COB Interviews

can somebody watch this concert and translate the parts where alexi and roope are interviewed?
[ame]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4713358546816611966&ei=Ejt_So3yKtX5lQfNsqitAw&q=children+of+bodom+&hl=en&dur=3[/ame]
if it's not possible it's fine.
 
Nosturi interview (this is not my translation, so thanks to whoever did it!)

At the beginning of the video
Alexi: Well of course, there is always the certain excitement when playing in our hometown, like some kind of small pressure. Sure, this is a smaller club when compared to some clubs in Tokyo, for example, but still there is always the certain thought like "Damn, I wonder if this gigs goes well". I don't know, it's just always here in Helsinki the same little pressure.

Roope: Yeah, it's so easy to pull a gig in Tokyo or wherever, because you don't know the audience. For example, if there is a rockpolice in the audience ... It's just that there are so many friends or familiar guys and rockpolice in the audience [laughs]

Alexi: That's about the only people we have in the audience!

Roope: So that creates pressure to it and keeps a little excitement in this thing

After Angels Don't Kill
Roope: It was kind of brutal when I joined the band. Our first gig was sold-out in Moscow, around 1000 people and I had to learn 17 songs. But I think I handled it ... little pressure was in the air.

Alexi: Yeah, it went well

Roope: Maybe, maybe ... The songs have started to grow to my head now. And every now and then I start to develop some small licks here and there ...

Alexi: Yeah, I noticed that in some songs you have played little differently, or you have added your own little thing there that fits really well

Roope: And then you lock on to some thing and after 20 gigs you have developed that to some point again. They live their own life while touring and playing.

After Hate Crew Deathroll
Alexi: Well, there are some things in songs where I just have to put my foot to the speaker like this. And then my hand to this fucking spider position so I can play them. For example, Punch Me I Bleed, which is actually the first time we play it live, where the playing goes pretty damn high.

Roope: Probably one of the successful things in this band is that there are lots of sharp solos, and the playing flows really well and it is also technical. And it really fascinated me when I was a kid, and it still is interesting. Guitar magazines and guitars are still moving from stores to me.

Alexi: I did notice back then, the '80s were full of these amazing guitar gods. But then all of a sudden this Seattle thing came out of nowhere, all these Nirvana and Pear Jam, and after that the guitar solos just started to disappear. The nu-metal thing basically had no solos at all. But now I have noticed that it has started to come back, like people have missed them. For example, the bigger bands, like Slipknot, they have guitar solos in their latest album. The latest Disturbed album has solos, and I think the next Korn album should have solos. Especially when touring in the US, people have come to say to us like "Thanks for bringing back guitar solos back to the metal scene". But I don't think we can take the credit for it. But it just proves that people has missed the solos, because I think that it is part of metal.

After Chokehold
Alexi: I don't think that this our kind of extreme metal group has never been on the top-lists before, but it's a really good thing. It also opens other people's minds, and other bands have a better chance to get to Top 1. Like it's not as terrible as people think.

Roope: Yeah, and it aslo proves that little fact that Finland is a heavy country. All hail heavy dudes! [laughs]
 
Old and short interview, but I think it was not posted earlier

 
Last edited by a moderator:
New German interview with Jaska to be downloaded here:
http://www.metal-mirror.de/

Translation made quick and dirty so please forgive me ;)

Children Of Bodom have changed. The former student band that was opening act for “the big ones” transformed into a figurehead for the international metal world. Headlining shows at WOA, tours through diverse countries and enormous sales attend the Finns´ constant way of success. After last years´ “Blooddrunk, a kind of weird release will follow: A cover album called “Skeletons In The Closet”. Drummer and founding member Jaska Raatikainen tells Metal Mirror about the background and also talks about soap operas and good drummers.

Jaska Raatikainen seldomly attracts attention. It seems to be quite easy to associate Childen Of Bodom just with their charismatic, crazy fronter Alexi Laiho and to forget the other members, although it was also Jaska contributing to the foundation of Children Of Bodom. He was the one who founded a band together with his schoolmate Alexi Laiho back in 1993, not anticipating that this would be the beginning of his great career as a musician. The band has released six studio albums, live CDs and a big number of single releases and EPs till now. Now a new release can be found in their discography: “Skeletons In The Closet”. Not just a “normal” release but a compilation of cover tracks which Children Of Bodom recorded during their career.

“This band always had a lot of fun with covers, but the covers were only to be found on some EPs, single releases or as bonus tracks. It was just a natural thing for us to release a compilation with a bunch of our cover tracks. “ Jaska describes the concept of the new album. The selection of the songs seems to be a sign for a big variation in personal music taste. Pop, Rock, hardest Thrash Metal: Children Of Bodom mince everything they like. Two of the uncommon songs on the album from Creedence Clearwater Revival and Kenny Rogers are taken from the “The Big Lebowski” soundtrack.
“Alexi and Janne both are absolutely crazy about this movie,” Jaska is laughing at the phone. “While we´re touring that movie´s on every third day. I bet they saw it a 700 times. I like our version of the Creedence song in special cause we managed to adapt it to our metal style without losing the happy feeling of the song.”

