Metal Anarchy

Time for the next edition of Metal Anarchy’s “new music showcase,” the feature where I introduce you to artists that readers of this site may find interesting. This time I have a Q&A with Paradise.

METAL ANARCHY: Tell me a little about your band:

PARADISE: Here’s our bio! Will be much easier 😉

Montreal summer of 2002. First they got drunk, then proceeded to forge “volcanic rock” and chose a name: Paradise. The next day, they came up with a title for their first album: Rock Anthropologists on the Kon Tiki Voyage.

Obviously, they were still drunk. Co-founders and fellow guitar players, Frank Kelly and Jet Phil, still thinking that they had a great concept on their hands, started the rock riff machine and came up with a bunch of kick-ass rock and roll. Pretty soon, every track was assigned a title and, what do you know, they were all taken from a Kon-Tiki drink menu. It all made a lot of sense…

Still without any lyrics to complete the recipe, they set out to find someone crazy enough to work on their project. Through mutual friend, rock promoter François Lalancette, they were introduced to singer songwriter Richard Eusanio who was more than crazy enough to jump in feet first. Within days, the record started to take shape. By this time, also on board was guitar master and Sword‘s axeman Mike Plant. Paradise was happening…

Frank and Phil then recruited good friends, underground icon Xavier Caféine and drum god Michel “Away” Langevin of Voivod, to help out. Pretty soon Paradise became big and loud…

The record was then sent to Glen Robinson (Voivod, Tea Party) to be mixed and mastered. Fall of 2002 Paradise came alive with the release of Rock Anthropologists on the Kon Tiki Voyage.

Summer of 2004: The boys were now ready for another roller-coaster ride. The usual suspects were rounded-up, including bass man Fred Kelly. Now transported from the beaches of the South Pacific to the famous and even infamous hotels of this world, they began to work on Paradise’s follow-up “Hotel“. Everybody was ready for the trip.

During the sessions in the summer of 2004, they were blessed with the inspirational collaboration of Voivod‘s guitar pioneer, the late but great Denis “Piggy” D’Amour who left his stamp on a couple of titles before losing his battle to illness in august of 2005. Mixed and mastered again by Glen Robinson, Paradise’s Hotel was released in the winter of 2005 and once again it all made a lot of sense.

2019: With the will of the volcanic rock gods, the resurrection of Paradise was inevitable. Today composed of Frank Kelly (guitars), Fred Kelly (bass), Blacky (vocals), Fred Crew Grrr (guitars) and Mat Hias (drums), Paradise, like a phoenix that is reborn from its ashes, releases a new eponymous album that sways on the line between hard rock and pure heavy metal (mixed and mastered by Kevin Jardine from Slaves On Dope). From the opening piece and future classic “Straight From Hell” to the final “Free in Exile”, through “Hitting On All Sixes” and “Long Gone”, Paradise delivers an album where the balance between catchy riffs, attitude, intensity and melodies is perfect.

METAL ANARCHY: Who are your main influences?

PARADISE: I’d say I’ve been influenced by music styles than bands or musicians. I’m a 80’s kid so I grew up listening to so many genres, like Blues, rock, metal, funk .. name it . I think it reflects a lot in our music

METAL ANARCHY: What is your latest release and why should readers of this site check it out?

PARADISE: Latest release is the eponymous record. It’s a fun go to record to put a smile on your face. Great driving music.

METAL ANARCHY: What can people expect when they go to your live shows?

PARADISE: We’re a fun party band. We really have a blast doing this and it shows live. It’s usually infectious.

METAL ANARCHY: Where do you see your band heading in 5 years?

PARADISE: Putting out albums, playing gigs, the usual. It’s been that way for the last 25 years it won’t change.