I was eagerly anticipating this concert, not only because it marked the 20th anniversary of “Icon,” but mostly because I would finally see Paradise Lost after years of listening to them.

I’ve seen Nick Holmes before as the frontman of Bloodbath, so I expected a completely different stage presence from him this time around.

It was getting late in Thessaloniki as I headed towards the venue. There was a massive traffic jam, and I barely made it just as the opening band started playing. Outside the venue, there was a long line of people since the concert was sold out. So, rushing inside, I reached the photo-pit to capture On Thorns I Lay.

This Greek band is fantastic, and I didn’t want to miss a single song from their performance. They truly deserve recognition and are among the few local bands that would match well with Paradise Lost.

Their stage presence was excellent. Technically, the sound intensity was high, but it was justified considering the venue was about to be full.

Gradually, the venue became packed. Moving around in principal was quite difficult, as expected for Paradise Lost, a band beloved by the Greek audience.

Everything seemed ready for the band to take the stage. The band moved in the shadows, the lights were dim. Nick Holmes was somehow reserved between songs, and the band tried to create the right atmosphere for performing Icon.

The tracks played back-to-back in the album’s exact order. Personally, my attention kept going to Greg Mackintosh, as he’s one of the musicians I particularly admire, and it’s hard for him to go unnoticed on stage.

Their performance was solid; Icon was played in its entirety, and the crowd geared up for the encore. In those four additional songs, they played known songs like “No Hope in Sight” and “Ghosts.”

Based on these aspects, it was a concert that would have been worth it. Unfortunately, I cannot overlook the weak sound quality. The bad sound overshadowed the concert, with a significant number of people complaining and even leaving prematurely before it ended. I hope it was a momentary mishap. I’ll definitely see them again in the future.

Review and Photos: Sotiris Zikas