Abbath
Lead Guitar for Abbath (International Touring & Recording)
Since 2016, I have served as the permanent lead guitarist for the iconic Norwegian extreme metal force Abbath—fronted by the legendary former Immortal frontman Abbath Doom Occulta. My role in the band spans far beyond executing raging live leads; it has allowed me a unique creative workspace to co-write, arrange, and inject classical, acoustic, and unexpected global string textures into the heavy, black-metal framework.
To date, I have contributed extensively to three critically acclaimed studio albums released globally via Season of Mist: Abbath (2016) Outstrider (2019) and Dread Reaver (2022). Together as a cohesive unit, we have toured extensively across Europe, North America, South America, and Australia, delivering the premier signature sound of Norwegian Black Metal to massive festival and arena audiences worldwide.
From commanding the main stages at legendary European festivals like Wacken Open Air, Hellfest, and Alcatraz, to executing packed theater tours across the United States and Latin America, the project showcases the extreme, high-energy pillar of my guitar playing.
📰 The Press: International Metal Reviews
My guitar arrangements and solos across the studio albums have been highly highlighted by the global heavy-metal press:
"New guitarist Ole André Farstad adds tremendous texture and flamboyance in his solos... guitar work that evokes more fist pumps than windmills."
— Kevin Stewart-Panko, Decibel Magazine (USA)(Reviewing Outstrider)
"Ole André Farstad delivers a great performance with soaring solos and wailing guitar leads... These axe flourishes, along with his acoustic/classical touches, are a testament to the songwriting strengths and the cohesion of the band."
— The Metal Archives(Reviewing Dread Reaver)
🎬 Media & Video Playthroughs
🎸 "Dream Cull" — Acoustic / Flamenco Intros (Dread Reaver)
The video below features a play-through of the intro to "Dream Cull" from our third album, Dread Reaver. I composed this acoustic passage as a deliberate homage to my teenage guitar heroes Randy Rhoads and Eddie Van Halen. Technically, the main arrangement utilizes a traditional flamenco tremolo technique with a five-notes-per-beat pattern, proving how global felt-study methods can seamlessly cross over into extreme metal.
🌊 "Harvest Pyre" — Official Music Video (Outstrider)
Watch the official video for "Harvest Pyre" from the Outstrider album. The video captures my tracking lead solo performed on location over the wild, wind-swept ocean cliffs of Sotra, Norway.
🤘 Live at Hellfest (Summer 2022)
Experience the raw power of the lineup live on stage. Below is a multi-camera live archive capturing our full set and sonic energy under the open skies at France's premier extreme festival, Hellfest.
That’s what I’m talking Abbath! 🤘
