COB Interviews
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I translated this little thing about Alexi's cars and movies/TV-series he likes. It's from Inferno #55 (March 2008).
Laiho and free time
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When looking Children of Bodom’s past and upcoming tour schedules it’s easy to notice that band members don’t get to spend much quality time at home.
- If I have free time I just try to rest and recharge batteries. I watch movies, play playstation and such.
Getting his rest is difficult for Laiho because he can’t stay away from music.
- Sometimes I end up recording Kylähullut album. Even I would have free time, playing is in the blood.
Anyway movies are essential part of Alexi Laiho’s free time. All fictional material is consumed in the form of movies because he doesn’t touch to the books.
- I don’t have enough patience to read them. I read only music magazines, V8 and the Donald Duck. I like horror movies, not any old school movies but 80s-90s movies. For example I really like everything based on Stephen King’s books. On the other hand also Amadeus is something I can watch time after time.
There are some movies that go to the top of Alexi’s list of favorite movies.
- Coen brother’s The Big Lebowski (1998) is my most favorite movie by far. At the tour it’s playing all the time. Sometimes I have watched it with Janne three times a day. We also like the way Dude dresses up. Janne and I have same kind of wool jackets than the Dude has and so on. It’s a cult movie among us.
Some of you might already notice that The Big Lebowski has also affected to the cover songs Children of Bodom recorded this time. Two of them, CCR’s Lookin’ Out My Backdoor and Kenny Rogers’ Just Dropped In can be heard in that movie.
- CCR cover came out pretty good. It’s fun punk version. It’s was surprisingly easy to make. Euge (Valovirta, Godsplague and Suburban Tribe) played banjo and Pete Salomaa from Francine played contrabass. I though Kenny Rogers song would have been more challenging, but it works too.
According to Alexi being fan of something easily get’s out of his hands. When it comes to his other favorite movie Blues Brother his dedication is even bigger than with The Big Lebowski.
- I have been watching it since I was a little kid and I just had to get same kind of car they have, Dodge Monaco. I still have one and of course year 1974 model without police paintings.
- It has 7.3 liters engine. It has been tuned up little bit to almost 400 horsepower so it moves rather nicely. Sometimes is fun to teas tuning guys in traffic lights. At some point I used it all year round but now its work in progress.
Also another car of his is inspired by audio visual culture.
- Knight Rider has been important to me since I was a kid. Therefore Trans Am has always been coolest looking car to me. I have had couple of these. At the moment I have 1991 model with 5.7 liters engine.
- I have never measured its top speed but in Finland I have been driving 210km/h with it. I would guess it goes at least 250km/h. It accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in less than seven seconds. It’s not amazingly good but enough for me. As a everyday car I have 1991 Chevrolet Caprice Station Wagon.
- I don’t have that much time to watch TV. If I get into some TV series I usually buy DVD box. Probably I would even be able to watch any series from TV anymore. I need to know right away what happens in the next episode. Sopranos were best thing made for TV in long time and ending was great. I also like Lost. And then some stupid sitcoms that you can watch in hangover, like Seinfeld and Friends.
Laiho and free time
----------------------------------------------------------
When looking Children of Bodom’s past and upcoming tour schedules it’s easy to notice that band members don’t get to spend much quality time at home.
- If I have free time I just try to rest and recharge batteries. I watch movies, play playstation and such.
Getting his rest is difficult for Laiho because he can’t stay away from music.
- Sometimes I end up recording Kylähullut album. Even I would have free time, playing is in the blood.
Anyway movies are essential part of Alexi Laiho’s free time. All fictional material is consumed in the form of movies because he doesn’t touch to the books.
- I don’t have enough patience to read them. I read only music magazines, V8 and the Donald Duck. I like horror movies, not any old school movies but 80s-90s movies. For example I really like everything based on Stephen King’s books. On the other hand also Amadeus is something I can watch time after time.
There are some movies that go to the top of Alexi’s list of favorite movies.
- Coen brother’s The Big Lebowski (1998) is my most favorite movie by far. At the tour it’s playing all the time. Sometimes I have watched it with Janne three times a day. We also like the way Dude dresses up. Janne and I have same kind of wool jackets than the Dude has and so on. It’s a cult movie among us.
