good stuff

Review Score: (8/10)
As a big Paradise Lost fan, I had no choice but to purchase this imported CD after it came out even though the price is really steep. I'd seen in the English press that Host had been compared not entirely favorably with Depeche Mode, but that didn't stop me...and I'm glad it didn't. This is a very enjoyable album - the songs are catchy and well-written with more variety than I expected. Furthermore, the Depeche Mode comparisons are clearly overstated - to my ears, the songs on this CD only occasionally resemble those of DM; this CD reminds me a lot more of Paradise Lost's excellent previous effort, One Second, than anything by Depeche Mode! Nevertheless, I do miss the guitars of earlier Paradise Lost albums and the sound of the album is a bit sterile - sterile in the sense that it lacks the raw energy of Draconian Times-era Paradise Lost. Part of this sterility is due to the style of music PL have adopted for this album and part to the production. In any case, I'd rather not dwell on this album's flaws, since they are relatively minor. It's a moody album that's spent plenty of time in my CD player on the New York City subways. I can't wait to hear what Paradise Lost come up with next - hopefully they will continue to borrow from the past while continuing to add innovations with each new album.

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