Gregor Mackintosh

Last updated
Greg Mackintosh
Paradise Lost-25 (53878235922) (cropped).jpg
Mackintosh in 2024
Background information
Birth nameGregor John Mackintosh
Born (1970-06-20) 20 June 1970 (age 54)
Origin Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
Genres Gothic metal, doom metal, death metal, death-doom, blackened death-doom, gothic rock, dark wave, synth-pop, electronic rock
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
Years active1988–present
Labels Nuclear Blast, Century Media, Music For Nations, Peaceville, Season of Mist
Member of Paradise Lost, Vallenfyre Strigoi, Host

Gregor Mackintosh (born 20 June 1970) is a British guitar player. He is the lead guitarist in the metal band Paradise Lost, which he founded in 1988 together with singer Nick Holmes, rhythm guitarist Aaron Aedy, and bassist Steve Edmondson. He is the main composer of one of the pioneer bands and founding fathers of the gothic metal genre, considered to be influential to many other artists. [1] [2] [3]

Mackintosh also plays keyboards (on several Paradise Lost albums) and also uses them to compose music. [4] He produced Hull industrial metal act Systemyk. Also he founded the bands Vallenfyre, [5] Strigoi, [6] and Host. [7]

Regarding his influences, Mackintosh remarked, "I was into punky stuff when I was really young, then I started to delve into the goth stuff – Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus and especially The Sisters of Mercy." [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Into the Pandemonium</i> 1987 studio album by Celtic Frost

Into the Pandemonium is the third studio album by Swiss extreme metal band Celtic Frost, released on 1 June 1987 through Noise Records in Europe, and through Combat Records in the US. The album marks the return of bassist and backing vocalist Martin Eric Ain, who had previously appeared on 1984's Morbid Tales, but not on the band's previous album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cradle of Filth</span> English extreme metal band

Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved originally from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic metal and other metal genres. Their lyrical themes and imagery are heavily influenced by Gothic literature, poetry, mythology and horror films. The band consists of its founding member, vocalist Dani Filth, drummer Martin "Marthus" Škaroupka, bassist Daniel Firth, guitarists Marek "Ashok" Šmerda and Donny Burbage, and keyboardist Zoe Marie Federoff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paradise Lost (band)</span> British gothic metal band

Paradise Lost are an English gothic metal band. Formed in Halifax, West Yorkshire, in 1988, they are considered to be among the pioneers of the death-doom genre, and regarded as the main influence for the later gothic metal movement. As of 2005, Paradise Lost have sold over two million albums worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adrian Erlandsson</span> Swedish drummer

Adrian Paul Erlandsson is a Swedish heavy metal drummer who is a member of At the Gates, the Haunted, and Nemhain (2006–present).

<i>Gothic</i> (Paradise Lost album) 1991 studio album by Paradise Lost

Gothic is the second studio album by British heavy metal band Paradise Lost, released on 19 March 1991 through Peaceville Records. The album is retrospectively considered style-defining and name-giving for the genre of gothic metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Aedy</span> British guitarist

Anthony Edward Aaron Aedy is an English guitarist who is best known as the rhythm guitarist of the gothic metal/doom metal band Paradise Lost. He founded the band in 1988 alongside Stephen Edmondson, Gregor Mackintosh and Nick Holmes. Outside from playing the rhythm guitar, sometimes he plays acoustic guitar on some albums such as Shades of God and Draconian Times.

Gothic metal is a fusion genre combining the aggression of heavy metal with the dark atmospheres of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music. The genre originated during the early 1990s in the United Kingdom originally as an outgrowth of death-doom, a fusion of death metal and doom metal. Lyrics are generally dark and introspective with inspiration from gothic fiction as well as personal experiences.

<i>Believe in Nothing</i> 2001 studio album by Paradise Lost

Believe in Nothing is the eighth studio album by British metal band Paradise Lost, released on 26 February 2001.

