''Host'' is the seventh studio album by British

gothic metal Gothic metal (or goth metal) is a fusion genre combining the aggression of heavy metal with the dark atmospheres of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy met ...

band

Paradise Lost ''Paradise Lost'' is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The first version, published in 1667, consists of ten books with over ten thousand lines of verse (poetry), verse. A second edition fo ...

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 Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...

incorporating

downtempo Downtempo (or downbeat) is a broad label for electronic music that features an atmospheric sound and slower beats than would typically be found in dance music. Closely related to ambient music but with greater emphasis on rhythm, the style may ...

, leftfield, and

trance Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

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 Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...

acts like

Psykosonik Psykosonik was an American techno music group. The band had four ''Billboard'' charted Top 40 hit singles on the Dance Club Songs chart. ''Psykosonik'' was featured on the '' Mortal Kombat: Annihilation'' soundtrack. The band's lyrics include ...

and electronic band

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting). Depeche ...

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. 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.

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: Aedy said ''Host'' is the "darkest" Paradise Lost album, but noted the band was not happy with the production. The album was remastered and re-released in 2018. The album eventually served as the inspiration of Holmes' and Mackintosh's side-project

Host A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it. Host may also refer to: Places * Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County People *Jim Host (born 1937), American businessman * Michel Host ...

; in the press release about the formation, Mackintosh noted that "We always stood by ''Host'' as an album".

Track listing

Personnel

Paradise Lost

Nick Holmes Nicholas John Arthur Holmes (born 7 January 1971) is an English singer, best known as the lead vocalist of British gothic metal/ doom metal band Paradise Lost and Swedish death metal band Bloodbath. History and style Holmes formed Paradis ...

– 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 Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

, 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

References

{{Authority control 1999 albums Paradise Lost (band) albums EMI Records albums