HOST

The pounding rhythms, sublime melodies and undercurrent of darkness drew them in, creating immediate earworms and a desire to delve further. Holmes and Mackintosh’s soon-to-be burgeoning career as pioneering Gothic doom metallers in Paradise Lost may have cast this fix to the side, but the sounds and aura never left them. In fact, it only grew stronger with each passing decade.

Mackintosh finally put plans into motion during the pandemic for a venture that would merge his penchant for sound design with the moods and atmosphere of 1980s dance-pop and Goth. The project was originally a solo pursuit until he asked Holmes, his longtime Paradise Lost songwriting partner, to join. “Host” was selected as the name as a tip of the hat to the aforementioned album that found Paradise Lost in an unprecedented period of experimentation that eschewed their metal roots and also challenged their fanbase in ways like never before.

Their debut foray, IX, is an eclectic, stirring collection of songs that forges a unified front of darkness that is interwoven with orchestration and textures. Complemented by carefully placed guitar lines, the album is yet another realization of Mackintosh’s songwriting intuitiveness and restless creative spirit. To create the songs on IX, Mackintosh relied on the approach of starting with a piano line. His self-described “simple” chord sequences or piano lines were then volleyed to Holmes for vocal ideas. Once the pair found a direction, Mackintosh embellished each song with lavish but haunting soundscapes — often blurring the distinction between guitar and keyboards.

The absence of traditional drums and PL’s trademark wall of guitars afforded the pair newfound flexibility when composing.“Sometimes you don’t want a format, but sometimes you want it to go to a certain spot,” says Holmes. “‘Tomorrow’s Sky’ is a classic example. It goes wherever I want it to go. I love that kind of song — it’s my favorite on the album. It goes to show you can’t keep down a good song. It’s like ‘A Forest’ by The Cure. I liked the song when I was younger but couldn’t show it because I was already a metal guy. If a song sticks in my head after one listen, it’s a testament to the person who wrote it. That’s why I like this kind of challenge.”

The Host project is emblematic of the enduring songwriting partnership between Holmes and Mackintosh. (“There are no rules when we write,” quips Holmes. “We’re very different in many ways, but we have a real thing where we click with certain music.”) Their shape-shifting career in Paradise Lost has unearthed countless groundbreaking moments that lesser bands have failed to duplicate. It was only natural, then, that the pair explored new territory by paying homage to a time that shaped them as musicians — and people.

This is an extract of the HOST bio by David E. Gehlke

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