Hussein: Hail Olavi! Thanks for the interview!

Olavi: You are Welcome.

Hussein: So let's get started. How did Amon Amarth begin and where did the band get the name?

Olavi: To make it short, 5 guys playing in 3 different bands met and built a band together. Named it to Amon Amarth taken from Tolkiens, Lord of the rings.

Hussein: How did you get started as a guitarist?

Olavi: I was really into Kiss when I was young, Ace was my biggest idol and I wanted to be like Ace. I was like 8-9 years old or something, me and some friends had our own Kiss Alike band, you know, wearing make up and rehearsing playback on guitars done in plywood. I think it was then I decided that I wanted to be guitarist in a metal band. It took me a while to get an electrical guitar, first I had to convince my parents that I really wanted to play. I got a cheap accustical, on that I had to prove that I really wanted to learn to play before they bought me an electrical one.

Hussein: What music do you like listening to, what are your favorite bands?

Olavi: It's different from time to time. Lately I've been listening alot to Rammstein, Mutter which is an awesome album. New Udo is also fucking great, sounds alot like old Accept, fuck, Accept are one of my alltimers! New Bolt thrower is fucking awesome as well. hmmm.... Slayer is my number one band, I like almost everything they done, but most of all their live performaces! Killer band. If i have to choose a favorite it's Slayer, besides our band. I'm our biggest fan. Anyway, Samael is awesome, old Wasp as well, Immortal,etc. Heaven Shall Burn is also a awesome band, great mixture between death and hardcore, check it out!

Hussein: What do you think of heavy metal today?

Olavi: Like i said, new Udo is a killer. But ofcourse I don't know everything, far away, I almost know nothing as i don't get that many new cd's. I'm kind of stereo-type, I have my old favorite albums, I listen to them and once in a while I get new cd's. But as far as I know everything is great in the metal scene. It's definity not like the '80, but it's way much bigger now than it was five years ago, atleast here in Sweden.

Hussein: Where are your favorite places to tour and which country has the most insane fans?

Olavi: Canada! I can't wait untill we reach canada again, it was awesome. But you know, there is a lot of great places, shows, great people on tours. It's really hard to specify what have been the best and so on. A lot of placed are really great and almost any are lower that ok. But when i'm thinking back on the tours we did for the crusher album, 2 europe and one u.s. i have to say that touched me most was, Canada, New york, former east Germany, Holland and ofcourse Germany again, Wacken open air, what a response!

Hussein: As a guitarist, who influences your work and who are your favorite guitarists?

Olavi: Hmmm...damned what a tricky question, I haven't really thought about it that much. But when it comes to my lead influenced I guess it's a lot of Accept, Ozzy guitarists like Randy, and Zack. I'm not that into lead stuff, I'm not interested at all and I don't practice anything either. I'm much more into riffs and making songs. I can't really say that they are my favorites, but I've got a lot of influences from Jeff Hanneman/Slayer, Corgan/Smashing, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest duo etc...But ofcourse, in the beginning what would I have been without Ace?

Hussein: What is your favorite song to play live?

Olavi: The Sound Of Eight Hooves. I love to play that song, it's just that sort of roll'your'head song. Last Of Pagan Blood, as well.

Hussein: How would you describe your music?

Olavi: Powerful and captivating.

Hussein: What are your feelings about 'nu-metal' and these deviations of heavy metal?

Olavi: I don't know, I haven't heard it that much, just a few songs now and then on the radio or tv. Somehow I think it's cool that nu-metal got as much attention as it has in the media, still it's not my kind of metal, but hopefully that lead to more extremer bands gets attention as well.

Hussein: Who do you think are the bands that have a great future ahead of them?

Olavi: I really don't know. It's up to the bigger labels to decide what the kids gonna buy.

Hussein: On to the new album. What can we expect from Versus the world? Will it be different from The Avenger or Once Sent... or will it have a completely different feel to it?

Olavi: Basicly it's the same thing we always done, there is more epic tone on a few of these songs. It's same but different, if you know what i mean, whithout copying our past songs. The album is also recorded in a new studio for us, Berno studio. There is a new sound on the album, but still our sound. I believe we managed to make that sound we been looking for since the beginning, our live sound! All that have liked our prevous stuff will not get dissapointed.

Hussein: Where are you going to be touring to promote the album?

Olavi: Don't know yet, we been turning down a few offers. When we get the right tour we hit the road.

Hussein: Olavi, Thanks again man. Good luck on the new album. I'll be at the CD store the day it comes out. Amon Amarth rocks!

Olavi: Thank you Hussein. Skål för fan!