Paradise Now surprised fans with an EP release titled, Lockdown Mixtape. Paradise Now is a band out of Wales. Disciple brought Paradise Now on their most recent tour, and made Paradise Now a favorite of Christian Rock fans in the U.S.
This EP is a compilation of six songs. Four of the songs are new tracks and two are remixes of previously released songs. The album starts out with the track “Monsters” featuring Ryan Kirby of Fit for A King. This song is heavy and hardcore, but also does nicely in blending the intensity of Ryan Kirby’s vocals and Sam Taylor, of Paradise Now’s, melodic vocals. This song seems to really encompass the feelings of 2020, lockdowns, isolation, vulnerabilty into one song, perfectly. Especially with the lyrics:
So lonely in a crowd, Your silence is so loud.
You can’t hurt me, you can’t fright. I see you in plain sight.
Your poison, your schemes. I’ve got the vaccine.
You may be a monster. My God is a bigger than you ever were.
“Criminal” featuring Sü is the next track on the Lockdown Mixtape. It is what we have come to love from Paradise Now. It is ethereal and melodic with a mix of EDM and rock. The breakdown of the chorus is superb and catchy.
Look what you done to me, taken the fight outta me.
Standing still is crippling, I just wanna live again.
Look what you done to me, I can’t hide from everything.
Cause failures just a fall, I’m not a criminal.
“Absolute” comes out of the gate with harmonic EDM rhythms. The lyrics speak of the tension within a relationship and the back and forth that is absolutes between two people.
“I must have wrestled with the itch a thousand times Breakdown communications, cast time to the side So close, so far, there’s a chasm that is growing deeper So close, so far, and it’s a chasm I wanna fill up”
“Dead Boys” is the last unreleased track on the Lockdown Mixtape. “Dead Boys” is a haunting track both lyrically and musically. “Dead Boys” is a cover song by Sam Fender. The song is a poignant track that pierces to the soul of anyone that has a connection or story of loss.
The anniversaries are short lived
But they come back around at a breakneck speed
My world spins so fast
The centrifugal force keep me stuck in the middle
We close our eyes. Learn our pain
The final two tracks off the Lockdown Mixtape are re-releases of tracks off of their Supernatural EP. “WildOnes” is a remix of the previously released track, and it is a more mellow take with some interesting symphonic elements. The original version and this remix are different enough that you can love each one in vastly different ways, and I do. “Machines” was the most surprising to me of the remixes. It is an acoustic version of this track that on the Supernatural EP was hard hitting, but the acoustic version is more moving and poignant; that it holds so much emotional depth and power.
Listen to the full Lockdown Mixtape on Spotify or Apple Music. Follow Paradise Now on Facebook and Instagram for all their music news.
Rock On Purpose 
2 Comments