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Interview with
GREGOR MACKINTOSH

PARADISE LOST
ascends again:
GREGOR MACKINTOSH
talks inspiration, evolution,
and the fire that didn’t
stop the music

(9th August 2025)

Interview by Zac Main

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Photo Credit: Ville Jurrikkala

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“It’s about staying inspired.” That’s the mantra that has kept Paradise Lost not just alive but ever-evolving across more than three decades. In this latest Amnplify interview, Zac Main sits down with guitarist and founding member Gregor Mackintosh to dive deep into the band’s musical journey, the upcoming 17th studio album Ascension, and some of the wild experiences that come with three decades on the road.

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Pioneers of a Genre

Formed in 1988, Paradise Lost helped shape a genre that barely existed at the time—Death Doom—and then went on to co-create what we now know as Gothic Metal. “There wasn’t really much in the way of Death Doom then,” Gregor recalls. “There was Doom bands or Death bands… so I guess we’re one of the first.”

From those murky early days, the band expanded into electronica, full-on gothic, and classic metal, always carrying their signature sound forged by the way each member plays. “You can’t change it after so long. It’s just the way you sound.”

The Sound of Ascension

Out this September, Ascension marks a return to roots—but not without evolution. Drawing again from Milton’s Paradise Lost, the album dives into themes of struggle, enlightenment, and spiritual yearning. “We went heavily into all the religious imagery again,” Gregor says. “We haven’t done that since the mid-’90s.”

Musically, it’s a blend: classical, gothic, and classic metal all get airtime. One track, Lay a Wreath Upon the World, began as a spontaneous acoustic session—recorded in Gregor’s kitchen of all places. “I tried lots of different mics and rooms later, but nothing sounded as good as the kitchen one. So that’s the one we kept on the album.”

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Endless Curiosity Keeps the Engine Running

What drives a band to keep creating after 35 years? For Gregor, it’s the thrill of discovery. “I still consume music how I did in my teens. I’m constantly trawling Bandcamp looking for something new.” One recent obsession? A band called Vorlust—“caveman death metal,” he laughs, “nothing like Paradise Lost, but cool and inspiring.”

Still, inspiration doesn’t always come easy. Three years ago, Gregor had half of Ascension written—then scrapped the whole thing. “I wasn’t feeling it. Couldn’t put my finger on why. So I took a year off from writing. You’ve got to be happy with it yourself.”

From Death Doom to Drug Dens

Of course, you don’t tour the world for 30+ years without collecting some war stories. Gregor shares one of the wildest: being mistaken by Ozzy Osbourne for another band’s dressing room, and later ending up in a Chilean drug den with members of Faith No More.

And then there was the time their tour bus exploded in the middle of the Black Forest. “We ran out in our underwear. Fire engulfed the bus. Everything was lost—passports, gear, the lot.” Thankfully, a local German fire brigade took them in, handed out steins of beer at 4am, and gave them clothes from the “dead people bin.”

Life on the road? Never boring.

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Still Paradise Lost

Despite decades of change—both in and outside the music industry—the band stays grounded. There’s no pressure from labels. No urge to chase trends. “We’ve consistently done okay, and our fanbase just waits to see what we come up with next.”

Looking ahead, Paradise Lost is hoping to hit Australia again in early 2026. “We’re in talks with promoters now. It’s just about making it viable with other stops like Japan. But it’s definitely on the cards.”

Legacy in the Shadows

Their influence has spanned generations and genres. And yet, Paradise Lost remains understated, letting the music do the talking. “It’s always nice to hear we’ve inspired someone,” Gregor says, “especially when they take it and turn it into something new. That’s how we all started.”

Whether it’s a kitchen-recorded acoustic track or a fiery tour bus escape, Paradise Lost continues to find beauty in the bleak—and never stops ascending.

Ascension is out September 2025
Keep an eye out for Paradise Lost’s Australian tour news
Listen: HERE
Follow: @officialparadiselost

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ASCENSION 
Tracklist:

1. Serpent On The Cross
2. Tyrants Serenade
3. Salvation
4. Silence Like The Grave
5. Lay A Wreath Upon The World
6. Diluvium
7. Savage Days
8. Sirens
9. Deceivers
10. The Precipice

Produced by Gregor Mackintosh at Black Planet Studios in East Yorkshire, UK & NBS and Wasteland Studios in Sweden

Mixed/Mastered by Lawrence Mackrory

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Follow PARADISE LOST
Website – Facebook – Instagram
X – Youtube – Spotify
Apple Music – Bandcamp

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About PARADISE LOST:

More than three decades into their career, and with over two million albums sold, PARADISE LOST remain the undisputed kings of metal’s dark side. Formed in Halifax in 1988, the band quickly became noted as the pioneers of gothic metal through their early groundbreaking albums like 1991’s aptly-titled Gothic, a mixture of heaviness intertwined with shadowy melody and atmosphere.  

Never a group to remain creatively static, across their career they’ve explored a myriad of avenues of dark music, from sludgy doom-death roots, to conquering the metal mainstream with the enormous, lush sounds of 1995’s Draconian Times, to more experimental, electronic leanings, leaving an influence on a trail of artists as varied as CRADLE OF FILTH, HIM, GATECREEPER and CHELSEA WOLFE.  

Now, in 2025, the Yorkshire quintet return with their staggering 17th album, Ascension, a record that sees their crown continue to gleam as it underlines just how they attained their position. Produced by guitarist Gregor Mackintosh at Black Planet studios in East Yorkshire, with drums and vocals captured at NBS and Wasteland studios in Sweden, its 10 tracks traverse the multitude of sounds in the band’s arsenal, from full-bore heavy metal to sky-high melody, all the while keeping a minor-key melancholy that remains irresistible.

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AMNPLIFY – DB