INTERVIEW WITH PARADISE LOST – NICK HOLMES
«I wouldn’t mind so (to do a new «Unholy Trinity» tour) I mean they’re great bands so I don’t see why not.»
With a new album in the streets, PARADISE LOST are back to the front row. We had the chance to talk with vocalist Nick Holmes about «The Plague Within«, BLOODBATH and many more. Check it out!
You have a new album, called “The Plague Within”, what can you tell me about this record?
Well is the 14th album for the band and we approched it a little bit different this time from what we did in the past couple of records. Of course it’s still us, it’s still the same sound we’ve develop for over twenty five years, but I think the approach is different, is more authentic and honest and I think that’s going to benefit us during the live shows. I’m very excited with it, it comes out today so, we’ll see how the response is.
Why “The Plague Within”? What does the title represent?
Well Greg Mackintosh came up with the title so he would be the one to ask, but I can tell is not as much as unleashing plague or playing with wrath but more of a state of mind.
This album feels like a fair comeback to your darker roots while keeping some of the “light” shown in more recent album, what is this comeback due to?
Well we don’t really think about it that much. The sound of each album is just a representation of where we are at the time, we don’t really spend time talking about what should we do or not, it’s quite a natural thing, the only we felt we wanted to go back to a heavier vocal style and due to that the whole album got heavier too, but it’s more of a growing process if you what I mean.
What can you tell me about the wirting and recording process of this album?
It was a pretty usual recording process. I mean, we’ve been recording albums for so long now, that we go into the studio and we know what we have to do, we record and it’s finished, I mean, that’s everything I recall because there’s really nothing unsual to recall from the recording process. As for the writing it was also pretty muchas as always, only this time I struggled a little bit finding my way back to growls, where to use them and how to fit them with the music but the general process was the same as it has been for the last twenty five years.
For this album you decided to change producer, what is kind of surprises considering Jens Bogren talents and career, why did you make this decision? Does Jaime Gomez Arellano add something to your sound?
Well Jens a great producer and we already make a few great records with him, he’s as good as it gets but we always chagne producer after a few albums, we don’t want or need to stay with one person necessarily, it’s not like is a member of the band you know? Also, I think when everybody uses the same game sometimes you end up with the same sound. Gomez’s a great producer and for this album we made a few changes on our approach so it seems just appropiate.
One of the most noticeble changes in “The Plague Within” is the vocal approach, which is more agressive, did you miss revisiting this vocals roots of yours?
Well it’s more about the music, what the album needs. Is not like I miss it or I particulary wanted to do something like that again, it’s all about textures. I mean, this definetly is not a death metal album and it’s not like we are trying to go metal or something, it’s all about textures for me.
Is Greg plannin to uses his growls in a future PARADISE LOST album again?
I don’t know. Really. You’d have to ask him, but yeah, why not? I think he likes it so I would say probably yes.
Had your entrance in BLOODBATH have any influence on the more agressive sound of this new album?
Maybe yes but not really much. I mean we already wrote most of the album before I did the BLOODBATH thing, but when you’re playing death metal style, it’s always gonna have an impact in you, it stays with you for a time wether it’s concious or unconcious so I guess maybe it had an impact but not really in the music itself you know, since this is so much different from what I did with BLOODBATH.
This year is the 25th anniversary of your “Lost Paradise” album and you’re getting really close to the 30 years mark in your career, are you planning something special to conmemorate this events?
Well I’m aware but I’ve never been a big birthday guy, it only reminds me of how old I am and I not necessarily need that so… With this significant album that I think it was a landmark album for the fans but sometimes this happens with the first records and they don’t necessarily need to be high spots you know? But yeah, happy birthday! Hahaha.
Recently we got the news that you’ll ve playing some shows in Brasil this september together with ANATHEMA, this has again raised the question if are there ever going to be any “Unholy Trinity” tours again?
I wouldn’t mind so, I mean ANATHEMA is a band we’ve played lots of times over the years, obviously they’re very different from us now but I guess we have a past in common. I don’t know really, I mean they’re great bands so I don’t see why not.
You’ll also be playing Spain in a few months, how do you feel about it?
