Dajana: While the press seems to be thrilled for your brand new album Hate Crew Deathroll a lot of people state now that your last output was disappointing and mediocre – although the same mates rated Follow The Reaper mostly very high at that time. Isn‘t it a bit hypocritical now?
Alexi: I don’t know. Sometimes for me it feels like that, you know, I mean for our fans in general it is really hard because when quite a few people are like that, especially for fans like die hard fans. When a new album comes out they mean to sort of disrespect the new album for no matter what. I’m really satisfied with the new album. But I’m not completely satisfied with Follow The Reaper. I mean that’s the truth. I don’t matter that. It’s still, you know, like they always have to say something better about it anyway. It’s always like the fact for example when our first album – that was Something Wild came out and it was ok and then came out Hatebreeder. When that came out everybody said that Something Wild was better. You know and when Follow The Reaper came out it was like Hatebreeder is now my favorite one and suddenly it was much better than Something Wild. So I guess – that’s what I mean – I guess that previous albums are always better than the new one.

Dajana: To interpret what is to read around, most of the writers take Follow The Reaper as kind of creative developmental phase, kind of breather, kind of transition from Hatebreeder to HCDR. It was like that?
Alexi: We don’t think about things like that. We just go out there and just do it. And then, when the new one came off it was kind of naturally, without thinking about anything or thinking about how I wished the sound right now or how I wished what or what not to do like considering the Black Metal crowd or the Power Metal crowd or whatever you like.
Dajana: Hm...Power Metal… we have to talk about that matter later…

Dajana: What do you think about the fact that people and fans discuss the tracking list of the new album? Some of them say that are the worst titles ever, other ones state it’s pretty ironic, even sarcastic. Did you expect something like that?
Alexander: They are really sarcastic, that’s for sure. The titles are ironic, they are really. Every one of them has a good feel. It’s when stupid people take everything so fucking serious. I mean, if you take some of the titles like Bodom Beach Terror. It’s simple, you can’t take it like… just imagine the word „beach“... ok, then you know there has to be some black humans or someone like that and the shit like fucking Triple Corpse Hammerblow you know… he has to be really fucking stiff.
...She might be a bitch taking it serious right now. [everybody laughs]…I do? I should – Calserious Yeah, I just don’t get it you know…
Dajana: I mean did you expect that people talk about the tracklist instead of the album?
Alexander: It’s weird, but also amazing, because the track list of the new album is really good.
Dajana: is dead funny...
Alexander: Well, yeah it’s true. It was supposed to be funny.
Alexi: But if people take it too serious, you know I mean it’s whose problem. When you take some titles like the already mentioned Triple Corpse Hammerblow instead of some titles called like Misanthropic Euphoric whatever or Dragon Black Of Destiny And God… or whatever you want [laughter]… I mean the point is we don’t pay attention to that shit. Not that we’ll be a joke band but you know… it’s like with the black human, we can’t still take things serious.

Dajana: First track Needled 24/7 is an absolutely killer track and reminds me a lot to Something Wild or Hatebreeder. Was it intentional to go back to the roots again – at least a bit or just natural development.
Alexi: It is fine. The first time I actually hear that. It’s kind of new to me. Ok, I mean 24/7 Needled sounds like Children Of Bodom a lot. It really sounds like us. But then again we used a lot of new stuff we never have done before. A lot of people said being like concerned about like all the Industrial sounds and keyboard sounds and shit like that or the vocals. Today it is like… I mean there is new stunning stuff. And like I told you, it really came out naturally. So we never thought about it like let it sound like Hatebreeder or Something Wild.

Dajana: Next two tracks Sixpounder and Chokehold have a lot of American Metalcore influences like Pantera, Biohazard or Machine Head and stuff like that, maybe a little bit of Nu Metal.
Alexander: We love Pantera but we hate this Nu Metal comparisons. I think there is nothing wrong with a modern sound. That’s not the case but if you mean Nu Metal shit like Limp Bizkit or something like that, then there is definitely no influence and you are barking up the wrong tree. Barking the woods… *huh*? I mean I agree with you it is heavier and it’s got a modern sound.

Dajana: It was just to notice that the first track sounded sort of back to the roots and second and third one suddenly turned to Metalcore, to a different style while the rest of the album sounds typical like Children Of Bodom. Ok, you still use a lot of keyboards but not these neoclassical elements anymore. Will you try something new in the future? I mean, surely massive keyboards but something special maybe?
Alexi: I mean it’s true we don’t use this neoclassical thing anymore. And I don’t know how we some sort of stuff do, but that again was just another decision me made. It was sort of lapsed out, y’know. We have done that on the first albums and now we just put it behind us.
Alexander: In this way it’s kind of a natural development, not a decision. That’s all.
Alexi: But then of course, for me, when I listen to it, by the time when we did Something Wild for example, there was always a lot of classical influences. But it’s a long time ago that we really have thought about it. Now it is like nothing. Maybe back then this kind of doing classical shit was something special and something different. But it is not special anymore. A lot of bands do it now.
Dajana: Well, at least at that time this classic stuff gave your music a wider atmosphere…
Alexi: Maybe yeah. But like I told you we got more public, more common, even trendier at one point. There wasn’t a special reason why we stopped doing so.

