Likewise, Nick Holmes' vocal performance may at times be a gruff departure from the Hetfield-inspired crooning that has long divided the band's fan base, yet at no point does it recall the cookie monster growl he employed as a teenage star of a then fledgling sub-genre. Instead he lets the frequently disparate textures of each cut dictate the tone of his voice, and make no mistake about it -- the overriding emotion on _Faith Divides Us..._ is as dank and downtrodden as anything in the earliest recesses of the group's discography.

Following their frontman's example, Holmes' cohorts play exclusively to their respective strengths, collectively bolstered by the addition of Adrian Erlandsson to the drum stool left vacant by Jeff Singer. This inspired, yet pragmatic approach makes a track like "As Horizons End" seem almost effortless, even if repeat listens quickly identify several subtleties which could only ever have been the product of an intense fervour for one's craft. And on the rare occasion when the record does suffer a stutter-step -- as it does on "In Truth" -- thereby forcing into reserve any "best Paradise Lost album ever" accolades it may otherwise have earned, there's no questioning the sincerity of its architects. That alone is more of a compliment then several other acts of Paradise Lost's tenure deserve.