Nick Holmes of Paradise Lost Interview

Suite 101: Last year’s In Requiem was probably the heaviest album you’ve done in years. Was that the end of a process that started with Symbol Of Life?

Nick Holmes (vocals): “Possibly but a lot of the time it’s not down to the songwriting, it’s more down to production. The last few albums up to In Requiem, it’s been very vocally orientated. The vocals have been high in the mix and we’ve kind of kept the drums and guitars down lower. With the last one we wanted to make a point of bringing the guitars and the drums up again, which is kinda what metal productions are - really loud drums and guitars. We really made a point of doing that this time and as a result it instantly sounds heavier. We’ll probably do even moreso on the next one because we’re still in that mindset. Each album you try and better your last one and that’s what everybody does. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t but we want to take it even more extreme and probably make the most extreme album we’ve ever done.”

New Paradise Lost Album to be 'Most Extreme'

Suite 101: More extreme as in heavier?

Nick: “Well, we’ve always been about writing songs. We’ll hopefully be writing good and melodic songs but hopefully yeah, with a bit more heaviness in there too.”

Suite 101: So how far are you with the 12th album?

Nick: “We’re actually working on it right now. We’re working on the material and we’re looking at going into the studio round about January

Over The Madness - Paradise Lost Documentary DVD

Suite 101: What did you think of the 'Over The Madness' DVD?

Nick: “It was very flattering. It wasn’t a band-commissioned thing, it was done by (director) Diran Noubar who wanted to make that documentary but it’s fine that he put that together and it’s nice that our peers are saying nice things about us. It was almost like we’d died but it’s still quite nice, you know.”

Suite 101: It often seems you’re more successful and respected in mainland Europe than your homeland – is that something that rankles?

Nick: “No, it’s never really bothered me, that. Ever since we started we’ve always hopped on a ferry – even in the very, very early days we always went to Holland to play more than we would play in England. But as well as we’ve done in Europe, we’ve done okay over here as well. And we’re not a flag-waving kind of band anyway.”

Click here for more exclusive interviews with Dragonforce and ex-Skyclad frontman Martin Walkyier.

Paradise Lost In Requiem promo shot

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