Dajana: Talking about Power Metal. I know you don’t like to hear that your music sounds a bit like Power Metal. But in my opinion the massive keyboard lines give you a drive to this direction. Especially when you compare your music with other Finnish bands. Not that I would claim you sound like Nightwish or something like that. But I think there is a dash of Power Metal in your music though.
Alexi: Of course, we never raped them off of Nightwish. Ok, I understand what you’re saying. I think the point is…um… um… what was I’m saying?
Alexander: about Power Metal …
Alexi: ah… um… ok. I don’t care if somebody says there are influences like from this Heavy Metal thing. I mean when people say we sound like a band with this high-pitched voices like Stratovarious – Alexander tries to reach this level with his voice *lol* – Cal… then it would have been a karaoke version of any of our songs or a karaoke version of a Stratovarius song. I mean there is a big difference, seriously. That is not really our music or our music is like Power Metal with Black Metal vocals. That’s what I really hate. Somebody told me that I’m like that… oh please!
Dajana: Ok, nowadays you can call a lot of bands as Power Metal. You can call the music of Nevermore as Power Metal or Armored Saint or Nightwish. There are miles between. So I think there is a slightly touch of Power Metal in your music and I definitely don’t mean that in a bad way.

Dajana: This time the cover artwork of your album is pretty aggressive. Your lovely Grim Reaper is slaying whatever this time. Also the lyrics are very angry. Is that kind of a defiant reaction to Follow The Reaper like: hey, here we are (again) and we managed it!?
Alexander: Now you reached the limit!
Alexi: I mean the music and the lyrics got influenced by the feelings we got thru by this time. I mean you can surely hear on Hate Crew Deathroll that some fucking people really pissed me off. That’s the whole theme on the album. I’m being pissed off and being disappointed at people. I’m also sort of playing out that fact that I’m not any better than anybody else, that’s the fucking way I always were been.
Alexander: Anyway, when he was writing that stuff and when he brought kind of rough versions to the rehearsal room I was like that are really, really angry songs.
Dajana: Yeah, it seems some people should be really better off dead…
Alexi: Yeah, that’s true!

Dajana: Hate Crew Deathroll is really an aggressive album, is an angry album and is an entertaining album with a great ass kicking production. But it is not really originally. There is not really something new. Thinking about the future… have you planned anything to change in this way? Style, direction, new elements?
Alexi: The fact is, y’know, we never thought about going back to the roots, seriously. And if we are talking about drastic changes in music style or something like that, that will never happen with this band. It would going to be sick no matter if it happens or not happens. We would not going to be continue under the name Children Of Bodom. If something like that would happen to Children Of Bodom, we would going to break up and do something else. But that’s not the problem, because it will never happen. So, if you feel there is nothing new… I’m not saying that there is anything new but if it’s sound good… that’s the whole point.
Alexander: But you still have to remember it’s changing all the time though!… in a way. You have to admit that!
Dajana: Yes, of course…*lol*

Dajana: I have read anywhere in an interview that you never have heard anything bad about illegal downloads of your music. But I can’t imagine that you don’t know all these file sharing programs and what’s going on in this matter…
Alexi: It’s true I don’t know anything about internet but I never have said that it doesn’t bother us anyway! That’s for sure!
Dajana: …because it is already possible to download your new album Hate Crew Deathroll completely from the internet (release date 10th March!)
Alexi: I know that. That’s what I mean. But the fact is that I’m not into computers and I’m not into internet either. But of course I know that fact, that it’s happening all the time. I mean it is sort of the same thing like tape trading when I was a kid. When you are downloading an album for yourself, then I think it’s ok. But when you start going to make money out of it, then I think that’s wrong!
Dajana: I agree! But you can hardly stop that nowadays. Technical possibilities are kind of unlimited. You can already create burnt CD’s which don’t differ at all from the originals and of course sell them anywhere.
Alexi: Of course you can do this kind of shit. But I can’t understand why people keep doing that shit. If you like the band who is making music you like, I mean they are not making any money. It sucks but it’s about money. If the album is not completely finalized or totally getting out there, then the record label is not getting any money and the bands don’t get money either. Eventually you are not going to make the album.
Dajana: Do you think you as a band or your label have a chance to do anything against it? I mean to crack copy protections is mostly damn easy.
Alexander: I hope so, but it’s also very difficult. For example the copy protection in southern countries is really weak. The thing is that we can’t do anything about it.
Alexi: An other thing is… I just don’t understand why someone is doing that. For example the damn thing with new Stratovarius album. It was out on internet before it was released, before it was even pushed to go there. And when someone gets a promo CD… I don’t get it… I don’t understand what can a fucking kick do to get it out on internet? …while Alexander is moving his right hand like a wanker, you know *lolol*… and his sounds… - Cal  If you put it online you don’t get any money for that. You get nothing. It really pisses me off!

