Paradise Slaves – With Hell In His Eyes

Written by on 13-07-2025 at 20:51.

It was September 21, 2006. A sultry concert evening was planned with, among others, the Alaskan melodic metalcore formation 36 Crazyfists with the impressive Brock Lindow as frontman. It turned out to be an evening that many of the attending men and women would not soon forget. Not only did the band bring their music very convincingly, the gentlemen also showed their warm heart and, with some help from people in the audience, they hoisted a disabled young man in a wheelchair onto the stage and then played the entire hall to smithereens. In my opinion, the gentlemen of 36 Crazyfists made very captivating, steaming melodic metalcore but sadly called it quits a few years ago. Too bad.

Until now! Paradise Slaves is a new melodic metalcore band with among its ranks, you guessed it, the still impressive Mr. Lindow who has, in the meantime, added a few decades to his age counter. He is flanked by members of Diecast and Blitzkid and found the brother of Killswitch Engage guitarist Joel willing to be the other string plucker. And so the first album With Hell In His Eyes was created. In short, a band with tons of experience and a fresh look at new violence.

For Those Who Watch The Sea seems to get a poppy electronic background sound. However, it is nothing more or less a kind of intro to reacquaint us with the characteristic voice of Mr. Lindow. You can feel the icy wind blowing around the corner as the tension increases. Biting guitar parts, drum rolls and then a nice breakdown, dragging but complete with delicious melodic twin lead violence. It is a wavy and slightly sloping track, wonderful! It becomes clear immediately that on this record you will fall from one surprise in the next. Because these five gentlemen have just unearthed ten gems from their repertoire. Aesthetic Of Serpents flutters and thunders down the stairs, because Mr. Manning, who along with guitarist Kit provides some matching background vocals, knows how to drum dynamically. We are only at the third song on the record (A Fever To Defeat) and the great riffs, breaks and bridges just keep on coming. Here and there a pinch of electronics but certainly not exaggerated. There is enough room for the masterful Lindow vocals but also for In Flames or Killswitch Engage-like guitar parts.

Dreamers makes you doubt. Are you awake or are you still asleep? But a wonderful chorus quickly makes it clear to you. In Flames? Carcass? Or influences from other veterans? Listen to this more than refined title track, boy, I’ve run out of superlatives! What’s next? Yes, brutal steaming stompers, all provided with fine-meshed yet icy melody lines.

Yes, this really is an exceptionally strong album. You could even call it more than just a melodic metalcore record! Year-list material! I am so happy that Mr. Lindow is back and has managed to join a bunch of top musicians to form Paradise Slaves and then put together this record With Hell In His Eyes! Excellent, chapeau! Order this one! F… the import costs!

Score:

98/100

Label:

Spinefarm Records, 2025

Tracklisting:

  1. For Those Who Watch The Sea
  2. Aesthetic Of Serpents
  3. A Fever To Defeat
  4. Dreamers
  5. With Hell In His Eyes
  6. Glass Mountain
  7. Swim North (Feat. Trevor Phipps)
  8. How Far From Fragile
  9. Somebody To Shove
  10. Always Have Always Will

Line-up:

  • Jon Kit – Guitar, programming, vocals
  • Tyler Stroetzel – Guitar
  • Brad Horion – Bass guitar
  • Ryan Manning – Drums, vocals
  • Brock Lindow – Vocals

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