Marius Danielsen from Norway is best known for his trilogy “The Legend of Valley Doom”, which includes many great guest musicians such as Michael Kiske (Helloween), Melissa Bonny (Ad Infinitum) and Tommy Johansson (Sabaton). He also acts in his own band “Darkest Sins” as well as his brother Peter Danielsen’s band “Eunomia”. He has also had countless guest appearances and offers his qualities as a musician to anyone who needs them.
Hi Marius! First of all thank you for doing this interview with me. How are you doing in these strange times we live right now?
Marius: At the moment I am home with my 10 months old baby. Will enjoy lazy days until June, so that is very good. I am also spending my time mixing albums for people and writing new music in between her naps. Life is good 😊
Lets start with a question that is always interesting for the readers. Who are your musical idols and which artists inspire you at the moment?
Marius: My main inspiration is Iron Maiden. It was that band that made me want to buy a guitar and start writing music. I saw them live in 2003, and when the backdrop for The Clansman appeared, I was sold. I love the movie Braveheart, and to see their mascot Eddie as William Wallace and they told his story through Metal music, that´s when I knew what I wanted to do in life.
A large part of the Danielsen family seems to be very musical – like your brother, for example. How far does the musical background in your family go?
Marius: My wife is also very talented and is about to release her first solo album called “Anniken – Climb Out of Hell” in May. One single is released so far. I play guitar and bass on it. In the 80s my father used to play drums in punk bands, and my mother has always loved to sing. So, I guess it was my destiny to do music!
Let’s talk a little bit about “The Legend of Valley Doom.” There are already three albums with great guest musicians, impressive choruses and interesting stories around the fantasy world. How did you come up with the idea, what was your inspiration for the world of Valley Doom and its stories?
Marius: I mentioned Iron Maiden and Braveheart earlier. Also the Lord of the Rings movies came out when I was young, so they shaped me. And I wanted to tell my own fantasy story. I also discovered the band Rhapsody a couple of years after I saw Iron Maiden the first time. And they took it a few steps further with storytelling and epic music to go with it. In the end all good stories inspire me. Game of Thrones, Star Wars, TMNT, LOTR, Conan.
How big was the effort to create these albums and how were they received from your point of view? Is there a big fanbase around “Valley Doom”?
Marius: It is an insane task to take upon doing something like this. It is very time consuming and also very expensive. But, when you have a dream, don´t let anything stop you! I think the response from people around the world has been very good. And the fanbase has grown for each album I have done. I welcome them all and really love to hear from them. Yesterday I got a message from someone who said one of my songs changed their life. That is pretty awesome!
Any new info for your fans? What are you planning next and does the story about Valley Doom continue? Are you planning to play shows in Europe in the near future?
I am currently working on a soloalbum that is not in the Valley Doom universe, but leaving Valley Doom forever would not be possible for me. I started this journey and wrote my first Legend of Valley Doom song when I was 17 years old, and it has been part of my life over half my life now. We are planning to do some shows in Norway in September/October. I would love to play all of Europe, but I need a booking agency to help me book shows outside of Norway. Doing everything on my own is very hard. So, booking agents, contact me!
Where do you see your greatest talents when it comes to music? What do you enjoy the most?
Marius: I love shaping stories into songs and see how they develop over time. I have also grown a huge love for mixing music. I hope to get a bigger house soon and build a proper studio with room to record drums as well.
On your website you offer guest sessions together with your wife and brother. This includes pretty much everything that a good album needs. How is that received by other musicians? Will you soon be heard on new records by other bands?
Marius: It is great fun to do guest sessions for bands. I have done quite a lot of it and also mixed and mastered albums for people. I recently did some guest vocals for the new metal opera Woods of Wonders, and a bunch of other stuff as well.
Here you have the opportunity to say something else to your fans and those who want to become your fans.
Marius: If you like epic Power Metal, soaring high vocals, facemelting solos, thundering bass and majestic drums, look no further. Legend of Valley Doom has it all 😉 And if you need all of that on your own album, also look no further. I am here to help, hehe!
Thank you for your time Marius. I hope we hear from you again soon!
