Adrian Erlandsson

Adrian Erlandsson

Adrian Erlandsson first appeared on drummers radar screens during his time with Cradle of Filth. He is currently in the drumseat for Paradise Lost and presently on a concert tour of Europe promoting their current album “Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us”. He has a long history in the metal arena with bands such as At The Gates, The Haunted, Samsas Traum and Nemhain, a band with his wife Amber. His blast beats has been the inspiration for many upcoming metal drummers.

From humble beginnings to notoriety, his strong constitution and determination is the driving force that pushes him to discover new avenues in his playing.

I recently took some time out with Adrian and we met up in London’s Soho so I could find out a little more about his background and life beyond Cradle of Filth.

Let’s start by you giving us an insight into how different it is with being in Paradise Lost as opposed to Cradle of Filth?

It’s quite a different set-up on a personality level. Without throwing any stones at Cradle, it was a situation in turmoil and when you have something like that is always results in someone leaving and in this case it was me. My time was really done in that band, creatively, and it was time for me to move on. Personally, it had come to an end and I didn’t have any more ideas for the music and it really got to the stage where I essentially didn’t enjoy it any more and it had started to stifle me moving forward, both musically and as a drummer. With any other job, like working in a shoe shop for example, you can grin and bear it until the next job comes along but when you do something creative like playing drums in a band, you’ve got to be there 100% at all times or the cracks will start to show.

So I left Cradle with nothing else planned. My wife Amber and I started Nemhain which basically was in its infancy and in fact, come to think of it, we hadn’t even had a proper rehearsal when I left Cradle but even so, it was the right time for me to part company.

I dedicated time to that project and fortunately recording sessions started to come in and I started performing with smaller bands. A lot of the recording sessions I did on V drums. For example, this German band called Samsas Traum they recorded their tracks and found out their drummer couldn’t play the parts. All the instruments were recorded with a click and they then sent me the tracks and I recorded all the parts and on V drums and overdubbed the cymbals afterwards. That type of thing has been pretty consistent and I’ve done about 10 albums like that – so to say the least my studio work suddenly shot up.

I joined Mexican Cult band Brujeria, during late 2006, its a very intense gig with the drumming ranging from full on Cradle style blasts to more groovy Latin inspired beats at times. Complete chaos. I also toured last year with Deathstars and in the main have been pretty busy.

By pure coincidence, we had similar acquaintances with Paradise Lost and we found out that they were looking for a drummer. So I contacted their guitar player and he said “yes, the spot’s free so come up and do the audition”.

I learnt the entire set list even although they’d asked me to learn just 5 songs. For me, I wanted to do the best job possible. I have to say that I still pinch myself because even now I see myself as a fan of the band rather than a drummer, if that makes any sense. I used to listen their stuff all the time and the fact that I’m now playing these songs on stage that I grew up with, it’s pretty amazing I must say.

I’ve been with them now since the beginning of this year. At that time, they were just about a week away from doing the album from the time of my audition. They wanted me to play on the album but they had already prepaid a studio session drummer from Sweden to do it so they were pretty much committed. Right now I’m on a pretty hectic touring schedule of Europe with them and it’s really great, this will take me right up to Christmas.

You were with the band ‘At The Gates’ and I believe that the band reunited, tell me more about that?

Well, we were all teenagers in Sweden during the time of ‘At The Gates’ and to be honest, no one really cared much about that kind of music – in fact, we were playing to empty rooms when we first started out, come to think of it. We played in squat houses and it was only towards the last year, when the band released the last album in 1995, that we started to do proper tours and even then it was outlined with no food and no sleep – they were truly miserable times although they were good times. We were hanging out with each other and really the best of friends and that was put to the test during these touring circumstances. No one in the band was prepared or knew what it would be like touring for 8 months living on scraps of food with no money to pay the bills when you got home. When we split it up it was a real shock to everyone and the band.

I quickly went to form a band called ‘The Haunted’ with some of the guys from the band. Then I moved to England to be with Cradle of Filth and I used to jokingly say to the guys from ‘The Haunted’ when they came across “how about we do some ‘At The Gates’ shows?”. It was quite interesting ‘cause after the band split up the records started selling and people were becoming interested in the band. When I left Cradle I had the time to concentrate on reviving it.

In short, we were initially going to do about 10 shows but we put the feelers out to booking agents and the interest was huge. So we booked all these shows and had no idea what it was going to sound like and because of our schedules, we had like a week before we were due in Japan for the first show and we hadn’t rehearsed yet. So we booked a rehearsal studio in Sweden and it was as though time stood still. I’d obviously practiced the songs and prepared myself but I have to tell you it was a magical experience right down to the crucial key changes and stuff - 12 years after we’d split up and everybody was on it.

From my stand point all the years experienced that I gained made it a more relaxed vibe and less tense. We didn’t do it because we had anything to prove, we were doing it for the pure fun of playing these songs ‘live’ again. Of course by this time everyone knew about the songs and to play along watching the audience join in was really so uplifting.

Although all of us had decided that we were just going to do these shows and that would be it, it was pretty emotional especially when we counted in the last song on the last night – it really was so much fun. More importantly, what made it fun was that there was no pressure like meeting deadlines, finalising T-Shirt designs etc but just to go out and enjoy playing the songs ‘live’.

Let’s talk a little about your drum clinics. How did it begin and what’s your message?

It started when I was asked to be part of an event and it was ‘Best Of British’ for Mike Dolbear in 2003. I remember speaking to you for advice because I really had no I idea - I hadn’t been to a drum clinic at that point. I remember that I was absolutely crapping my pants. I went up and played and when I tried to speak to the audience, my tongue just wouldn’t engage.