Drinking sessions as brainstorming method

The whole band usually decides which song´s going to be covered, although Alexi often refuses to do some songs. But in the end they always manage to agree on a classic. Jaska hints that also alcohol may be an essential issue for brainstorming about cover songs.
“We get most of our crazy ideas while being drunk. I bet more than half of all our cover tracks arise from booze sessions.” That may also explain that not only classics like “Aces High” or “Hellion” can be found on the album but also a song by Britney Spears.
“We do know that most metalheads will be scornful about that, but one has to understand the other side: Doing such a cover album allows us to do whatever we want, and we´re not too confined to our own style. Besides it´s great fun to shock the metalheads with a Britney song, and I think our version is pretty cool!” Jaska admits.

Newbies on the list

Most of the Skeletons In The Closet tracks have already been released with other COB albums. But two of them are absolute newcomers: “Hell Is For Children” by Pat Benatar and “Antisocial” which gained popularity as a cover by Anthrax and is cult in any moshpit.
“Of course these two new songs don´t warrant to buy our new album if you already own all the other covers because you´re a fan and have bought different editions or EPs. But I think that just fits for few people, so it justifies the compilation,” Jaska is sure about that. He´s also sure that the fans will expect COB to do more of the covers live because of the cover album. But during a COB live set, first thing to do is to play COB songs – although they´d like to raise spirits by doing their own version of a classic from time to time.

Bodom-power in Hawaii

Besides the Skeletons release COB have a lot of work to do. In September they start a big tour which also leads through USA.
“I´m surprised how big we are over there nowadays,” Jaska´s glad. “The shows are well attended and we get more and more offers, also from places we would never have suggested for touring by ourselves.”
The upcoming tour will also take place in Hawaii. That´s an appreciated change for the band members and offers the opportunity for a day off.
“Thinking about doing a COB show in Hawaii is that crazy, I really like that. We managed to have two days off after the show, so we´re able to play and also to enjoy the atmosphere,” Jaska´s looking forward to the future.
Plans for the Blooddrunk (2008) follow-up already exist. “The upcoming tour will be the last for the next time cause we start to work on the new album after the tour. Alexi has already composed one or two songs which sound really great”, 30 year old Jaska reports to us.

In the shadows of Alexi Laiho

One can imagine it´s not that easy for the four other COB members to be part of this band. Because being a part of COB means to be overshadowed by “the” Alexi Laiho. The frontman with hoarse voice, agile fingers and charisma undoubtedly is the bands´ figurehead. But Jaska points out that there´s no envy between the band members about Alexi appearing on the covers of magazines most of the time.
“That´s never been a problem for me. Of course people think about Alexi when they think about COB, but there are also negative aspects about that. When we´re playing live his appointment calendar is unbelievably full. He has to do nearly all the interviews, fans want to take pics with him, he can´t even take a piss in peace. I´m a lot more relaxed, I don´t need to worry if people recognize me if we´re going out after a show. People only recognize me when I´m coming out of the bus, maybe my face isn´t distinctive enough to be that well known,” Jaska is joking.
Blonde Jaska didn´t always sit behind his drums, his musical career began as a five year old with piano lessons. He discovered his fondness for the drums being at the age of twelve.
“I think every child is kind of fond about drums. I was Alexi´s classmate, we had a drumset in the classroom and Alexi beat the daylights out of it. He showed me some tricks and I liked it that much that I was stuck with it. But I´d never thought I´d be a professional drummer once.”
Jaska wouldn´t be able to give drumming lessons right now because he´s too busy with COB. “I´m busy with the band 24/7. There´s no time left for giving lessons for the beginners, although I´ve been asked to do it very often. But it´s good to know that I´d have a second main stay and would be able to work as a teacher. Who knows the future.” Jaska is a big fan of various drummers. He especially likes Kai Hahto who´s mostly known for his contribution for Jari Mäenpää´s Wintersun project. But Jaska always seems to hide his light under a bushel, cause he also contributed to a countless number of projects or worked as a helping drummer if one was needed.

From musician to soap star?

Although Jaska´s very successful and busy with COB right now, he thinks about how the future will be. Besides considering to be a drumming teacher he also thinks about becoming an actor.
“I´ve always been talented in acting. I´m fascinated of actors. When I´m watching movies I´m doing that very explicitly. I notice any small movement, I kind of got that in my bones,” he´s sure.
He already gained experience by showing up three times as a guest appearance in a finnish soap opera before his role had to die. But he was able to demonstrate his drumming skills before.
“It´s already been a few years ago, but showing up in that soap opera was a very interesting experience for me. I´d like to gain more experiene in acting, but being part of such a successful band, I don´t have the time for it. But as I said before: Who knows the future.”

If one is fearing now that COB will throw the towel: Jaska admits that he can´t imagine life without the band.
“Sure there are various musical projects that would be interesting for me, and I´ll certainly release something on my own some day, but that never will happen at charge of my main band. That is and will be COB” Jaska promises at the end.
 
@ mocobhc: thank you very much for the translation :kickass:, that was a really interesting interview, especially the bit about Alexi already having started
composing for the next album

@ NeedledDude: haven't seen that before - nice one, thank you :)
 
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