Dajana: Your website is still blue (conceived for the Follow The Reaper album).
Alexi: We don’t know nothing about it *lol*
Alexander: Our motherfucker was supposed to do it.
Alexi: As I told you I’m not into all that shit. I’m like against the internet and something like that.
Dajana: You have a professional web designer?
Alexi: Yes… um… guess so?
Alexander: Our keyboard player is more into all that website stuff.

Dajana: Ok, in the new albums greeting list I saw the name Sami Tenetz. I’m a big fan of Thy Serpent. Do you know anything about the band and what’s going on there? Is he still alive?
Alexi: Yeah, he is. Thy Serpent… they didn’t break up, it was not really planned but they are kind of though. Sami, he was actually the one who discovered Children Of Bodom and he’s was the one who got our asses from that fucking Belgian record label. And he was the one who brought us to Spinefarm Records. He’s a great guy.
Alexander: Everything we have managed so far we owe to him. That’s for sure.

Dajana: This year has to be a Children Of Bodom year while the last one was for Sinergy. You think you can get in trouble… ?
Alexi: I always have…
Dajana: I mean is it possible that plans intersect? For example when Sinergy gets really great and attractive offers for playing life this year or whatever?
Alexi: That doesn’t matter for me. For me Children Of Bodom is the number one band anyway! That’s the point about the whole thing. It will always be the number one. I mean of course Sinergy knows that Children Of Bodom is the number one for me no matter what.
Alexander has to leave now for another interview.
Alexi: Sinergy thing… however, if things with Sinergy cross plans witch Children Of Bodom, I’d go for COB because it’s the Nr. 1 for me.

Dajana: Do you think it is possible that Sinergy sounds similar to Children Of Bodom anytime because of your personal strong influences, your special style to play?
Alexi: Not really. The music is really different.

Dajana: We are close to the end… Just a few shortcuts: Your favorite 3 albums of the last year?
Alexi: New ones?
Dajana: Whatever, your favorite ones.
Alexi: um… hm… I like the new In Flames album for example. Let me think… maybe the first W.A.S.P. album… hm… there are not been many good albums released… what I was often listening to last time was Twisted Sister
Dajana: Do you listen to something else than metal, to music outside of the metal scene?
Alexi: Well, I like Nine Inch Nails for example. I like them a lot.

Dajana: By the way how does it feel to be kind of an idol for so many young people, fans and musicians, especially where you are still young too?
Alexi: It’s kind of weird. For me it’s hard that somebody could be interested in me or in my playing or whatever. It’s weird that I can tell you anyway. I mean I’m still into a lot of guitar players. You know it’s not just the way of playing it’s the whole thing. For a couple of times I met some people who came up to me, dressed exactly like me, same hair, same clothes and stuff, playing the same guitar… etc. It’s crazy, I thought something is going wrong. Well, I don’t take it like shit, I just take it as something weird basically.

Dajana: As far as I remember you are #1 in Finland now. Is it just a special thing now in Finland with all these metal bands who got so popular and commercial successful recently?
Alexi: Could be, I don’t now. When we showed up a few years ago, suddenly always metal bands started to enter charts but I think we were the first metal band in the history of the whole country who was like… I mean, of course there were been lot of other bands like Sentenced and Nightwish and Stratovarius who got #1 but Children Of Bodom was kind of the first band who was that extreme, not with that horrible vocals, you know what I mean ;-) So this is sort of a cool thing for a country that you can listen to all kind of music. It will open the gates for other bands.
Dajana: I wish something like that would happen in Germany.
Alexi: I hope so.

Dajana: Do you have a special place in this world where you would like to play one day?
Alexi: um… in a way yeah, I mean, but in a way not! *lol* huh ??? - Cal  It would be a funny thing to play at Whiskey’s in L.A. one day. But then again, if you play there than you have probably to play in front of maybe 10 people. But it is a really cool place there, where a lot of my favorite bands started out from there.

Dajana: Ok, time is over. Thank you very much for this funny interview. Hope to see ya on stage in April.
Alexi: Thank you too.

02/2003 © Dajana Winkel • Children Of Bodom •