<i>Shades of God</i> 1992 studio album by Paradise Lost

Shades of God is the third studio album by British metal band Paradise Lost, released on 14 July 1992 through Music for Nations. It retains the heavy instrumentation and growled vocals characteristic of the band's previous death-doom efforts, and also shows the beginning of the band's transition to a more melodic, gothic metal sound heard on the follow-up album Icon.

<i>Symbol of Life</i> 2002 studio album by Paradise Lost

Symbol of Life is the ninth studio album by British metal band Paradise Lost. It marks a departure by the band from their synth-based approach and returning to a much heavier sound, although not abandoning the keyboards altogether. This album was the final release featuring drummer Lee Morris.

<i>Icon</i> (Paradise Lost album) 1993 studio album by Paradise Lost

Icon is the fourth studio album by British heavy metal band Paradise Lost, released on 28 September 1993 through Music for Nations. It is the band's final album to feature Matthew Archer on drums.

<i>One Second</i> (Paradise Lost album) 1997 studio album by Paradise Lost

One Second is the sixth studio album released by British metal band Paradise Lost. The album marks the group's transition from a gothic metal act to a more electronic direction. It is the bestselling record of their career and enabled the band to sign with the German branch of major label EMI. One Second is Paradise Lost's first album recorded in digital format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cirith Ungol (band)</span> American heavy metal band

Cirith Ungol is an American heavy metal band formed in late 1971 in Ventura, California. This early doom and power metal group is known for lyrics based on fantasy. The band took their name from the mountain pass Cirith Ungol in J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy novel, The Lord of the Rings.

<i>Host</i> (Paradise Lost album) 1999 studio album by Paradise Lost

Host is the seventh studio album by British gothic metal band Paradise Lost, released on 24 May 1999 through EMI Group Limited.

<i>Tragic Idol</i> 2012 studio album by Paradise Lost

Tragic Idol is the thirteenth studio album by British gothic metal band Paradise Lost, released on 23 April 2012 in Europe and 24 April 2012 in North America through Century Media Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vallenfyre</span>

Vallenfyre was a British death metal band founded in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, as a side project by Paradise Lost's chief songwriter and lead guitarist Gregor Mackintosh in 2010 as tribute to his father's death in December 2009.

<i>Medusa</i> (Paradise Lost album) 2017 studio album by Paradise Lost

Medusa is the fifteenth studio album by British gothic metal band Paradise Lost, released on 1 September 2017 through Nuclear Blast Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Christo</span> British rock musician

Benjamin David Christodoulou is an English rock musician, guitarist, songwriter, vocalist, lyricist and session musician, he is best known for his tenures with The Sisters of Mercy, Night By Night and Diamond Black.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Greywolf</span> German guitarist (born 1977)

Benjamin Buss, best known by his stage name Matthew Greywolf, is a German musician, best known as the lead guitarist and a main songwriter in the power metal band Powerwolf.

<i>Obsidian</i> (Paradise Lost album) 2020 studio album by Paradise Lost

Obsidian is the sixteenth studio album by British gothic metal band Paradise Lost, released on 15 May 2020 through Nuclear Blast Records.

References

  1. Interview – Greg Mackintosh of Paradise Lost, crypticrock.com
  2. Greg Mackintosh - Paradise Lost Archived 2023-05-09 at the Wayback Machine , metal-temple.com
  3. PARADISE LOST's GREG MACKINTOSH Speaks To HEAVY METAL ARTWORK (Video), blabbermouth.net
  4. Holger Stratmann: Die harte Schule, in: Rock Hard , no. 123, August 1997
  5. PARADISE LOST: Songwriting mit der Schere – Interview mit Greg Mackintosh, vampster.com (in German)
  6. Interview: Greg Mackintosh, Gitarre & Bass, gitarrebass.de (in German)
  7. Review Host – IX, metal-hammer.de (in German)
  8. Everley, Dave (30 April 2020). "The 10 best Sisters Of Mercy songs by Paradise Lost's Gregor Mackintosh". Metal Hammer . Retrieved 13 May 2023.