Some of you might already notice that The Big Lebowski has also affected to the cover songs Children of Bodom recorded this time. Two of them, CCR’s Lookin’ Out My Backdoor and Kenny Rogers’ Just Dropped In can be heard in that movie.
- CCR cover came out pretty good. It’s fun punk version. It’s was surprisingly easy to make. Euge (Valovirta, Godsplague and Suburban Tribe) played banjo and Pete Salomaa from Francine played contrabass. I though Kenny Rogers song would have been more challenging, but it works too.
According to Alexi being fan of something easily get’s out of his hands. When it comes to his other favorite movie Blues Brother his dedication is even bigger than with The Big Lebowski.
- I have been watching it since I was a little kid and I just had to get same kind of car they have, Dodge Monaco. I still have one and of course year 1974 model without police paintings.
- It has 7.3 liters engine. It has been tuned up little bit to almost 400 horsepower so it moves rather nicely. Sometimes is fun to teas tuning guys in traffic lights. At some point I used it all year round but now its work in progress.
Also another car of his is inspired by audio visual culture.
- Knight Rider has been important to me since I was a kid. Therefore Trans Am has always been coolest looking car to me. I have had couple of these. At the moment I have 1991 model with 5.7 liters engine.
- I have never measured its top speed but in Finland I have been driving 210km/h with it. I would guess it goes at least 250km/h. It accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in less than seven seconds. It’s not amazingly good but enough for me. As a everyday car I have 1991 Chevrolet Caprice Station Wagon.
- I don’t have that much time to watch TV. If I get into some TV series I usually buy DVD box. Probably I would even be able to watch any series from TV anymore. I need to know right away what happens in the next episode. Sopranos were best thing made for TV in long time and ending was great. I also like Lost. And then some stupid sitcoms that you can watch in hangover, like Seinfeld and Friends.
WildChild_666
New Metal Member
Enemy242
Member
has anyone posted the new guitar world alexi interview yet? i'm way too lazy to look but if someone can let me know if it hasn't been done by saturday i can do it, i have a show tomorrow though so i don't have time.
deeptallica
St.Anne
Funny interview, it seems that he loves the same stuff as me. That proves the fact Alexi is cool
Lussi
Member
Funny interview, it seems that he loves the same stuff as me. That proves the fact Alexi is cool
same here. Lost, Friends, The big Lebowski, Horror movies of the 80's 90's...I like that kind of interview.
deeptallica
St.Anne
I like that kind of interview.
So do I, they are a bit more personal, I like that.
I also really dig every movie based on King books, I've seen 'em all and they're all great
Lussi
Member
Yeah King's movie I forgot! I didn't read any books but the movies are great! the last I really really liked was Room 1408.
To Valkokukka : you rock.
To Valkokukka : you rock.
children of COB
Deadnight Drinker
sleeper666
MetalMutha
Exclusive Podcast: Children of Bodom Frontman Alexi Laiho
Go here to hear an exclusive podcast from Alexi Laiho.
http://headbangersblog.mtv.com/2008/04/11/exclusive-podcast-children-of-bodom-frontman-alexi-laiho/
You can download the podcast from there
Go here to hear an exclusive podcast from Alexi Laiho.
http://headbangersblog.mtv.com/2008/04/11/exclusive-podcast-children-of-bodom-frontman-alexi-laiho/
You can download the podcast from there
@sleeper666: thanks for posting that, it was a long one!
@Lussi & deeptallica: More personal interviews are always nice to read, most of the interviews just go through same questions about new album over and over again.
@Lussi & deeptallica: More personal interviews are always nice to read, most of the interviews just go through same questions about new album over and over again.
children of COB
Deadnight Drinker
Lanterns
1 girl in her cups
sleeper666
MetalMutha
@children of COB: this is for you
Translation me, scans Celeb.
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Searching for the guitar hero (Soundi 10/2007)
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Intention is to discuss if Finland really has guitar heroes. Esa Holopainen from Amorphis and Timo Tolkki from Stratovarius are waiting Alexi Laiho from Children of Bodom to show up. Alexi has band practices and he has informed us that he is little bit late. Esa and Timo are laughing, why band as skillful as Children of Bodom needs to even practice. It’s like a drum machine would be practicing. When Alexi shows up, they realize that none of them is a guitar hero. There is consensus that there is only one guitar player in the world that deserver that title.