Now, I’ve played to hundreds and thousands of people as a drummer without getting any nerves but when you go up and it’s just you, the drumkit, an audience and a mic and you’re expected to talk and make sense, you become the centre of attention and that becomes a whole different thing.

When I did the ‘Best of British’, I was pretty pleased with my performance but the talking I didn’t do so well but it was all the start of a new learning experience.

Then I was asked to do some more and I learnt very quickly that communicating with the audience was more the focal point of getting a connection. I did a tour of my own of retail stores and venues and played about 6 numbers and the rest was just speaking and interacting with the crowd and I really learnt a lot from that.

I’m not like a Thomas Lang who can play an incredible solo and really can keep an audience entertained just with his performance.

What was important for me was to communicate the importance about being in a band and highlighting the importance of being a band member rather than a drummer in a band being told what parts to play.

I talk about my experiences both good and bad, what keeps my enjoyment of drums and the importance of being able to interact in a group – it’s so important for me to pass this on the audience especially to upcoming new drummers to give them an insight to the realities of being in a band other than just playing drums.

Even if you are good a player or as technically proficient you may be, if you don’t have good social interaction with the band then it’s not going to work – that is just one of the hidden facets of uniting a band and in most cases keep a band together.

What turned you on to playing drums?

Funnily enough when I was growing up we hardly had any music at all, I don’t think we even had a radio until I was about 10 years old. I remember when I first bought a Walkman and my dad bought me a Boney M tape and that was really exciting for me but I didn’t really have any concept of what was going on.

And then my family moved to a house and I remember I had a friend who lived across the road who had a guitar and it was an electric - that was really exciting!

His brother was listening to heavy rock and one day he took us into his room and said check this out. He played this ‘Back In Black’ by AC/DC and I had never ever heard anything like it. I then went home and said to my dad we need to get a record deck and get some music in the house. He was really supportive and within a few days he got a record player and that was the first album I bought was AC/DC’s ‘Back In Black’. I just kept on listening to it until it nearly melted (laughs). I just got so excited about the whole thing and even that young I knew I wanted to be involved with music but didn’t know how.

At that point I could have become an avid record collector but then I bought my second album which was Judas Priest’s ‘Screaming For Vengeance’ and one of tracks starts off with this massive drum break and I then realised that was what I was going to do.

That friend from across the road who had the guitar also wanted to form a band but he didn’t have a drummer. He too wanted to play drums but his mum wouldn’t let him. I started pestering my dad about wanting a drum kit so we could form a band. He said you have to learn the proper way first and bought me a snare drum and a splash cymbal. I really couldn’t see the connection. He sent me to snare drum classes to learn traditional grip. Again, I couldn’t see the connection between my snare drum lessons and what was being played on the albums but I carried on with the lessons and carried on listening to those rock albums. I eventually got a drum kit and stopped the snare drum lessons altogether.

Now I can really see what the teacher was trying to teach me. Back then it was just too much information for me to take in one hit.

My friend and I then started playing and because I’ve never seen anyone close up with a drum kit, it took quite a while. It took up to 6 months to learn just part of a song and that’s with putting our heads to it everyday.

I can’t say that I’m a natural but I’m probably the most stubborn person I know and when I decide I’m going to do something I never give up.

After a year we started playing covers by Thin Lizzy probably really badly (laughs) but I really knew that this was going to be something I would be doing for a very long time.

I never set out or planned playing drums for a living, right up to the point when I came to England to join Cradle of Filth - up to that point it was something that I just did it with a strong passion.

Your brother Daniel Erlandsson is the drummer for Arch Enemy, what relationship do you have with him as a drummer and is there a chance that we could see both you and your brother perform together at a drum event?

I follow what Daniel does quite closely. Whenever I get a new Arch Enemy CD it’s interesting for me to see how he’s pushing himself and he does this pretty consistently. He’s very humble about it and I know a lot of players who are blown away and technique wise he wears some pretty big boots. He could have a way bigger ego to go with that but he is the most humble person I know.

He’s also hungry and he pushes his own boundaries both on a level of music and technique. He’s inspiring to me and to listen to what he does and when I can watch him play, it’s inspiring I have to say.

As for performing at a drum clinic with Daniel, I can say yes that seed has definitely been planted and we’ve already started bouncing musical ideas between us. We have talked about it but with the challenge of time constraints and schedules does get in the way, it’s taking longer for this to materialise.

Finally, how would you advise someone who may be going to their audition, studio recording session or a live gig for the first time?

Everybody has commitments and circumstances and they’re all different outside of drumming. One thing I would say is that you must have a good time doing it and check the social environment that surrounds you is something you really enjoy.

In the band Nemhain, we’re doing everything ourselves right up to driving to the shows, carrying all the gear and setting up and the tearing down afterwards. Going back a few years ago with Cradle of Filth I would never set my kit up and I missed it towards the end. I’ve rediscovered a new relationship with my kit and it all goes towards having a good time on stage – it really shows and adds to our performance and I’m loving every minute of it.

I can definitely tell you that once you lose that feeling of having a good time; it will show in your playing no matter how much you practice. It’s going to be hard work as you progress but the hard work will not seem like hard work when you’re having a good time – it only becomes a chore when you take the fun out of it.

One other small thing, I’ve also had to now reassess my posture because I’ve recently been going through some serious back pains. Having a good relationship with my instrument now allows me to alter my set-up to make it more comfortable without compromising my technique. As a result, I would advise to be responsive to what your body is telling you. If you have pain developing then you’re either doing something too much or you’re doing it the wrong way – so listen to your body.

Equipment:

Drums: Pearl
Cymbals: Sabian
Sticks: Vic Firth
Heads: Evans

For more information:

www.myspace.com/adrianerlandsson

www.paradiselost.co.uk

www.nemhain.com

www.netherbird.com