Metalshock Finland has issued an interview with Olaf Thorsen, Italian guitarist and founding member of the progressive power metal bands VISION DIVINE and LABYRINTH. Metalshock‘s Tarja spoke with Olaf just one day before the release of Vision Divine‘s new album, Destination Set To Nowhere. An excerpt from the interview follows:

Q: I’ve read that you are well-known from your incredible guitar speed-shredding and original sweeping-style... at what age did you start to play and at what point did you know it would be a life-long-relationship? And today, how many hours a week do you rehearse?

A: "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” story 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."

Q: While not playing, touring or rehearsing, what do you do?

A: "I relax at home. I'm quite a lazy guy."

Q: Besides Labyrinth and Vision Divine, do you have other musical projects?

A: "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."

Read the full interview at this location.

Vision Divine will release their new album Destination Set To Nowhere (their seventh studio album) on September 14th via earMUSIC.

Check out the first taste of the album, 'Mermaids From Their Moons', below:

Destination Set To Nowhere tracklisting:

'S'io Fosse Foco'

'The Dream Maker

'Beyond The Sun And Far Away'

'The Ark'

'Mermaids From Their Moons'

'The Lighthouse'

'Message To Home'

'The House Of The Angels'

'The Sin Is You'

'Here We Die'

'Destination Set To Nowhere'