Guitar Heroes album will come out in the beginning of the November. It collects to one album songs from most appreciated metal guitarists of Finland. It is instrumental album which features songs from Timo Tolkki (Stratovarius), Alexi Laiho and Roope Latvala (Children of Bodom), Emppu Vuorinen (Nightwish), Esa Holopainen (Amorphis), Sakari Hietala (Tarot), Tuomio (ex Impaled Nazarene), Euge Valovirta (Suburban Tribe, Godsplague), Mikko Salovaara (Kiuas), Nino Laurenne (Thunderstone) and Mr. Crab (Bleak).
Guitarists composed their songs by them selves and producer Nino Laurenne promised freedom to do whatever they want to with the music.
Timo Tolkki: - I was told first that song must have shredding but I told that then I won’t participate. Next I was told that you can do whatever you want. It was great to participate to that album. I also got a camcorder.
Alexi Laiho: - A camcorder?
Esa Holopainen: - I was also approached so that I can do whatever I want to. I think idea was to get multidimensional record. And I also got a camcorder.
Alexi: - Fuck, I seriously start to have doubt about this project.
Esa: - I was thinking quite long whether to participate or not because name of the album is Guitar Heroes. But that camcorder was temptation, and I also wanted to do something different from Amorphis.
Alexi: - Timing of this project was really bad. I have been so tight up with Bodom and I didn’t even have any time show to anyone who my song goes. Maybe I could have made a better, but in the end this one also works well. It took me half a day to compose it.
Timo: - I didn’t have any drums in my song, just loops. I’m crazy about Logic program I do loops and different kinds of rhythm things with it. I made most of the song at the home. I only played guitar parts in the studio and it took 15 minutes to do them.
Esa: - and you got a camcorder?
Timo: I got a camcorder. And what comes to that freedom to do whatever I want to, I didn’t get to whatever I want to. I told record label that my song title is “Jesus Hitler: music trilogy in two parts”. Then record label started to pressure that name have to be changed. I don’t know what it is called now. But what is wrong in “Jesus Hitler”? Okay, I have to admit that when they started to pressure me about the song title, I was so pissed of that I just said that.
Alexi: - I didn’t have nay title either. I remember that I was with Janne Wirman at my place drinking White Russians and watching The Big Lebowski movie. I got a message telling that song title is needed. There was a scene where cowboy was ordering “Sioux City Sarsaparilla drink” and I thought that is title for my song.
Esa: - My song is called “Sauna Blast” and there is also song called “Black weekend of Imola” by Tuomio. One shouldn’t take these things too seriously.
Bad self-esteem teaches to play.
When you are comparing population of Finland and amount of metal band ratio is amazing. There are huge amount of bands and good guitarists. What is reason for that? Esa Holopainen tells that he don’t have answer for that question. Timo Tolkki has explanation for the phenomena:
Timo: Answer is bad self-esteem. It makes people to practice. You have to bee good at least in something. It is driving force when you are 12-13 years old and want to be someone. Everything is fucked up, but you have your guitar and own room and you practice there. I cut off from outside world from certain reasons. But after my dad died I had good opportunities, my mom was supporting and bought me guitar and Risto Asikainen was teaching me. It went naturally for me.
Alexi: - I didn’t start playing guitar because of the low self-esteem. Since I started to understand anything guitars have sounded fucking great. And because my father listened Dire Straits all the time I just had to start playing.
Timo: - Knopfler has great sound. I read from somewhere that he was poor and lots his picks and didn’t have money to buy new ones so he started to play without them.
Esa: - I really dig solo in the Sultans Of Swing, it amazing. It was on the Alchemy album and he played it really well at live also. My reason for playing has been basic “this is want I want to do” ideology, as a teenager I use to “play” with tennis racket.
Alexi: - True. Also appearance of the metal bands was big factor. They looked tough guys. I player violin until I was 11 or 12 years old. I started to play violin when I was quite young, but my parents have been telling me that I used to sing before I started to speak. Guitar playing I started when I was eleven.
