In 1995, UK doom/death icons Paradise Lost released their masterpiece Draconian Times, an album that defined them creatively and made them one of the best metal bands the UK has ever produced.

To coincide with the albums twenty fifth anniversary Music For Nations will reissue Draconian Times on 4th December.

Working with Simon Efemy (Napalm Death, The Wildhearts, Obituary), Paradise Lost recorded this seminal album at Surrey studio Ridge Farm, as well as Bedfordshire’s suitably gothic mansion Great Linfield Manor. Draconian Times went on to become Paradise Lost’s most successful album to date and is often seen as the band’s defining record.

Guitarist Aaron Aedy comments, ‘The Draconian Times era was the two amazing years of ’95 and ’96 which saw us touring South America and Japan for the first time and getting to play with Ozzy Osbourne, the Sex Pistols and more. It then culminated in a tour finishing concert that every young metal fan of the eighties and nineties wanted to go to, let alone play – the last ever legendary Donington Monsters of Rock. Dreams came true for us all during the whole Draconian Times period. Twenty five years later, we’re still very proud and humbled by the whole experience, so we’re very pleased to see it reissued on vinyl again as it hasn’t been available in that format for a long time – I’m also excited to get one myself!’

Sentinel Daily talked to Simon Efemy about the construction of Draconian Times in 2017 as part of our Classics Track-by-Track series. He summed up the sessions thus: “It was, it was a really good time. We had a laugh. There were pranks, jokes… I remember we had this thing where the kid who was assisting me had no hair, he was quite bald. This was in the days of fax machines… I’m not quite sure how we did it but we pretended that we’d cut Greg (Mackintosh, guitars)’s hair off, faxed this kid’s bald head off to (manager) Andy Farrow and said we’d got absolutely pissed the night before and Greg decided he wanted his hair cut off. He went ballistic! ‘what have you done? The records coming out and you’ve lost your image!’ He was absolutely mad. It was a good time”.

Read the whole interview HERE

Available on CD, vinyl and digitally the 25th anniversary of Draconian Times is available to pre-order now.

The double LP is pressed onto heavyweight audiophile vinyl, housed in a premium gatefold sleeve, and presented on exclusive transparent blue vinyl. The Deluxe LP comes with a three colour splatter design that compliments the front cover artwork