Interview With OLAF THORSEN: “This is our best album to date … Now we’re like a runner at the Olympic games, the last seconds before he hears the “bang” – ready to go.”

OLAF THORSEN is an Italian guitarist and founding member of the progressive power metal bands VISION DIVINE and LABYRINTH. Metalshock Finland‘s Tarja had a chance to interview this incredible guitar speed-shredder, just one day before the release of VISION DIVINE‘s new album “Destination set to nowhere”. We were talking about Olaf’s musical background and of course about the new album. Please join our conversation…

1. Hi Olaf, thanks for this chance to interview you! how are you doing today?

Hi Tarja, I’m really busy as usual in these days, but really fine, thanks!

2. A curious question. Your name’s Carlo Andrea, but everybody knows you by your stage name, Olaf Thorsen. Why this choice?

Loooong story, I’d prefer not to stay here telling you the whole thing, as it would take 1 hour. Let´s simplify, explaining you that in Italy it´s complicated, for the SIAE, to use your stage name when you deposit the copyrights, and as I´m a lazy guy allergic to the italian bureaucracy, I never cared too much about signing my songs with my real name.

3. I know the 2012 has been a busy year for you. Tell me the most important event/s of it, so far?

Mmm let me think: maybe the release of our new Vision Divine album “Destination set to nowhere” ? ahah!

4. Your musical career is long and very convincing (of which I congratulate you!), you’ve played all over the world and with many great musicians. Which has been the most unforgettable act/s, so far?

Thanks a lot! Unfortunately, I will answer your question completely only once I´ll have the chance of sharing the stage with my all time fave band, which is Fates Warning. It may sound strange, but I’ve played with almost every known band but Them! So far, I think Iron Maiden have been an incredible act, and most of all they shown to be really down to earth people, which made me appreciate them even more.

5. And which is the funniest/craziest memory from one of your shows in the past?

A show in Paraguay at 3 am (not our fault: it seems they are used to “being a bit late” ) during a rainstorm. It was an open air, and surprisingly when we went on stage everybody was still there screaming and waiting for us…ahah!

6. You often work with the famous Eurobeat producer Dave Rodgers. Can you tell us about this collaboration? How you two got to know each other?

We met during the recordings of some songs for the first Vision Divine album in 1998, and since then he asked me to record some guitar parts for his songs. Later, i worked in studio for him for a couple of years. It´s been a great and funny experience. Even if he plays a complete different kind of music, he´s one of the biggest singers/producers for that genre and he has sold over 30 million copies in his career. I guess there is always something to learn , when you get in touch with these “monsters”.

7. Obviously your collaboration with Timo Tolkki is well-known. Can you tell us about it?

Ah, there is not much to say.
He worked with us for some album (From “the perfect machine”, where he only produced drums, to “the 25th hour”). Timo is a strange guys who changes his mind (and his behaviour) too many times, and this is not helping, you know… With this new album we decided to move on, and I decided to produce the album myself, as i thought it was the right moment to do it.

8. You were in Labyrinth’s original lineup from 1991 to 2002, then you left the band focusing your time just on Vision Divine, but your ways got back together with Labyrinth in 2009. Can you reveal something about this temporary divortion? And why you decided for the riunion in 2009?

It was all clear since when I decided to leave the band. Back then we released a statement which was 100% true and complete: we just had musical differences and they wanted to explore new sounds, while I had a different opinion about the music we should have been writing. There´s never been anger and even if of course we couldn´t stay in touch as often as we were doing before, we still stayed friends.
in 2009 Roberto came up with this idea, first as a joke, then it became serious and we all thought “why not”. After all, the album we wrote and released was something “due” to the many fans we have around the world, who spent the last decade wondering how it would have been if we would have never splitted.

Labyrinth

9. What are the latest news in the Labyrinth-camp?

We´re completing the promo for our new album. It´s taking time, I know, but we never felt the need to hurry, if to rush means not to do the best songs you can. Once we will feel satisfied with the result, then it will be ready 😉

10. Lets talk now about Vision Divine (formed 1998), which originally was your solo project. The latest album, as well as a debut album via Edel Germany / Ear Music “Destination set to nowhere” will be released on 14th September. What are your feelings, just one day before the release?

Excited of course. Edel is a major label and having being chosen is already a great reason to be excited. Also, we feel that we realized our best album to date, and the results in terms of reviews and feedbacks are confirming it. So now we´re like a runner at the Olympic games, the last seconds before he hears the “bang”, ready to go.

Vision Divine

11. What are the main differences, comparing to your earlier full-lenght “9 Degrees West of the Moon” (2009)?

The sound and the production, mainly. This album is unfortunately way far superior to the previous one and it´s a pity, as i truely believe that was another very good album (it still is). That´s why this time i took the decision to produce it myself, in order to be free to take all the decisions needed in order to make it sound properly. Regarding the songs and the music, “9Dwotm” was definitely a darker album, starting from its lyrics…as i always said, that is an album i mostly wrote for myself.

12. After the release, what will happen? a tour i guess…

Yes, we are working hard on that and hopefully more news will come soon!

13. From all the songs you’ve written, can you pick up YOUR top 10?

Ahhhh impossible! I can give you a list of some of my favourite songs (in no particular order)

Of light and Darkness
Send me an Angel
The fallen feather
The pefect Machine
Here in 6048
The 25th hour
The daemon you hide
The Essence of time
The streets of Laudomia
9 Degrees West of the moon

I won´t mention any from the new album as it´s too early right now 😉

14. By the way, which are your favourite bands you listen to?

Fates Warning all the time, then Malmsteen and Judas Priest

15. I’ve read that you are well-known from your incredible guitar speed-shredding and original sweeping-style… at what age you started to play and at what point you knew it’s gonna be a life-long-relationship? and today, how many hours a week you rehearse?

Ahaha no wait! I didn´t write that!
That´s something which has been written by a magazine writer back in time ( I don´t even remember when) for the biography which you can find online. It´s nice when you read compliments (much better than offences, i guess), but I´m kinda shy and I don´t like to show off that much, be it in public or in my private life. Regarding your question, i started quite late if we talk about electric guitar (I was 19) , but that´s another “tricky” news which has been going around, as the fact is that before that i was studying classical guitar and when i moved to the electric, i already had all the theory and the needed basis, so I “only” had to apply and learn the techniques needed for that new instrument.

16. While not playing, touring or rehearsing, what do you do?

I relax at home. I´m quite a lazy guy eheh.

17. Besides Labyrinth and Vision Divine, do you have other musical projects?

No, I would like one day to release my first solo album, but i’ve always postponed it (even if it’s almost ready) in order to focus completely on my bands. My ego doesn´t need more space, i guess I´m fine enough.
Maybe this year I´ll start working to something different, for a different project (not a band, not a side project), but it´s just too early to talk about it.

18. In you weren’t a musician, what would you do in your life? Any hobbies, passions?

Who can say that! I´m into music since so many years now that trying to guess anything would be pure science fiction, ahah!

19. Before the last question, Olaf, i wanna thank you for your time, and hope to see you soon on stage… and now, what would you like to say to all of your fans, and those who read this interview?

Thanks a lot for your nice interview.
I hope people will give this new album a chance, as I am not lying when I say this is by far the best and most complete album we’ve ever wrote. If you maybe heard of the band in the past, but you never listenened to anything from us, this is the right album to choose now if you wanna give us a try.
Ciao!

Interview by Tarja Virmakari

Vision Divine “Mermaids From Their Moons” from “Destination Set To Nowhere”