Timo: - My cousin taught me some chords when I was five. We used to visit them and he had a guitar that he used to play Beatles songs. First I was playing there open chords with pick then he taught some more chords. I don’t know about musical talent…I don’t believe that is genetic but it depends what kind of environment you have grown up, if your parents support you and if there’s a lot of music around you. There is nothing in the genes, or maybe Alexi has got something in the genes.
Esa: In my family everyone was playing something. Music has always been close to me. I think I was 13 years old when I really started playing guitar.
Alexi: - I studied in the Ogeli (Oulunkylän Pop and Jazz conservatory) five years and almost finished all theory classes. I don’t write any notes but I can read them. Playing doesn’t necessarily require any schools, but it’s much easier when everybody in the band understands something about the theory. If there would be one guy who would be great player but wouldn’t understand anything about theory, it would be frustrating, because you couldn’t just say F sharp minor but instead you would need to explain that put your fingers like that, we start working from that.
Timo: - I studied for a while in the Nurmijärvi folk high school. I finished theories in there same time when I was practicing with Asikainen. I learned basic things and I can write and read notes but I don’t use them.
- I remember playing scales with Asikainen and I’m sure that there were cool things, but I had this attitude that I can’t do it when some one is telling me to do it. But you should at least learn the chords if you want to play in the band. And theory is common language in the music.
Esa: - When I started to play, friend of my father was teaching me. It was kind of farce starting how to put your leg on the chair. And we studied theory so that teacher had drawn some lines for the notes by hand. I also studied in the Ogeli a couple of years. Same time there was for example Jouni Markkanen who was just moved from Kuopio to Helsinki and was on his way to international success with Suburban Tribe.
Only guitar hero in the world.
Term guitar hero amuses threesome. Who could be a guitar hero? None of the three players considers themselves as guitar heroes. Alexi summaries it by saying “I have never considered myself as a fucking hero”.
Timo: - First we need to define what guitar hero is. It’s very difficult. I think guitar hero is such who considers himself as a guitar hero. It’s a label that people stamp on you but you think yourself similarly. I can’t think anyone else than Yngwie Malmsteen thinks that of himself. And guitar hero as a term is limited to heavy metal. No one considers Keith Richards as a guitar hero.
Alexi: - or if you think Slash, he is really great player but no one thinks of him as a guitar hero. It’s definitely metal thing.
Timo: - It’s metal thing, but in my opinion also fastness has something to do with it. And one needs to be also a little bit asshole and have a big ego. Therefore Steve Vai doesn’t fit to the definition because his not an asshole and he doesn’t have big ego at all. And he doesn’t play just heavy metal. He is not a guitar hero in that sense. I think guitar heroes are little bit ridiculous.
- For example Gary Moore considers himself as a guitar hero for sure. I was seeing his gig at 1983 and there was legendary solo where he is alone on the stage with his guitar. There was hydraulic stage that started to rise up and there was smoke and lights, very “guitar hero” thing, except that stage never came down. They had to put lights on and get ladders to get him down. It was really embarrassing.
Alexi: - Acting like a rock star is fun as long you are not asshole to other people.
Timo: - but if you think that in the middle of the Bodom show you would start playing solo alone…
Esa: - but Allu is doing that.
Alexi: -Yeah well, I play solo battles with Janne, our keyboardist. It’s partly for fun but we are playing seriously.
When asking from threesome is there any guitarist they could call a guitar hero, Esa introduces name Yngwie Malmsten. He comment “He is really good player, still”.
Timo: Rising Force album was release 1984 and it was so brilliant album that no one has ever made anything like that before. Now days Yngwie has four 20 minutes solo spots. You can easily recognize from solos that it’s Yngwie who is playing, he has same things always. I’m not saying that I would be any better, probably not. But if we are talking about Yngwie he just so locked to that Yngwie mold that to get out, he need to get out from whole Yngwie.
Esa: - Maybe guitar hero label also requires death before you can be absolute hero. Then you are bigger than life like Randy Rhoads.
Timo: - Actually I was listening his solos one day and they are really cool. First of all he played all of them three times with different guitars. When you are listening to them with headphones, there are weird things going on. But he was really modest guy. I don’t think you can be modes and a guitar hero same time.
Alexi: - For some people guitar hero means that you are super fast for some others that you have created something revolutionary.
