Cameron Olson

Keep up with Cameron here:

www.myspace.com/obstruktorspeedmetal

 

 

Born March 1st 1982 In Spokane WA, Cameron Olson was very inspired by the drumming of Peter Sandoval. The first time he heard Morbid Angel was at age 11. It was a single track taken from “Blessed are the Sick” on a flexi record stolen from a Thorazine magazine at age eleven. He started playing drums at age 12, and his Mother purchased his first kit at age 13. His first band, Balance of Terror, was a hardcore punk band that played basement shows and small venues. His later band; Pathos had recorded a demo, a live album, as well as a full-length album. Pathos was together for over 7 years and was actively touring for 4 years along the west coast, mid-west, as well as some dates in Canada. Other projects include Doom Lit Sky, Nganga, and Obstruktor. Pathos and Nganga have since disbanded. He is currently recording and playing shows with Doom Lit Sky, and Obstruktor, both of which have recently released new recordings.

Cameron is always trying to become more proficient and progress his drumming style. Brutality and execution are two elements important to him in his playing. Aside from drumming, he has a degree in fire science, and has been working for a fire department West of Spokane for over two years. He fights fire by day, and plays metal by night. His future goals are to continue recording with his current bands and do some light touring. While focused on his career as a firefighter, his other passion is to play extreme metal for the rest of his life. He wishes to still be playing blast beats, and double bass at age 80.

Cameron Olson Interview:

SD.com: How old were you when you started playing?

Cameron: I started playing the snare drum in school band when I was 12, but I received my first drum kit at age 13. A used standard 5-piece CB 700.  At that point, it didn’t matter what kind of gear you had. All that mattered was that you had a set of drums to beat on.  I loved that kit.

 

 

SD.com: Did you play in a school band or any drum corps?

Cameron: School band was where I started. I also participated in marching band; I played the quads, primarily. Jazz band was never an interest of mine; I just wanted to play punk rock.  The duration of my school band career lasted only a few years.

 

 

SD.com: Who are your top 5 metal influences?

Cameron: That is a difficult question. There are so many. I suppose I’ll mention my initial influences.  I don’t want to sound generic, but here they are:

Pete Sandoval
Richard Christy
Rob Proctor (Assuck)
Kassidy Kleinman (Umbilical Cord, Rutah)
Dave Lombardo

 

 

 

 

SD.com: Who are some other of your favorites?

Cameron: NickoMcbrain, Derek Roddy, Dave Haley, Billy Cobham, Rufus “speedy” Jones, Buddy Rich, Nefastus, Ed Shaughnessy, George Kollias, Marco Minneman, EmaunelleCalpette, Nik Barker, Dave Culross, Max Kolesne,Mauricio Weimar… Too many to name…

 

 

SD.com: Let us know 5 CD’s that are in your current rotation

Cameron: Most often I have my (120G) ipod on random, but the albums I go back to the most are:

Judas Priest- Painkiller,
Belphegor-Bondage Goat Zombie,
Phobia- 22 random acts of violence,
Bloody Phoenix- War, Hate, Misery,  
Iron Maiden- S/T

 

 

SD.com: What do you do to warm up before a show?

Cameron: If I have a quiet place to practice, I’ll break out my metronome and do several different rudiments- Singles, Paradiddles, double-paraddles, Swiss-army triplets, ect.  But in reality, we have limited room and a shit load of equipment. I just put my pedals on my kicks, my HQ pad over my snare and tap for a half hour- 45 minutes.  I’ll get up to walk around for a few moments to stretch out my legs and get some water, then back to warming up. I try to be as relaxed as possible and use controlled breathing. This ritual is important for me, because onstage I find it hard to control myself, the adrenaline takes over and staying relaxed is difficult.

 

 

 

 

SD.com: Do you read music? Regardless of answering yes or no, please tell us how it might have effected your playing?

Cameron: I do possess some rudimentary music reading skills. Sometimes if one of my guitar players have an off-rhythm, a lengthy-non repeating rhythm, or just a goofy part, I occasionally will write out the rhythm so I can listen along while reading it to make sure it fits.  Reading music is for sure a skill that I want to strengthen; it can be utilized in so many ways. For example- Virgil Donati has a book out, I wish I could just pick that up and start reading it. It requires more than sub-par notation reading skills.

 

 

SD.com: Can you tell us about the gear you use?

Cameron: I play a Pearl Masters Custom (MRX) Tom sizes are- 8, 10, 12, 16. And my kicks are 22’s. I don’t care what a cymbal says on it. It’s my opinion that certain cymbal companies make specific cymbals better than other manufacturers. I use Sabian, UFIP, Paiste, and Zildjian. For pedals, I use Axis long boards. My primary snare is a Yamaha Musashi 6.5X13.  As far as drum heads, I like to try new things, but I always go back to Remo.

 

 

SD.com: If you could give one piece of advice to young drummers, it would be…

Cameron: Practice with a metronome as much as possible. Learn to read music. Don’t be worried about being the fastest or most technical. Learn your rudiments with your hands and feet. Be relaxed when you practice. Get in a routine of stretching before and after you play, and don’t strain your muscles trying to play faster than your capable of. Doing things the right way will take time, there are only a few out there that can just “do what we do” with minimal practicing. Nothing comes natural for me, and I’m guessing that’s the same for most. Practice, practice, practice!

 

 

 

 

SD.com: Who gave the best live performance you’ve ever seen?

Cameron: I have been going to shows for over 16 years and playing shows for over 12 years. I’ve seen a shit ton of metal, punk rock, grind core, thrash, rock shows. I’ve even seen Tom Jones; which was bad ass. But the best show I have ever seen by far was Iron Maiden at the white River Amphitheater last year.

 

 

SD.com: Aside from drumming, what else do you like to do?

Cameron: Other than playing music, I’m a firefighter/EMT and I also work for several doctors that are cardiology specialists. The fire service is my passion. There is no other job in which I get paid to run into burning buildings. I also enjoy exercising, shooting trap, eating good vegetarian food, and watching movies.