Interview with Daniel "Død" Olaisen, Blood Red Throne

- Hello, Daniel! The release of your new album is scheduled for the July 15th, until then, how are the preparations going? What are your main priorities so far?
- Yes, and it's about time this album is coming out. We've been waiting for months! Anyway, we have been doing some live shows in 2016 and will continue with heavy touring to support the new album. Our main focus is BRT for sure!

- That's gonna be your first time cooperation with Candlelight Records. How and why did you try to work with these guys? What do you expect from this partnership? 
- They actually contacted us. It's about time we get on a major label again and I have nothing but high expectations. We have a killer product and will tour heavily. Future looks bright!

- What formats of this album will be available through this label? Have you prepared any surprise or limited edition for your fans? 
- I only know about the standard CD, but I know vinyl is the thing these days, so we will try to do that later on. There's a cover song and also a re-recording of one of the tracks on our debut album and we still try to make a live DVD some day. We'll most likely shoot a music video as well soon.

- I think it's already your 4th label within the Blood Red Throne's career. Changing labels, are you looking for anything specific? Being in the music industry for such a long time, how could you describe this experience?  
- I don't think 4 labels is much after 20 years in the business. Our previous label was a small underground label. BRT deserves bigger and better and that's why we signed with Spinefarm Records. We've had ups and downs as most bands, but we don't complain. We've been lucky to travel and see most parts of the world, meet the fans and have some great shows and parties!

- Alright, back to the album. Tell us about the recording sessions. I know that the material was partially recorded in different studios, so how could you comment on it? And could you explain your choice, for example, of Blot Studios for the vocals, and Krutt Studios for the drums? 
- The last years I've recorded guitars and bass in my own home studio. Whenever I create a new song I record it for real. No demo. And it ends up on the album. So all guitars on UOFAM were recorded a long time ago and before any real drums recorded. We used a local studio to record the drums and finally Bolt did the vocals at his home studio. We never rehearse as a band and we live in different cities, so this is how it works for us. We send all the material to get a decent mix in a different studio.

- How long did it take you to record all the material in total? Did you face any particular difficulties? Eventually, what would be the best benefit from working in different studios?
- It's really hard to say regarding the guitars since I record as I create songs, but I don't spend too long recording when the riffs are done. I believe Freddy also was pretty fast. About 5 days in total. Bolt needed some more days as we had to be a bit picky considering him to sing the lyrics and vocal lines already made for him. Having your own studio makes things easy and liberating. I can record stuff whenever I feel like it!

- You are one of the most productive bands, and at the moment it's going to be your 8th album. Working on that album, did you use any new approaches? What was your initial vision of that material? Did you want to experiment anyhow?
- I guess it's pretty productive to release an album every second year since the beginning. However, UOFAM will break this tradition due to changing label, but also re-recording the vocals. Everything got delayed by at least 10 months. But we're all good. We know we have the best album this time. I never want to experiment. I love classic death metal and that's what we do in BRT!

- So, how could you describe the "Union of Flesh and Machine"? Could you compare it with the previous self-titled one? How different are these album? 
- I always felt that BRT has its own sound. Sure, we don't re-invent death metal or strive to be original or whatever. I grew up with classic death metal in the 90's and this is what I still passionate the most. Why should I change anything? I kinda write similar riffs today as I did 20 years ago, but I arrange stronger songs these days. Bringing Meathook to the band also gives BRT a slightly different sound. But its all quality death metal man. Brutality, groove, speed, punch, its all there!

- By the way, where does this title come from? What topics do you raise in your lyrics? 
- The title is about society's dependency on technology and how it is dominating our lives. It may be our downfall or it may be our key to survival, but that depends on your own opinion on where the human race is headed. Most of the topics in the lyrics are about mankind's stupidity and ignorance, and about how we think we are indestructible. Some are also about personal frustrations on certain issues that plague society, but we'll leave what those are to the listener!

- Let's get back in time for a while and remember the early days of the band. Could you recall the moment when Blood Red Throne was found? What was the original line-up and who came up with that title? Did you consider any other versions too?
- Of course I can. I founded BRT! If there had been a decent drummer around I would have started BRT as early as 1993. I still have some riffs on cassette from that time. But the problem was finding a decent drummer. So I ended up playing in Satyricon, but still wanting to have my own death metal band. My friend Tchort also joined Satyricon a few months after myself and during the years we played in Satyricon we always talked about starting our own band. We wrote riffs all the time and when we heard rumor about a killer drummer moving to town to study, we finally got hold of Freddy Bolsø and BRT was a fact in 1998! We hooked up and started jammin' on coversongs of Death, Deicide, Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse etc before working on our own material. Next up was finding a bass player. Internet was barely inventet, but rumours online had it that there was this young and extremely talented bass player in a city some ours away. Weeks later, Erlend Caspersen was invited to the band and he was in the band between 2000 and 2012. We recorded our very first demo in 1998 or 1999, but this had no vocals. In 2000, we did our first official demo; Deathmix 2000. My friend from Trail of Tears back then, now Viper Solfa, Ronny Thorsen, helped out with the vocals on this demo. In 2001 we went to studio to record our debut, Monument of Death. Actually, we had no singer when entering the studio, and we litterally dragged our friend, Mr.Hustler, into the studio and asked him to sing. He had no experience whatsoever playing in bands or be a frontman. Despite this, it went smooth and Mr.Hustler was in the band for 6 years. This was the classic and original BRT line-up.

- Originally being from Norway, where Black Metal is still dominating, how was it to be a young Death Metal band? Did you see any different attitude during the live shows?
- We never got any attention back then and its pretty much the same now. Of course, there was a good vibe when we played live, but 20 years later many metalheads in Norway still haven't heard about BRT. We always have a good crowd though and at the eat th end it's all about metal anyway!

- What do you remember your first show with Blood Red Throne? Where did it take place? 
- I don't remember too much of it, but it was in our hometown, Kristiansand in 2001 or something, featuring our second drummer, Beist from The Sickening.

- When you released your debut full-length, the limited edition was hand numbered in members' blood. Whose idea was it? And how many copies did you sign?   
- It was Tchort's idea. We wanted to do something special releasing our first album and both him and I and also Mr.Hustler I think went to the doctor's office and  took blood samples which we sent to the printing house and they mixed it with the color used in the booklet. We also included a razor-blade. 1000 copies were made and people still keep asking about this stunt.

- What are your plans to support the upcoming release? Will you be touring? Will the be a European Tour? 
- We will play as much as possible. I know our team is working on different tours for us, so there will definitely be a chance to see BRT live worldwide we hope!

- Thank you for this interview, Daniel. Would you like to add anything in the end? 
- Support Norwegian quality death metal. Two songs from the new album is already online; Revocation of Humankind and Homicidal Ecstasy. Check em' out and see you in the next bar!