DISTORTED SOUND MAGAZINE
“Really good! Even though we have like 20-25 of age difference you can’t even really notice it because we
share
the same sense of humour and we get on really well! Obviously they have more experience playing live
.
and touring but yeah, it’s been really good so far.”
At the time of our conversation Waltteri and PARADISE LOST are about to grace the main stage at this
year’s sell out Damnation Festival. A major festival catering for all things heavy and extreme. In PARADISE
LOST’s case this is quite a busy day, not just because they are headlining the main stage, but because of
the band member’s other commitments in other
projects also playing the festival. With Nick Holmes
involved in BLOODBATH and Gregor Mackintosh
and Waltteri himself involved in VALLENFYRE,
there must surely be more pressure surrounding the
day’s performances but Waltteri says they have the
expertise to pull it off. “Damnation Festival is in the
middle of our tour, we’ve already done six weeks of
touring in Europe so it is definitely more stressful,
especially with VALLENFYRE as we haven’t played
together since September. So it has been more
stressful but I think it was a really good gig with
VALLENFYRE. With PARADISE LOST it’s more of a
routine, as like I said, we have already played like 30
shows.”
Since joining the band in 2015, Waltteri has
overcome the pressure in performing in one of
Britain’s most respected metal bands. Revered in
the underground and with a discography that is so
well-respected, the pressure will always be on when
it comes to releasing a new album. Such was the case
this year as PARADISE LOST released their 15th
studio effort this year, Medusa, which is also the first
album Waltteri has featured on with the band. Now,
several months on, what does Waltteri feel about the
reception? “It’s been really good! All the reviews I’ve
seen have been nice and positive, maybe one or two
not so much, but that’s just opinions. It’s hard to tell
myself how did I do? Was it good enough? But, like I
said, the feedback has been really positive!”
And so with Damnation Festival now under their
belts, PARADISE LOST have proved yet again why
they are still a force to be reckoned with decades after
they first exploded onto the scene. Looking ahead
on the horizon, it’s all action stations for the band as
they prepare to support their latest release through
a headlining UK tour. But, 2018 is also a special
occasion for PARADISE LOST as it marks their 30
year anniversary as a band. Waltteri reveals what
plans are in the works for such a milestone whilst
reflects on the band’s impact on heavy music. “I would say they pretty much invented the gothic metal genre.
Originally I think Greg’s idea was to mix together things like SISTERS OF MERCY and then doom metal and
that’s how it became gothic metal” says Waltteri. “There might be something, we haven’t planned anything as
of yet. Right now, the main focus is on the new album but we might do something like a show or a series of
shows but I don’t think we should do a full tour or anything like that”.
10
DISTORTED SOUND MAGAZINE
“I would say they pretty much
invented the gothic metal genre!”
“Even though we have like 20-25 of age
difference you can’t even really notice it
because we share the same sense of humour...” 11