Ελληνικά
We are only a few days apart from the 30th anniversary show of Paradise Lost in Piraeus Academy, so we caught Nick Holmes, frontman of the band, during his Bloodbath tour, in Austria, and had a nice chat for pretty much everything.
Greetings and I welcome you to Metal Invader. It is a great honor for me to do this interview. I hope everything rolls nice for all five of you.
All good, thanks! Hello from Vienna.
“Medusa” came out a year ago. Did the outcome reflect everything you had in mind before you went in the studio?
Yes, we pre-plan our albums very extensively prior to the final recording. Modern recording software makes the whole process much easier to obtain the big picture.
Paradise Lost is a band that has been adding various elements and slightly changing musical direction here and there. How do you balance to keep your fans anticipating for a new release? How important is for a musician to renew their music?
If the music excites us, then there’s a good chance fans will follow suit. However, you can’t always predict who will like what. The best policy is to please yourself first and see what happens. Personally, I think staying the same album after album is pretty boring, and this is reflected in our own musical tastes as I’ve always liked bands that try different things.
Your live shows are quite simple in the eye, yet majestic. I guess that you’re not fond of grand, theatrical live performances? Have you ever thought any theatrical concept for a Paradise Lost show?
There’s nothing more I’d like than to turn the show into a heavy metal Cirque du Soleil, but it’s more about the budget and the venue size than anything.
Up to date, which Paradise Lost record are you mostly proud of?
It is really impossible to say.
It seems that the lineup has remained quite steady over the years. What the secret ingredient is behind the, as it seems, good chemistry amongst you?
Iguess sense of humor has a big part to play. Not just in band life, but every aspect of life!
Looking back after all these years and the ups and downs, which was your favorite mistake?
Commercially, probably ‘Host’. It was just the wrong album at the wrong time, but I still think it’s one of our best albums.
The band’s name came after John Milton’s epic poem with the same title. How much of an impact does this poem have to you personally and, as a consequence, as a group of musicians?
It has no impact other than it’s just the band’s name. None of us have read the book; it was more what the book was about and a typically non-death metal band name.
Will there ever be a recording of “Blood Filled Eyes”?
Haha, unfortunately not!
Tell us more about your participation in Bloodbath.
Well, I’m the singer for the last four years and two albums. I’m on tour in Europe with them right now. It’s basically all about capturing the old Swedish death metal vibe, which I think we manage to do pretty well!
You are due to visit Athens right before Christmas this year, a year after your previous visit as a part of the Rockwave Festival. What are your thoughts for the Greek audiences?
It is always fantastic for us to visit Greece. They’re probably the most loyal fans in the world.
I leave the epilogue to you. I hope to see you in Athens. Until then, take care. Thank you for your time.
Thanks very much, we’re looking forward to it!
