The Wake

A couple months ago I had the chance to talk to Paul Allender, guitar player for possibly the world’s biggest extreme metal band, Cradle of Filth. Paul was with the band in their formative days (1992-1994) and recently returned in 1999. In 2004 the band somehow managed to top all of their previous output (which is a great feat!) and released Nymphetamine on RoadRunner Records.

The Wake: Well, Paul, I’d like to congratulate you on Nymphetamine, it’s really a killer record. But for those who haven’t been compelled to pick it up, tell them why they should bother.

Paul: Nobody sounds like us. People compare us to black metal but we’re nothing actually like that. It’s unique and it’s our best album.

The Wake: You were in Cradle of Filth in the very early years, left, and now have just recently returned. What is different about being in Cradle of Filth now?

Paul: The band is more mature. It’s completely different. The music and the feel has matured. If you listen to The Principles of Evil Made Flesh or Dusk and Her Embrace it sounds like kids playing and on Damnation and a Day and Nymphetamine it’s so much more mature.

The Wake: What is your greatest pride as a member of Cradle of Filth?

Paul: Oh, that’s easy. Our new album (Nymphetamine). It’s definitely our best accomplishment as a band. Actually right before I got on the phone with you I found out we’ve been nominated for a Grammy!

The Wake: Congratulations!

Paul: Thanks!

The Wake: Now, do you have any regrets about your career with the band?

Paul: No, there’s no time for regrets, I’m too bloody busy. Everything happens for a reason. Even what didn’t go well.

The Wake: So, what’s the best part of being in Cradle?

Paul: Meeting all sorts of different people. Playing on stage. It’s great.

The Wake: So who are your biggest influences as a guitar player?

Paul: K.K. Downing and Glen Tipton (of Judas Priest), Adrian Murray (Iron Maiden) — a lot of jazz musicians. But I really listen to the whole band not just the guitars. I’m a big fan of Destruction.

The Wake: I am curious there is always a lot of debate amongst fans whether Cradle of Filth is black metal or “extreme gothic metal” or some such non-sense. What do you have to say to this?

Paul: Cradle of Filth is completely different than black metal. I love black metal bands like Dimmu Borgir and Immortal but that doesn’t sound like us. I think we have a lot more groove. I don’t listen to a lot of black metal myself, but the band has pretty broad tastes. I do love the new Satyricon. I just don’t think a band should pigeonhole itself like these black metal bands do — that would be suicide for the band. Cradle of Filth has been around almost fifteen years and that’s because we don’t paint ourselves in a corner.

The Wake: What do you have to say about the state of metal today?

Paul: I think it’s rubbish, really. There’s a lot I just can’t get into. I got into metal when the old school British metal bands were big like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Saxon. I just can’t get into the new stuff. 3 Inches of Blood is one new band that is great and they play like the old bands.

The Wake: Image is obviously rather important to Cradle of Filth. I do assume it is meant to be very much tongue in cheek.

Paul: Image is very important for this band. It is something that we think about seriously to get across the appropriate concept and meaning. But yes, it is done very much with tongue planted firmly in cheek.

The Wake: There had recently been a report that one of your former band members said Cradle of Filth would not play the Ozzfest again, can you elaborate on this?

Paul: Well, that was taken entirely out of context. He said it jokingly. We would do the Ozzfest again. We would only do it if it were the mainstage though. People should see Cradle when it’s dark out. We’d really need to get an hour and a half set instead of the forty-minute second stage set to do us justice.

The Wake: How has the switch from Sony to RoadRunner Records been?

Paul: Roadrunner, they know what they’re doing. Their market especially. Sony tried to market us as a pop band. Thanks to Sony we missed out on a lot of interviews to promote the band and the album (Damnation and a Day). They offered us an option for a second album and we said no. RoadRunner has done very well.

The Wake: What’s next on the horizon for Cradle of Filth?

Paul: We’re already writing the next album. We’ll be touring Greece and Europe coming up in February and March. Readers, now go out and by Nymphetamine, From the Cradle to Enslave, Dusk and Her Embrace, and every other COF album you can get your hands on. Also, check out cradleoffilth.com.