatness? I opt for the former. It's different. It's refreshing. Nick Holmes is at his eerie best on faves "This Cold Life" and "Blood Of Another". A perfect blend of goth and metal, Paradise Lost should have a larger fan base than they do. Yes, they've changed, sure they've toned down a bit, but they did it with style. Gosh, what a cool band.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Gothic Metal., May 9, 2003

By	Warren D. "stale_organic_cage" (South England.) - See all my reviews

"One Second" was Paradise Lost's first big change of musical direction. At first I didn't like the idea of Paradise Lost "changing", but when I bought "One Second" at the signing session in London in 1997, I was eager to hear it.
This was the first Paradise Lost album that, on first listen, blew me away! I didn't have to wait for it to grow on me, it just worked immediately.
The heavy guitars characteristic of Paradise Lost remain. Guitarist Greg Makintosh has relaxed his efforts on soloing in favour of an enhanced atmosphere provided by keyboards. The keyboards really work here aswell, providing a clean, mature feel as well as a colourful futuristic sheen.
Vocalist Nick Holmes has found a new vocal style here, while maintaining some of the old grunts, he prefers to sing on this album, and it works very well too. Bassist Steve Edmonson peforms several subtle rhythmn deviations and nice flicks, demonstrating his ability to work around the rythmn passage. The bass on this album is very loud. Aaron Aedy's guitars are as precise as on all previous and following albums and Lee Morris' drumming is similar to that on "Draconian Times"; largely rhythmic with several ghost strokes.
There are several songs here with the use of heavy guitars throughout, and are not alien to previous works. "Sane", "The Sufferer" and "Blood of Another" are good examples of this. The title song "One Second" is the opener and demonstrates how a nice simple rhythmn with underlying piano lines can create a very effective and tuneful song. "Say Just Words" is another example of this, with a nice groove. Some songs on this album are very topical. This typifies "One Second" in that most of the song's lyrics are easier to understand than on previous albums. "Lydia" and "Another Day" are two of the best songs on this album, both concerning two disturbing elements of human life and the face of society in the present age. The album also contains a few what could be termed "gothic masterpieces", these are "Mercy" my favourite Paradise Lost song, "Disappear", "This Cold Life" and "Take Me down". These are the album's most atmospheric songs, where the keyboards shine at the forefront, and the listener realises that Greger Makintosh has surpassed himself having written this album. "Soul Courageous" was my first taste of "One Second", and it took some getting used to. After a few listens the song grew on me, the lyrics are particulary impressive on this song. "I Despair" is an effective closer. It is more uptempo that "Take Me Down" which is the album's official closer, and so finishes on an amazing high.
The most obvious musical indicator that this is Paradise Lost is the air of misery. "One Second", although colourfully keyboarded and masterfully written, is very dark and downbeat, and this is what I love in music. "Mercy" is the greatest song I have ever heard with it's slow, heavy drum structure, beautifully keyboarded atmosphere and slow guitar melodies.
This album was a brave step forward for the band, and what an amazing step it was. This is dark gothic metal at it's finest, presented by the fathers of gothic metal themselves, Paradise Lost.