PARADISE LOST, Insomnium, Vried @Slade Rooms 25/3/12

Paradise Lost’s front man Nick Holmes isn’t noted for cheeriness at the best of times. But it seems he has a reason to grumpy tonight: “I had a curry before I came onstage,” he informs us. And it’s not sitting well.”

Holmes isn’t the only one in a bit of a mood. RTM is a little bit stroppy itself, as the early start time means we only get there for half of the outstanding Vreid’s set. We see “Raped By Light” and a superb “Pitch Black” so all is not lost. Hopefully we will catch the Swedes again.

Finland’s Insomnium are next up and their doomy brand of melodic death metal is perfect for this bill. They begin with a guitar solo, which is always worth bonus points, and its done on a Flying V, which is even better. When their set begins it is largely made up from their 2011 album “One For Sorrow,” with “Killjoy,” “Unsung” and the title track amongst many highlights.

Paradise Lost are one of Brit Metal’s true stalwarts. The Halifax mob have been knocking around for over 20 years. Clearly they are not the ticket selling draw they were in their mid 90s heyday. This tour sees them undertake a mammoth 13 date trek around the smaller venues in the UK, an impressive tour, but one which takes place on perhaps more cramped stages than they are used to – which Holmes remarks on a couple of times before deciding he won’t attempt backflips this evening.

Lost  have largely eschewed the mainstream and continued to put out brilliant records every couple of years in whatever style they choose. The just released “Tragic Idol” is another example of their never ending stream of quality.

It is with a track from “…Idol” they begin this evening, the riff heavy “Honesty In Death” – one of four new songs they play this evening in a largely career spanning set. A magnificent “Forever Failure” is the only entry from breakthrough album “Draconian Times,” perhaps understandable considering they spent 2011 celebrating it.

The band are in top form and aren’t in any mood to mess about with extended jams, racing through their set as if they all had the same dodgy chicken balti. However it is lead guitarist Gregor Mackintosh that is perhaps the true star of the show, with his exemplary work driving the gig.

If the main set – which included “As I Die” being dedicated to Birthday boy Frank Healey from Brummie Death Metal legends Benediction and ended with an epic “The Enemy” – was good enough, the encore is a revelation. Kicking off with “One Second” and taking in “Fear of Impending Hell,” arguably the best track on “Tragic Idol” before visiting “Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us.” This is where most of the early shows had finished. Not here, though, as they treat us to “Say Just Words,” which in RTM’s opinion is one of the finest songs ever written.

A fine way to end a fine night as one of the most overlooked bands in metal has again showed how much they still have to offer. There are a lot of smiles about at the end and who would have thought that? Paradise Lost are still the masters of doom.