The self titled debut EP from UK prog metal band Paradis was an absolute beast. From the very beginning, it showcased a world of truly intense riffs, but by mixing classic prog metal chops with a pinch of metalcore and a touch of extra, groove infused heaviness – hinting at a love of Lamb of God – their sound was immediately more impressive than most.
On this swiftly delivered follow up – hitting their audience less than a year on – the band’s music sometimes takes a much darker and denser turn. This is evident from the intro of ‘Ouroboros’ which hits the listener with a world of disjointed electronica themed noises, only to then break into an insanely chunky hardcore riff. As before, the heavier edges fuse classic prog metal chops with a heavier edge, but if anything, the band sound far more committed during the bulk of this opening track. Jonny’s vocals adopt a full roar, going head to head with a dual guitar attack from Pedro and Federico, and in quickly established Paradis tradition, those guitars deliver a sledgehammer sound. In contrast with so much prog metal over the years, these guys come together to share something that sounds more like a complex take on hardcore, with one of the guitars adopting a sludgy tone in line with the bass. The other guitar overlays everything with higher toned complex soloing, but this never sounds remotely like “classic” prog metal, though, and at the point where the busy guitars might’ve started to dominate in the hands of a more traditional band, Paradis steer their already heavy sounds somewhere even heavier, and a semi-sludgy riff underscores a brilliantly shouty refrain. Those elements would be enough to make this track stand up, but a slightly more traditional lead guitar break brings more of a classic metal sound to finish, ensuring most of the important heavy musical bases have been covered in under four minutes. At this point, you’re either a bit scared of Paradis, or very keen to hear more. If you’ve made it through that track, it’s most likely the latter.
After a truly impressive opener, ‘Terraform’ kicks off with a world of grinding noises leading into a barrage of pneumatic drums. From behind the kit, Flynn is very much the band’s driving force here; his sharp edged rhythmic attack brings everything much closer to “trad” prog metal in places, but as before, the dirty tone of the guitar work makes everything sound more like Mirrors of Obsidian or a melodic tech-death band than just another Dream Theater clone. It takes all of a minute before the main riff has genuinely rattled the audience, and with the vocals adopting another death-tinged and throaty roar, Paradis share a crossover sound that’s very hard to beat. Bringing in another hardcore breakdown underscored by a layer of synths, things then take a markedly different yet equally heavy turn, before a superbly played lead guitar break reminds the listener that, at some point, Paradis have been influenced by a more classic metal sound. Not that the solo is the highlight here: the more indelible impression is left by the stark contrast of a sludgy riff that’s shared in a jagged, almost industrial style and a quiet, very atmospheric passage where distant guitar sounds tease with something almost cinematic. With a superbly heavy riff underscoring a busy guitar part – almost leaning into a trad metal sound from the more melodic end of the Symphony X catalogue – this covers as much ground as the previous track, and has all the makings of being a fan favourite.
‘Terraform’ is a very hard act to follow, and the band have clearly thought of that by changing tack, and choose to confront their audience with something that feels suitably different. Dropping some of the pneumatics in favour of more of an intensive “groove”, the core of the track takes on more of a metalcore quality, with the guitars dropping into a massive chug during the first part of the track. The effect is like hearing Lamb of God colliding with early Fear Factory, and as such, it’s hard not to be impressed. Everything then takes a massively sharp turn to share a world of clean notes and melodies which draw far more from a classic prog sound, which has the knock on effect of making the heavier moments sound even more unrelenting. When the heavy riff returns, Paradis take on the manner of a musical juggernaut; the rhythm guitar parts are sludgy, the drums throw themselves into a brilliant pneumatic assault, and Mark’s bass brings a frighteningly huge sounding bottom end. If you’ve made it this far into the dark world of Paradis, it’s almost guaranteed you’ll love this, despite the number sharing a few very different sounds.
In closing, ‘The End’ makes a bigger feature of the keys, but doesn’t skimp on the expected heaviness. Aside from the arrival of a few shrill electronic elements, the track sounds like the ultimate fusion of everything leading up to this point, with Flynn playing up a storm and Jonny absolutely caning his throat, opting for more of a death influenced vocal than before. Or at least that’s the first impression that’s given; Paradis are anything but lazy, however, and this number subsequently introduces a world of unexpected harmony vocals filling a chorus that’s actually surprisingly melodic and quite catchy, ensuring it sounds a little different again. Eventually, a sampled vocals and strings add a symphonic layer that’s probably going to make this a little more amenable to the prog crowd – assuming they can make it past a rather extreme vocal – and overall, it creates a big climax for an already enjoyable listen.
In terms of sharing brilliantly constructed, often very heavy sounds, ‘Forever In Time’ really hits the mark – and hits it incredibly hard. It may only feature four songs but, honestly, you probably wouldn’t want to spend much longer with this incarnation of Paradis in one sitting. This is one of those instances where the EP format actually works to the material’s advantage: the band arrive, give their audience a massive audio walloping, then split before the opportunity for any filler material arises. In short, this is as tight as fuck. Those who loved the Paradis style on the debut are guaranteed an equal amount of thrills here, and with the band toughening up even more, this release might even find a following with lovers of intense metal sounds from outside of the prog sphere. A recommended listen.
June 2025
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