In Memory of Yngwie Malmsteen Keyboardist Mats Olausson (April 17, 1961 – February 18, 2015)

Mats Olausson - April 17, 1961 - February 18, 2015

Mats played keyboards on a vast number of albums, projects, and bands. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with all of those entities, but I do know his work with legendary guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen. Mats Olausson joined in 1990 for the Eclipse album and remained Yngwie's keyboardist for over a decade.

According to Metal Archives, Olausson’s tenure began with the 1990 singles "Making Love" and "Save Our Love," which paved the way for his full-length debut on the album Eclipse (1990), where he provided both keyboards and backing vocals. His involvement continued through the 1991 compilation The Yngwie Malmsteen Collection and a string of 1992 releases, including the "Dragonfly" and "Teaser" singles and the full-length Fire & Ice. In 1994, he was credited as "Mats 'Thailand' Olausson" on the landmark album The Seventh Sign and appeared on the Live at Budokan video and the "I Can't Wait" single. His mid-90s work included the 1995 full-length Magnum Opus and the 1996 covers album Inspiration (specifically tracks 2 and 6).

The late 90s saw Mats work on the 1997 studio album Facing the Animal and both the live album and video versions of Live!! (1998). He finished the decade with the 1999 studio release Alchemy and entered the new millennium with the Anthology: 1994-1999 compilation and the 2000 full-length War to End All Wars. Even after his primary tenure ended, his performances continued to surface on archival releases, including the 2009 video Live in Korea and the 2010 video Raw Live (specifically tracks 1–5 and 22).

Lastly, if I may, I would like to recommend an additional album (a non-Yngwie release)that Mats played keyboards on: Burn the Sun by the project Ark. This 2001 album, released on InsideOut Music, features a lineup consisting of legendary singer Jørn Lande, guitarist Tore Østby (of Conception), drummer extraordinaire John Macaluso, bassist Randy Coven (R.I.P. 2014), and keyboardist Mats Olausson (R.I.P. 2015). The album is a melodic progressive masterpiece that takes time to fully digest, but the quality of the musicianship is undeniable.

Ark - Torn

Mats Olausson - Keyboard solo live at Budokan

Yngwie Malmsteen - Eclipse