Threesome admits there will always be guitarist whose fingers are watched closely. And sure you want to show off then, but same thing is with creating the music. On their album band wants to convince listeners that hey do good music.
Alexi: - you know that you are famous guitarist when people come to ask picks at the bar.
Esa: - I have told many times that you can get exactly same picks from Musamaailma, but sure take one.
Timo: - I don’t go bars that much anymore but earlier there was always lot of people telling me things. Scale was from “your music suck” to “you do fucking great music”. I wouldn’t have balls to go to say some one that “you are fucking bad graphics designer”.
Alexi: - But I have to say it feels good when people come sincerely tell something about playing, style or whatever. It’s really rewarding. I have never go comments that I had just ignored.
Teaching guitar playing in Japan.
It has been said that guitarist need to practice all the time. But Timo Tolkki points out that Jeff Beck has said that he hasn’t practice with guitar for long time he prefers fixing cars.
Alexi: - I play for fun quite often. Sometimes I might take break for couple of days, which can be a good thing. I have techniques in such a good conditions that I don’t need to practice them anymore, but at home I just put some cd playing and play solos on top of that. It’s fun. And I also have to play a lot when touring or making a new album. At the tour there is not much to do before shows, because you really can’t drink, so I just sit on backstage and play something.
Timo, Esa and Alexi are all recognized guitarist around the world, especially in the Japan where guitar playing is serious as a death.
Esa: - They are so serious over there. We had a gig there and some guitar magazine wanted to do photo soot next day. We had terrible hangover and Koivusalo’s bridges where out of their places and he hadn’t bothered to repair them. Journalist and photographer were really excited that it is the reason for Amorphis sound. And then they took pictures of bridges.
Timo: - When you are doing guitar videos in the Japan you have to play same solo over and over again exactly same way because they are filing your fingers. But best thing that ever happened to me with these guitar magazines was in the Brazil. It was our first time in Sao Paolo and w e drinking there a lot. Next morning I had photo shoot with some magazine. I had been drinking caipirinha until morning; at 10:00 am our tour manager came to wake me up for the photo shoot. I never forget that feeling. I then just took that fucking guitar and went outside for the pictures. I have never seen those pictures, they must have been awful.
Alexi: - I have had similar events. It is even worse when no one has even told you that at the afternoon you have to go play guitar to somewhere. Manager wakes you up ten minutes before and then you should go, in terrible hangover, somewhere to explain “this is this kind of thing” and also try to play good. You can’t think anything else than I just want out of here quickly.
All three have endorsement deals with ESP and their guitars are handmade. Alexi also has signature series of his own.
Timo: - ESP is originally from Japan and it’s easy to co-operate with them. You get guitars from them and then you go to speak for example ESP music schools and keep guitar clinics. I have been shaking in those in terrible hangover.
- It’s enough for them that you show up, and then they are really excited if you keep guitar clinic. I tried to explain them (Japanese) that you need to do mistakes. But then I realized that its Japanese society where you don’t do mistakes. In the end they brought me some student made instruments to evaluate. It kind of sucked.
Alexi is only one from this threesome that considers himself as a guitar freak. Tolkki has two electric guitars, Esa has ten guitars. Alexi has more.
Alexi: - I have 200 hundred guitars…Just kidding I have maybe 20 guitars. And one broken acoustic one. I’m not collecting guitars but I wouldn’t say no to Randy Rhoads’ guitar. These things are based on feelings, I’m not collecting them.
Esa: - I have one thing I have been collecting. I have Pete Walli’s old guitar gear, old Marshall cabinet. It’s my altar and it’s not used in playing anymore. I have tried it when we were recording Elegy, it broke down and after I got it fixed I decided not to use it anymore.
Timo: - For me guitars mean less and less when I grow older which fucking annoys me. I don’t really play guitar anymore. I have reached certain point on it, if I would like to further develop it would require so much work that I don’t feel like doing it. I have been playing 23 years in Stratovarius and I don’t know if I have anything left to say. But I’m music freak.
Alexi: - I follow guitar magazines so that I know what is going on. But I have always wanted to play with that one sound I have, so I haven’t needed anything new. Lately my sound has started to really annoy me and I have been testing different things. But I don’t go to Musamaailma to test every fucking new wah that comes out.
