Celebrity Spotify Playlist: The “Weeping Angel Mix” by Paul Allender (White Empress, ex-Cradle of Filth)
Although the band wasn’t called “Cradle of Allender,” there’s no denying that guitarist Paul Allender was as instrumental to Cradle of Filth’s success as anyone else — after all, he appears on every CoF album save for two, and was part of the band longer than any other musician save for Dani Filth.
So, needless to say, when Allender announced his departure from Cradle of Filth earlier this year, fans were more than a little curious to hear what he’d do next… and “what he’d do next” turned out to be White Empress, a new project which also features former Luna Mortis vocalist Mary Zimmer and drummer Zac Morris (Silent Civilian). The band’s heavily anticipated new album, Rise of the Empress, will be released on September 30 on Peaceville (pre-order it here). To mark the occasion, we asked Allender to make us a playlist with any theme of his choice… and the theme he chose was “Weeping Angels,” which certainly about as metal as metal gets (even when, in the case of one song, it’s not actually metal). Listen to the guitarist’s mix below, and check out the quick Q&A that follows to get a little more insight into the mind of Paul Allender and White Empress!
Since of none of these songs are literally about weeping angels: what makes for a “weeping angel song”?
Errr… any song that makes angels weep!!! I thought that one was pretty obvious even for you guys!! Come on, try harder!!!!
Can the “weeping angel” tag be applied to other mediums? For example, are there weeping angel films? Weeping angel literature? Weeping angel paintings? Weeping angel Subway sandwiches?
I don’t know, I just like making the little fuckers cry. My art makes angels weep, my music makes them weep, my whole existence makes them weep… well, actually, “weep” is too nice… “cry in pain” is more like it.
How have these songs — or these types of songs — influenced White Empress?
I don’t listen to music when I write, the influence comes from inside me. I start to compose and arrange and it just comes out.
Although there are several artists on here that tr00 elitists might argue aren’t metal, Oceans of Velvet is the one act in the playlist that is inarguably not metal. What makes them worthy of inclusion on this list which is otherwise filled with heavy hitters?
Honestly I don’t give a shit if there “tr00” or not, you will live a very sheltered life if you worry what people think of you. I started Oceans of Velvet a while ago with a DJ in Minneapolis, so hence why it’s in my playlist. We now have music played on various TV series throughout the States, Canada and Europe.
Along those same lines: do you feel it’s important to incorporate non-metal metal elements into your metal music?
Absolutely, I play music because I like it. I don’t do it for anyone else. If you’re serious you need to expand your playing / composing / arranging to get better. There’s no point in staying with one style just because people think you’re not “tr00.”
What is the ONE thing you hope listeners unfamiliar with the artists on this playlist would take away from these songs?
Hopefully hear bands not heard before, and in this day and age that is very possible. I’ve spoken to some younger kids who didn’t even know who fucking Motorhead was… that made me speechless, which is a first. Also, to know I’m no one trick pony when they listen to White Empress and Oceans — my roots run very deep. There’s a bigger musical world out there way past the metal scene, which is a very, very small part of the bigger picture. You want to get better? Go explore and don’t be so one track minded because your seriously missing out. I play what sounds good to me and it works.
