Host (Paradise Lost album)

Host is the seventh studio album by British gothic metal band Paradise Lost.

Host
Studio album by Paradise Lost
Released	24 May 1999^[1]
Recorded	September 1998 – February 1999
Genre	Electronic rock dark wave gothic rock synthpop
Length	53:00
Label	EMI
Producer	Steve Lyon
Paradise Lost chronology
One Second (1997) Host (1999) Believe in Nothing (2001)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[2]
Cutting Edge [nl]	^[3]
Laut.de	^[4]
Q	^[5]
Rock Hard	8.5/10^[6]

Background and content

Following One Second, Host saw the band moving further away from their previous metal sound to something more akin to a melancholic style of synth-pop incorporating downtempo, leftfield, and trance electronic styles. Songs were constructed primarily of programmed drums and synthesizer melodies, with simple, rock-style guitar added for choruses. Vocalist Nick Holmes resolved to simple melodies with his clean singing style, often doubled and harmonized; the resultant material resembled crossover acts like Psykosonik^{[citation needed]} and electronic band Depeche Mode.

Release and promotion

The singles "So Much Is Lost" and "Permanent Solution" both have music videos released; in an interview, Holmes and Mackintosh explained that the videos were higher budget compared to other videos they made.^[7]

Due to an injury, Gregor Mackintosh often played keyboards instead of guitar while touring the album with his guitar technician Milton "Milly" Evans playing his guitar parts.^[8]

Reaction and legacy

While the album was critically well received, opinion about it continues to be split. Holmes commented on this album in 2007, stating:

"From Host through to Believe in Nothing, we didn't really kind of know where we were going. We were really in a dilemma."^[9]

Aedy said Host is the "darkest" Paradise Lost album, but noted the band was not happy with the production.^[10] The album was remastered and re-released in 2018.^[11]

The album eventually served as the inspiration of Holmes' and Mackintosh's side-project Host; in the press release about the formation, Mackintosh noted that "We always stood by Host as an album".^[12]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"So Much Is Lost"	4:16
2.	"Nothing Sacred"	4:02
3.	"In All Honesty"	4:02
4.	"Harbour"	4:23
5.	"Ordinary Days"	3:29
6.	"It's Too Late"	4:44
7.	"Permanent Solution"	3:17
8.	"Behind the Grey"	3:13
9.	"Wreck"	4:41
10.	"Made the Same"	3:34
11.	"Deep"	4:00
12.	"Year of Summer"	4:16
13.	"Host"	5:12
Total length:		53:00

Japanese edition bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
14.	"So Much Is Lost (Lost in Space Mix)"	6:22
15.	"Languish" (instrumental)	4:08
16.	"So Much Is Lost (String Version)"	4:18

Personnel

Paradise Lost

• Nick Holmes – lead vocals and lyrics
• Gregor Mackintosh – lead guitar (tracks 1–11, 13–16), keyboards, programming, string arrangements (1, 2, 4, 6, 10, 13), and all music
• Aaron Aedy – rhythm guitar, lead guitar on "Year of Summer"
• Steve Edmondson – bass
• Lee Morris – drums, backing vocals

Additional personnel

Cellists and other string arrangements Audrey Riley – strings arrangements and cello (1, 4, 10) Sally Herbert – string arrangements (2, 6, 13) Dinah Beamish – cello (2, 6, 13) Violists Sue Dench – tracks 1, 4, 10 Claire Orster – tracks 2, 6, 13 Backing vocals Shereena Smith – chanting on "Harbour", backing vocals (4, 6, 13)

Production Howie Weinberg – mastering Steve Lyon – engineering, mixing, programming Matt Cullen – engineer assistance Album design Paul Postle – photography Stylorouge – design, art direction

Violinists On tracks 1, 4, 10 Chris Tombling Leo Payne On tracks 2, 6, 13 Anne Stephenson Gini Ball Jocelyn Pook Julia Singleton Sally Herbert

Charts

Chart (1999)	Peak position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[13]	33
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)^[14]	7
French Albums (SNEP)^[15]	67
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[16]	4
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)^[17]	38
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[18]	19
UK Albums (OCC)^[19]	61

References

1. . Archived from the original on 13 October 2000. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
2. Antti J. Ravelin. "Host – Paradise Lost : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
3. "Cutting Edge | Paradise Lost, 'Host'". www.cuttingedge.be.
4. "Für die einen ist es Synthiepop, für andere Wave". laut.de (in German).
5. Malins, Steve. "Review: Paradise Lost – Host". Q (July 1999). EMAP Metro Ltd: 122.
6. "PARADISE LOST - Host". ROCK HARD Heavy-Metal-Magazin.
7. Nuclear Blast Records (8 March 2018). "PARADISE LOST - Host: Nick & Greg on the official Host music videos (OFFICIAL TRAILER)". YouTube.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021.
8. Uhlenbruch, J. "Niggels" (26 November 2009). "Paradise Lost - Bielefeld 2009". www.reflectionsofdarkness.com.
9. Justin Donnelly (27 September 2007). "PARADISE LOST Frontman: 'Believe In Nothing' Represented A Really Dark Time In My Life". Blabbermouth. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
10. Gothic Rock Official (7 October 2017). "Aaron Aedy | Paradise Lost ➤ the One Second and Host days". YouTube.com.
11. "PARADISE LOST - "Host - Remastered" in March!". Nuclear Blast. 19 January 2018.
12. "Host Announce Debut Album Via Nuclear Blast". MetalSucks. 22 October 2022.
13. "Austriancharts.at – Paradise Lost – Host" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
14. "Paradise Lost: Host" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
15. "Lescharts.com – Paradise Lost – Host". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
16. "Officialcharts.de – Paradise Lost – Host". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
17. "Norwegiancharts.com – Paradise Lost – Host". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
18. "Swedishcharts.com – Paradise Lost – Host". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
19. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 November 2014.