Cheap guitar kills inspiration.
Esa Holopainen works in music store and almost daily advises parents which kind of guitar should be bought for the beginner. First of all Esa warns not to buy 100 or 200 € packages. Those packages should be burnt.
Esa: - You should buy too cheap guitar, it’s better to save some money and buy decent guitar and amplifier. If you have cheap guitar that is constantly out of tune it kills inspiration. But nowadays there are more options and you can get decent guitar with decent price. It is true that production is in cheap production countries nowadays but they are starting to have knowledge. You don’t need ridiculous amount of money to have good guitar anymore.
Alexi: - It’s true that if you start with bad guitar it kills the spirit and joy of playing. My first guitar was Tokai Stratocaster and amplifier was 50W Marshall. Both of them were second hand, but I could still use them. They cost almost nothing. I didn’t understand anything back them but my dad didn’t want to buy any Korean guitar.
Esa: - That was smart. Seriously it’s great if parents understand that it’s better to invest little bit more. For example with 600-700€ you can get good guitar with good components.
Timo: - My fist electric guitar was Arial and amplifier was Carisbron. It was so great to get them even though Arial is shitty guitar. But it was a guitar. I can’t even remember how great it felt to get your own electric guitar.
Esa: - It’s like getting color TV.
Timo: - True. Then rather quickly I got Stratocaster. There was huge difference. I don’t believe that bad guitar prevents you from learning if you are enthusiastic.
When you start playing guitar different videos can be helpful. But you might easily start with too advanced videos and become frustrated.
Esa: - One useful thing is you band mates. Everyone is thinking guitar playing differently and when you are playing someone else’s stuff you get an idea how they think.
Timo: - If we are talking about metal, it’s in totally different place compared to when I was 12-13 years old. Guitarist weren’t in same technical level than in nowadays. These days when kids listen guitar playing they wonder how anyone can play like that. It’s so technical and talented that it’s feels almost impossible. For me it was Blackmoore who had four notes. It was easy to start and it sounded so cool. But if you are listening to Dragonforce and jumping in the trampoline and its 250 bps, it’s totally different thing. Achieving that level of technical talent requires years of practicing and it might kill the enthusiasm.
Esa: - Dragonforce is annoying. If we think really good guitarist, Jimi Hendrix is one and of course John McLaugh who is one of my favorites.
Timo: - Mine too.
Alexi: - Who the fuck is he?
Esa: - He has played din the Shakti and Mahavishnu Orchestra.
Alexi: - What the fuck are those?
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Mutual respect
Let’s find out what Alexi Laiho, Timo Tolkki and Esa Holopainen think of each other.
About Esa Holopainen.
Timo: - I have to admit that I haven’t heard that much Esa’s playing. I don’t listen to guitarists, I listen to music, because I think guitarist are boring including me. I have know Esa a long time and seen his development. I think guitar hero of the Amorphis is actually Tomi Koivusaari who practices Rainbow solos and who has a penis piercing. But Amorphis has a thing of its own that is reason it has lasted so long. I can’t think Esa, or myself, as a guitar hero.
Alexi: - I’m old Amorphis fan. When we were 13-14 years old we went to see their gigs and listened to Amorphis a lot. Esa’s guitar playing servers the song, it’s melodic and in my opinion it’s what this is all about.
About Timo Tolkki:
Esa: - When I heard Startovarius album first time I was amazed that we have such a player here in Finland. Timo is a guitar hero. Stratovarius without Tolkki, wouldn’t be Stratovarius. It’s same thin in Startovarius music; Timo’s playing is the thing.
Alexi: - First Stratovarius album I heard was Episode. It didn’t impress me that much but my friends wanted to go to see then right after Visions came out. We went to see that gig and I was thinking that fuck those dudes are amazing. Stratovarius was that time best band in its own genre. It had the best players and the best songs. It was influence to us in the beginning.
About Alexi Laiho
Timo: - I take fatherly approach to Alexi. Just kidding, I saw Bodom first time in Czech when we were playing at the same festival. I don’t listen to that kind of music at all because it’s so aggressive and I’m so sensitive person, but I dig that kind of music, which is based on hate, in the small portions. For example Pantera is same kind of band, I like it but I can’t listen to it too long. Bodom’s thing is based on expressing hate and their songs don’t express that much for example sadness. Alexi has world class technique and he has developed style of his own. And Alexi has also that wild child thing when he is signing at the same time. Bodom show is impressive experience. And it’s much healthier that beating up old women.
