On August 28, solo project TORR comes to life with the release of its debut album, The Wolf Within, the personal creation of Cypriot musician and tattoo artist Thor Gabriel.
A powerful melo-death metal release, deeply inspired by north metal and Norse mythology, The Wolf Within arrives as another exciting discovery for anyone always searching for something new to explore from the underground!
I had the chance of getting to know the man behind TORR a little better, what followed was a interesting conversation about the production of the album, music, mythology, artistic expression, AI and much more!
Hello Thor, and thank you for taking the time to speak with us! First of all, how are you?
Firstly let me say thank you for taking the time to listen to my debut album. I’m doing great thanks for asking. I’m currently enjoying a vacation with my wife and german shepherd dog in a beautiful rustic cabin in the Polish countryside.
On August 28, TORR will officially come to life with the release of your debut solo album,
The Wolf Within. The album is the result of many years of hard work, so how far back
does this story goes, and how does it feels to finally be ready to share it with the world?
I started coming up with ideas for TORR around 2018, but progress was slow because I was
travelling for work and was still playing with my main band, Crusifire. Then, in 2020, I moved to
Switzerland, COVID happened and life simply got in the way. The project was forgotten until
about six or seven months ago when I was backing up an old external hard drive and stumbled
across the original demo files. That immediately reignited my passion to finish what I had started.
I’m very happy to finally share The Wolf Within with the world. Bringing this project to life after so
many years has been incredibly rewarding and I hope people enjoy it as much as I enjoyed
creating it.
Before we dive into the album itself, could you tell us more about the story behind
TORR? What does this solo project represent to you, and how does it differ from
anything you may have created or played in previously?
Before TORR, there was my longtime band, Crusifire, where we all collaborated on the
songwriting and played Thrash Metal. I always wanted to write something heavier with more
brutal vocals, but those ideas didn’t really fit the band, so I started setting them aside for a solo
project that was originally only meant to be an EP.
As I mentioned, life took me in another direction. Crusifire eventually disbanded, I moved to
Switzerland and music had to take a back seat. I tried joining different projects here, but with
work and the pace of life, nothing really came together.
When I rediscovered those old demos, I decided to re-record them properly and build on the
ideas. I guess all those years away from music had been building up inside me because once I
started writing again, the ideas just kept flowing. What was supposed to be an EP eventually
became a full album with ten songs and an intro.
To me, TORR represents resilience, perseverance and my own creative journey. It was also a
personal challenge to create everything on my own without outside guidance. It’s a window into
how my mind works creatively.
The Wolf Within is completely different from anything I’ve done before. Not only because it’s
Death Metal or because I’m using 7 string guitars, but because I’ve grown as both a musician and
a person. Nothing felt forced. Unlike writing in a band, where compromises are sometimes
necessary, every song on this album came together naturally.
I had the honor of listening the album before its official release, so first of all, thank you
for giving me that opportunity. One detail that immediately caught my attention was the
use of bouzouki in “Call of the Aegean Wind,” which adds another layer of depth and
character to the song. It is a wonderful addition! Could we describe it as a tribute to your
roots and your connection to Cyprus? Personally, I definitely would not mind hearing
even more of it in the future! (laughs)
Funny you should mention Call of The Aegean Wind as that became one of my favourite
moments on the album.
Originally, that section was meant to feature clean guitars, but no matter what I tried, it never
sounded right. Then one day, one of my regular tattoo clients walked into the studio carrying an
old bouzouki as a gift to hang on the wall alongside my guitars. That was my eureka moment.
I found a Greek bouzouki maker in Zürich, had the instrument restored so it could actually be
played and even tuned it down by a whole note to match the song. The moment I recorded it,
everything finally clicked.
It also fit perfectly with the story, as our Viking protagonist encounters the Greek world during
his travels.
So yes, it’s absolutely a tribute to my Greek Cypriot roots and my attempt to unite my love of
Metal with the heritage that’s always been part of me. Who knows? Maybe future releases will
feature even more bouzouki or Greek musical influences.
Norse mythology plays an important role throughout your music. What first drew you
toward these stories, and how did you use them to express your own ideas, emotions
and personal experiences?
Growing up in Cyprus, Greek mythology was simply part of everyday life. Those stories
fascinated me from an early age and sparked my interest in myths and legends from other
cultures. Norse mythology, in particular, really resonated with me.
Musically, I discovered Scandinavian Melodic Death Metal in the early 2000s through bands like
In Flames, Children of Bodom, Amon Amarth and Ensiferum and they definitely became a major
influence on both this album and my fascination with Norse themes.
You wrote, performed, recorded, produced and mixed the entire album yourself? Could
you take us through your creative process?
Yes, I did everything myself except the mastering, which was handled by a good friend and
mastering engineer in Thessaloniki. We originally met while studying sound engineering together
at IEK.
After re-recording the rhythm guitars in my home studio in Zürich and completing the foundation
for every song, I flew to Cyprus and recorded the drums in my parents’ basement. Back in
Switzerland, I finished the guitars, bass and vocals.
The mixing was by far the most time-consuming part because I don’t have an acoustically
treated room. It became a constant cycle of making adjustments, listening on different speakers,
making more adjustments and repeating that process until I was satisfied.
Once the music was finished, I also drew the artwork on my work tablet between tattoo
appointments. I deliberately chose not to feature a wolf on the cover because, to me, the wolf is
symbolic of our inner spirit rather than something literal. Maybe if I release physical edition one
day, the wolf can appear on the disc or inside the booklet!
In our first conversation, you mentioned that no AI was used in any part of the creative
process behind the music or artwork. What is your personal view on the use of AI in the
music industry and art in general?
That’s correct. I didn’t use AI in any part of the creative process, just as I didn’t ask friends or
family for musical help, even though my wife is a professional musician.
I wanted the album to reflect my own abilities from start to finish. It doesn’t have to be
technically perfect or composed with the brilliance of Mozart. It’s an honest expression of my
emotions through the skills I have today and that’s exactly what I wanted it to be.
I don’t oppose AI in every day applications like proofreading, but I draw the line at artistic
creation. Art is fundamentally a human thing, it stems from the soul, emotion and lived
experience. AI doesn’t create, it simply recombines existing human work into a polished, soulless
output.
Do you have any ambitions or dreams of developing TORR into a live act someday,
perhaps with a full band, or do you see it mainly as a personal journey and a studio-
based project?
I don’t have any real ambitions to perform the TORR material live. It would certainly be fun, but
putting together the right lineup for something so personal would be a logistical nightmare.
I think I’d rather start another band someday where I’d be happy to share creative control with
other musicians, while keeping TORR as my personal creative outlet.
You are also a tattoo artist. Where can people find you and get a cool tattoo if they are
interested?
Yes, I am. I’ve been tattooing since 2008, and since 2014 it’s been my full-time profession.
Tattooing has allowed me to travel as a guest artist for several years before eventually settling
down in Zürich, Switzerland.
If you’re ever in the area, feel free to stop by. You can find my work at www.thorgabrieltattoo.com
or on social media under Thor Gabriel Tattoo.
Thank you very much for your time, Thor! Is there a final message you would like to send
to our readers and to everyone preparing to listen to your music?
I simply created the kind of music I enjoy listening to and I hope you enjoy listening to The
Wolf Within as much as I enjoyed creating it. If I’d like to leave readers with one message, it’s
this: dust off those old unfinished projects and finally bring them to life!
