A couple of old interviews I haven't seen before, sorry if by some chance it's a repost.
Suomi Finland Perkele
No. 3/97
Children Of Bodom from Espoo, Finland, published their first long play called "Something
Wild". Music from CD is so original and made with with quality so I took the boys (players
are around 18 yrs old) front of me to interrogate them. The band played their first bigger
gig in Lepakko (Helsinki), warming up to Dimmu Borgir, doing their job really exemplarily.
CoB has already done showcase-gig with HIM and XYSMA. They are going to play also
in Cred-O-Rama 2 in December 97. I heard that NuclearBlast has taken the band in distribution,
and march-april CoB is touring with Hypocrisy and Covenant in Europe. The interview is made
in noisy and voicy bar in Mannerheimintie, Helsinki
SFP: Your band came in to metal scene with one bang, and we haven't hear you before.
How did Spinefarm records found you?
Alexi: We had recorded the LP already and it was ment to be published on another recorlabel.
Thy Serpent's (Alexi's second band) Sami called about it to Ewo, who was interested about it
and contacted us. We finished mixing in the end of July, so everything has happened surprisingly
fast.
SFP: Playing really works exemplaringly on CD. 'cos of your age I think you're
"super-gifted" or you have studied music long time?
Alexi: Well, we have studied music. Some of us have been in Oulunkylä and some have taken
lessons. Myself, I have played guitar for eight years, and others have been playing a long time too.
SFP: How has your music style developed? Your black-metalish sound has been
connected to classical themes, teuton-heavy, Stone-stylish riffs and also Yngwie
Malmsteen stylish playing. How would you describe your music?
Alexi: I have been fan to black metal I was younger, bands like Beherit, Dark Throne,
Tormentor, and of course Venom. Nowadays everyone of us listen mostly heavy of 80's,
classical music is listened also much - Old heavy, Manowar is the hardest band ever.
Ale: Yes, I think Dimmu [Borgir] is only a good new black metal band, Stone is going to be
always the best domestic (finnish) band.
Alexi: I haven't ever said that our music is black metal, and I wont say it now. If someone
wants to call it that way, I don't mind. Our music is going to change always so I call it only
metal.
SFP: Is there any songs on LP, which are near your heart?
Alexi: Well, "Deadnight Warrior" is a good kicking ass piece, but my personal favorit is the
last one, "Touch Like Angel Of Death"
SFP: You're also playing in "Thy Serpent". When did you join the band?
Alexi: In the same time, when we to Spine couple of months ago. They were looking for a
lead guitarist, and they had got our record from our common friend. Both are different music, so
why not!
SFP: How did you end up with the name "Children Of Bodom"? (The Story from
60's, when unknown man slaughtered a group of camping youngs at Lake Bodom,
murder isn't solved today...). Are you from near that lake?
Alexi: That way. not exactly there. Well, I've been there, that story is that kind of story, which
were listened with horror when we were kids, and most scary is, that's true...
SFP: How is your gig situation? Future seems bright!
Alexi: Today were training intensively. We got WellDone to book our gigs, and they got many
things coming, so let's see. Hope we can make as many gigs as possible!
And the second one...
Interview with Alexi by Jyrki (finnish TV Program)
FIRST INFLUENCES?
Bands: W.A.S.P, Twisted Sister, Poison and all kinds of glamrock,
but Steve Vai made me play guitar.
CURRENT GEAR?
3 Jackson RR custom guitars and the rest are professional secrets.
OTHER INSTRUMENTS?
Drums and bass, but guitar is my thing!
Jyrki: Is there going to be any changes to your music taste?
Alexi: No... Not at the moment... I mean yeah and no but I've been playing many kind of music.
Some of them I've played because I was in Ogeli and there I had to play things like jazz and
bossanova and all other kind of neat things but those aren't so much like my thing. I don't know
what I'll be doing in about ten years.. if I'll be doing anything.. I don't know.. I guess we'll see that
then. But at the moment music is my thing and if I can do it for living... then everything is perfect!
Jyrki: Where comes your nickname "Wildchild"?
Alexi: Well, that comes from totally different asspects than music.
Before guitar Alexi played violin for 5 years and also got familiar with secrets of piano. However
W.A.S.P and Co. got Alexi's interests...
Jyrki: Do you have any kind of other life.. meaning outside of musicstuff.
Alexi: Well, not really. Everything I do is somehow related to music. I don't really do and I really
don't want to do anything else. I have three bands and I write all the music for C.o.B and C.o.B
is the most important thing for me... meaning than even if all the other bands I play would fuck up
I'd still have C.o.B as number one!
THE MOST IMPORTANT PROJECT YOU'VE PLAYED IN?
Children Of Bodom
THE RECORD THAT SHOWS HOW YOU REALLY PLAY?
Probably the lates Sinergy
Jyrki: Do you think yourself more as a songwriter or guitarist?
Alexi: I think myself more as an guitarist but in the other hand I think myself as a songwriter
cos' I do all the writing for Bodom. But I really want that people think me more as a guitarist than
as a somekind of great somgwriter. Let's say from last summer till now I've been reheasing my playing
more than almost ever and noticed that "Hell... I wouldn't have been able to play this lick a year ago"
and if I compare my playing to our first record... back then I wouldn't have been able to play any of the
solos I'm playing now.
GREATEST GIG?
One of the 2 Tokyo Gigs.
GOAL AS A GUITARIST?
To improve technique and of course trying to keep all as clean as possible. I mean...
I know my own limits and speed limits so on... I never play anything I'm not capable of...
that wouldn't make any sense... let's say that there's a guitarist that has some ideas on his head
but his technique isn't so good. That... I think... is very traditional thing... like I had it myself.
After three years of playing I tried to play everything as fast as possible and that sounded...
would I say... like shit and I didn't realize that if I'd play bit slower things... that I was capable to play
then everything would sound much better.. but after all that's a phase almost everybody goes through..
THE BEST FINNISH GUITARIST OF ALLTIME/NOW?
Roope Latvala
Hope that was of some use, if not, I'll get rid of the post.
