This has been a long ride to put together and complete, but everybody involved, including The Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, the staff, yeah, everybody, have been extremely positive. We went for a solution that made things quite complicated. All the music, and the orchestral arrangements (by Dagfinn Koch) were written with the orchestra firstly in mind. We even had the idea that they could perform the work without the band, only with Jon Ruder singing. Of course, this was never meant to happen, but that was our working method. Then we went to Kristiansand and recorded all the orchestral music with mobile equipment. No click tracks, no rockbeat, we wanted the authentic orchestral expression. We got that, but that made it very difficult to add the rockelements later. A classical orchestra and a rockgroup grooves in different ways. But we made it and it sounds great. I believe we are pioneers in this technique, as I know of a lot of rock bands that’s been working with orchestras, but that have always been the other way round. There are many examples of great rockbands playing versions of their own/old material together with arragements for an orchestra. But in all the cases I know of, the orchestra follows the band, and sometimes it’s like the band and the orchestra is not in the same room sonically. It does not really blend well. I feel that we avoided that. The Crown Of Creation is a cycle of 15 songs, bound together with various techniques and the whole thing should make for a continuous listen. Thematically it’s a journey from before the beginning of everything in the whole universe and to what’s called escathology, which is the teachings of the final things to come. All the unknown myths or facts after death. Is there a heaven, is there a judgement day, are we born again, are the souls tied to a bigger cluster? I don’t know. Nobody knows. This work has also taken a long time to finish, partly because of the huge amount of deals, logistics, financing… all the things I hate to deal with. Also the recording of the band and finally the mixing process was quite a challenge. The challenge was to make the group and the orchestra sound as a unity. For most parts the musicians of Lucifer Was are the same as the basic members on The Divine Tree, although we have got a new great resource in Deb Girnius on vocals and flute. We have also added a bassplayer, Kjell Tinius Ivanov, for this occasion. There are two classical soloists on the album, both rank among the leading performers on their respective instruments. The great Jan Stigmer on violin and the virtuoso Michala Petri on flutes. Michala has actually recorded two albums with Keith Jarret. It’s a great honour that both Michala and Jan’s fantastic playing are featured on the record.

Lucifer Was has been both described as Black Sabbath with flute and a mix of Uriah Heep, Jethro Tull and Black Sabbath. How would you describe Lucifer Was ?

He, he, I have read and heard comparisons in the printed media and on the internet to so many groups…. Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Atomic Rooster, Mountain, Rush, Kansas, Scorpions, Black Widow, Gravy Train to name some. I can of course identify with them all, as this is the genre we are working in. We are not in the tradition of groups like Rolling Stones, Kinks, The Lovin’ Spoonful, the anorak/indiebands or the MTV-dancing nude bellys. Neither are we hip-hop or R’nB! I really like Jethro Tull and Deep Purple, and we are often compared to them, but Jethro Tull may be the one I feel most distanced from when I read that we sound like them. It is obviously because of the flutes. Sabbath with flutes and early Uriah Heep I can relate to better, but anyway, all of those groups we’re compared to are fantastic so… I find it just fine. Black Sabbath with flutes, nice one. I feel that our records are quite different compared to each other and I never write on inspiration from hearing someone else’s music, apart from what’s in my mind from the past and how my life is at the present time of working. To me Lucifer Was is a heavy retro progressive unit, sometimes metallic and symphonic, with some own trademarks, especially the flutes, and the, often doomy, heavy guitarriffs combined with melodic vocals. I wonder who we will be compared to on our forthcoming CD (in March 2010) together with Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and some of the worlds leading classical soloists.

The Norwegian music scene, literary speaking, exploded in the mid 1990s with the black metal scene. With your band name, I guess people may have got 2+2=666 there and either worshipped you or shunned you in the afterglow of the burning churches. Did you have any touch with this scene or did you just keep to yourself ?

Oh yes, 2+2 is often 666. But not in this particular case. I, or neither of the rest of the band, have ever had anything to do with that scene. You know, according to myth, Lucifer was an archangel before he was thrown out of heaven by God. Lucifer wanted to become Number One in the heavens. That was apparently a big mistake, but Satan he is not.

Your son is now a member of Lucifer Was. I remember the Norwegian band Father & Son who released one album and quickly disappeared a quarter of a century ago. How is it to work with your own son in a band which has been your other baby since 1970 ?

I don’t really remember when or how Andreas joined, but I know it was for some livegigs six or seven years ago. When someone gets into a band it’s often of these two reasons: Knowing someone and be very good. Our main reason for Andreas to be in the band is that he is a very good player. He also has a bachelordegree in music from University of Oslo, with guitar as his main instrument. When we play, he’s a musician in the band and has a job to do. But, of course, him beeing my son is also a factor that makes me proud and feel good. I can vividly remember the great feeling I got, when he debuted in the studio, on the album ”The Divine Tree”, playing the fantastic guitar solo on Determination. I felt proud and moved then.

I guess Lucifer Was is not your main occupation which brings food on the table and pays the bills. What else are you up to ?

In the 80’s and a little into the new milleninium, I co-owned some companies in the fashion and electronic field. Together with all the music stuff it all became too much and it hurt me a lot identitywise. I got lost in the confusion of who I was and what I wanted to focus on. I had to make a choice, or my lifestyle and bad habits forced a change, so now it’s all music. Even though I had to say goodbye to a lot of money-income, still, yes, there is food on the table for the family and the bills are paid.

I guess your plans for this year is pretty much dominated by the new album The Crown Of Creation. But what else is your plan for this year and the future ?

Yeah, The Crown Of Creation. We are also working on what shall be the last chapter in the six CDs series that started with Underground and Beyond, that are linked together, that belongs to each other. The title will be DiesGrows, and it may be out in a couple of years or more in some format. When that is completed we can do whatever we like. Maybe back to basics? Something quick like Underground And Beyond? I want to emphasize that the links between the albums are also like tools and visions that I fool around with. I feel comfortable working by an overall plan and do have a meaning with what we do. The ”conceptual continuity”, to quote Frank Zappa, doesn’t have to mean anything to the public, as each album also is a separate and unique entity. Even though the lyrics are very important to me, it’s the music that’s the main thing and the music is there separately song by song on each album. You don’t need all to enjoy some.

Finally and your time in the torture chamber is almost over; please name your all time favourite five albums.