Designer Magazine got on the dog & bone to Paradise Lost' Nick Holmes and found he was literally holding the baby. The joys of parenting and Rock & Roll. "Believe In Nothing", the bands 8th album, seems them encapsulating the past 3 years into a blend of dark riffs and electronica. On production duties is John Fryer, whose previous credits include NIN, Cradle of Filth and Raging Speedhorn amongst others, and is a must for fans of the dark side of rock. Imagine Metallica jamming with Depeche Mode and you are almost there - In Europe they're an institution and this album could see them finally breaking into the mainstream this side of the Channel.

Q: How did the producer John Fryer shape the album for you? Listening to the album it would be hard to draw comparisons between this and his previous work.
A: Because this is our 8th record we've got a pretty good idea of what we want to hear anyway. He's got a good knowledge of the whole cross section of rock music - the electronic side as well as the heavier side - and I think we heard Stanley Westwood who he did years ago. We've known him for a few years, well before he did Speedhorn and the more recent acts, but we didn't really think he'd be right for the last album.

It was actually mixed in Hanover, Germany by Geirheart Wolff (sic) but we recorded it in various albums across London. We had to remix it because we just weren't happy with the original mix. We didn't let the electronic influence over-ride as much as we did on the last album. The writing style hasn't particularly changed and it was more the production that scared people with "Host" - no one takes any risks nowadays so someone's got to.
 

Q: At times "Believe In Nothing" can sound quite 80's rock stylistically?
A: I don't know because were always aware of what's happening with the modern music - whether we like it or not is another issue. For example we wouldn't draw any influences from Nu-Metal bands because I think our fans would see right though that straight away. The original Nu-Metal bands i've got a lot of respect for, but there are so many bands trying to chase their success that there will ultimately be an overkill and it will vanish.

We've got to a point now where we know what we want to hear ad we don't have to get inspired by any other bands to create the stuff. You say 80's, when I think of 80's metal I think of the old Metallica but each to their own really.
 

Q: Do you find it quite hard as a band who continues on their natural path rather than jumping on each bandwagon?
A: You die when you do that. People who buy albums aren't that fickle. Its a really mad thing to do presuming because you're doing something trendy you'll instantly be popular. As a band you should just try and be as original as possible. When I listen to our new album it really doesn't sound like anybody else. I'm really proud of that fact when you hear other bands and they just sound like everybody else - its like Trip Hop mixed with rock guitars "oh no not another one!!!"
 

Q: Its 12 years you've been in the band. How do you push yourself to tackle new themes in your lyrics?
A: There's always stuff. I can write about anything from minor inconveniences to really serious subjects. I've started to steer away from massive issues because they're are the things I don't really want to dwell on. Its entertainment, not life and death were dealing with

I really like convenience and when things don't go my way I get absolutely irate about it. Stuff like not being able to get a parking space can be an absolute pain in the arse. I won't write about that directly but it can trigger a whole host of emotions I didn't realize I had. Also human relationships and psychology, what makes you like one thing and not another. Its all the things I think about far to much.

If anything having a kid makes me feel a lot older. I feel as if I suddenly got responsibilities and before I didn't - it ages you drastically, makes you grow up a bit which isn't a bad thing. You can't go round acting as if you're 18 all your life.