Oh great, it’s always good to go back there, the crowd has always been great to us when we played there and we haven’t in a while so it’s really nice go again.
Can you give us any tips on the setlist yet?
We’ll probably play like 70% of the new album. I don’t want to play almost the same setlist we’ve been playing for the last ten years, so we’re probably gonna change a bit and it’s going to heavily rely on the new album I think.
You’re now an active member of BLOODBATH, how do you feel about having responsabilities in two bands?
It’s great, I mean, it’ve certaintly been demanding and kind of trouble, I mean I don’t know how people could do three bands , for me that would be impossible, but it’s great, is very very different from what we’re doing in PARADISE LOST but also is great to play shows with the band and everyone in it, so far it’s been three shows and it’s fun as it gets.
How did you ended up being a member of BLOODBATH?
I was asked to join, I’m friends with the guys and that’s important. I wouldn’t really want to join a band where I don’t know the people but everyone in BLOODBATH, they’re great guys, very nice people, they’re friends.
Both Mikael Akerfeltd and Peter Tangtren where loved by BLOODBATH fans and they’re really difficult to replace, but everybody is completly blown away by your performance in the last record, how was the recording process?
It was as usual… I mean, I don’t really need to rehearse with the band as long as I can prepare the songs in my own home and be in touch with the guys if I need to, so it wasn’t very long. I think it was longer to prepare for the live show than for the studio record. But yeh, with technology now you can send a file, I can rehearse at home with no need to be there with the guys for this. We work nice together and when I came into the studio I was very aware what I had to sing and where, so it was ok.
Did you find it difficult to go back to your more agressive vocals for a full record after some years of not doing so?
No, not really. I was really prepared for it. I think is harder to prepare for the live show than for the album, because you can cheat on the album hahaha. Always for live you need more intensity and be sure you can do the whole set. So I would say it wasn’t much difficult really.
How do you feel about going on stage with BLOODBATH and play their set?
It was great so far. You really don’t know how it’s going to be until yo go for it, but we’ve done a couple of shows already and they have been very nice. I could see the moshpits and a wall of death and I could sing along for the whole set, so I’m enjoying it.
Nick, after almost 30 years with PARADISE LOST, how do you keep it fresh and going?
We’re still very much influenced by the music, we’re still big fans of the music and different bands. We try not to think very much about what we’re going to do next, but just try to be ourselves and do what we like, and that always turns out fresh. We still love to go onstage and play. It’s a long career now but as long as we enjoy it, we can keep going.
What do you think is the thing that makes PARADISE LOST such an special band for so many people?
Humm, probably that I think we’re very open to critics and we’re very wide minded with our sound, people can see the passion we put in it, a passion we share with our fans, so we think we’re doing well, if we didn’t think we’re doing well then our fans wouldn’t think we’re doing well, because we really share the same passion and taste, we work to pass this feeling of doing well to our fans. I think we’re a band that gets to differente generations but we have quite a unique sound I think, so that means this people of different ages, they’re all similar people, as we are. We’re all similar people. So I guess that’s it.
This is a question a make to almost every artist I interview: what are in your opinion and related to your band, the pros and cons of the Internet and the social media?
It’s been great in many ways, but I there are things that you can’t control of course. I miss the mistery behind the music, I miss wanting to see a band onstage for real, in person, no you go on Youtube and you see any band. You used to see a band in the gatefold album, there was a picture of the guys in it and the next time you see them would be on stage, you know, that’s the only time you saw them. It was a magical thing that it’s now lost forever unfortunetly, but there are many benefits, including being in a band even if you live in opposite sides of the world, thanks to the Internet you can still be in a band together.
What do you think would be a good solution to it’s problems and the industry’s?
What’s gonna happen has already happened, you’ve got to accept people having you album before it’s released, you have to get used to how things are because no matter what you don you can’t make people do things as you want. You know, it’s like the wild west, the Internet is like the Wild West and you can’t force it to be as you want.
Finally, I just want to ask you some words for your fans:
We will be there later in the year, we’ll play at least two shows in Madrid and Barcelona, listen to the album and I hope if you enjoy it will come to see us on stage again.
