MOUTHY ISSUE ONE
February 2003
PARADISE
interview by Ian C Stewart


Together less than a year and already Paradise has played in front of 50,000 people and snagged a heavy metal legend (Voivod drummer Michel "Away" Langevin!!) for their debut recording, Rock Anthropologists on the Kon Tiki Voyage. Combining heavy metal with Tiki culture pretty much guarantees that Paradise stands alone in the world of music. They call their sound Volcanic Rock.

Guitarist and singer Frank Kelly describes the attraction. "Everything about Tiki culture is based on lust and pleasure. Beautiful women in tropical décor, exotic drinks and wild fantasies. We just couldn't help calling ourselves Paradise. Even though the name might sound like an 80s metal band, it helped us to put everything in place. When you look at this culture you find that everything about it rocks. From the weird Tiki gods to drinks called Headhunters and Vicious Virgins, what else could you want?"

Kelly formed Paradise in summer 2002 with guitarist Jet Phil. "We were both playing in different bands and were unhappy with our situations. So we formed Paradise with the help of my brother Fred (bass) and some friends. It took us three months to form the band and release the album. Everything just went so fast."

How did they get Away for the album? "Michel is a friend. We just asked him! He did an amazing job and he is responsible for a lot of our sound. He's got a lot of style and groove. It's scary, he's like a locomotive. We're writing for the next album and he's going to be on it." Drummer Xavier Cafeine fills in for Away when Paradise plays live.

Paradise carries the (tiki) torch passed on by arena rock icons like Ozzy. "He would be the first one on our list. He's been doing it really well for so long and he's such a good entertainer. And KISS, they are the best at combining good songs and good looks. Elvis Presley, Dio and Billy Idol, they were all about rock and roll."


www.paradisetheband.com


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