Esa: - I really respect what Alexi has achieved as a guitarist with hard work. Not only with his band, but also as a guitarist. It is great to see how high he is ranked as a guitarist. He has good technique. One thing I really like in the Allu’s playing is that he has rock thing going on, not just usual shredding.
Translation me, scans Celeb.
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Searching for the guitar hero (Soundi 10/2007)
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Intention is to discuss if Finland really has guitar heroes. Esa Holopainen from Amorphis and Timo Tolkki from Stratovarius are waiting Alexi Laiho from Children of Bodom to show up. Alexi has band practices and he has informed us that he is little bit late. Esa and Timo are laughing, why band as skillful as Children of Bodom needs to even practice. It’s like a drum machine would be practicing. When Alexi shows up, they realize that none of them is a guitar hero. There is consensus that there is only one guitar player in the world that deserver that title.
Guitar Heroes album will come out in the beginning of the November. It collects to one album songs from most appreciated metal guitarists of Finland. It is instrumental album which features songs from Timo Tolkki (Stratovarius), Alexi Laiho and Roope Latvala (Children of Bodom), Emppu Vuorinen (Nightwish), Esa Holopainen (Amorphis), Sakari Hietala (Tarot), Tuomio (ex Impaled Nazarene), Euge Valovirta (Suburban Tribe, Godsplague), Mikko Salovaara (Kiuas), Nino Laurenne (Thunderstone) and Mr. Crab (Bleak).
Guitarists composed their songs by them selves and producer Nino Laurenne promised freedom to do whatever they want to with the music.
Timo Tolkki: - I was told first that song must have shredding but I told that then I won’t participate. Next I was told that you can do whatever you want. It was great to participate to that album. I also got a camcorder.
Alexi Laiho: - A camcorder?
Esa Holopainen: - I was also approached so that I can do whatever I want to. I think idea was to get multidimensional record. And I also got a camcorder.
Alexi: - Fuck, I seriously start to have doubt about this project.
Esa: - I was thinking quite long whether to participate or not because name of the album is Guitar Heroes. But that camcorder was temptation, and I also wanted to do something different from Amorphis.
Alexi: - Timing of this project was really bad. I have been so tight up with Bodom and I didn’t even have any time show to anyone who my song goes. Maybe I could have made a better, but in the end this one also works well. It took me half a day to compose it.
Timo: - I didn’t have any drums in my song, just loops. I’m crazy about Logic program I do loops and different kinds of rhythm things with it. I made most of the song at the home. I only played guitar parts in the studio and it took 15 minutes to do them.
Esa: - and you got a camcorder?
Timo: I got a camcorder. And what comes to that freedom to do whatever I want to, I didn’t get to whatever I want to. I told record label that my song title is “Jesus Hitler: music trilogy in two parts”. Then record label started to pressure that name have to be changed. I don’t know what it is called now. But what is wrong in “Jesus Hitler”? Okay, I have to admit that when they started to pressure me about the song title, I was so pissed of that I just said that.
Alexi: - I didn’t have nay title either. I remember that I was with Janne Wirman at my place drinking White Russians and watching The Big Lebowski movie. I got a message telling that song title is needed. There was a scene where cowboy was ordering “Sioux City Sarsaparilla drink” and I thought that is title for my song.
Esa: - My song is called “Sauna Blast” and there is also song called “Black weekend of Imola” by Tuomio. One shouldn’t take these things too seriously.
Bad self-esteem teaches to play.
When you are comparing population of Finland and amount of metal band ratio is amazing. There are huge amount of bands and good guitarists. What is reason for that? Esa Holopainen tells that he don’t have answer for that question. Timo Tolkki has explanation for the phenomena:
Timo: Answer is bad self-esteem. It makes people to practice. You have to bee good at least in something. It is driving force when you are 12-13 years old and want to be someone. Everything is fucked up, but you have your guitar and own room and you practice there. I cut off from outside world from certain reasons. But after my dad died I had good opportunities, my mom was supporting and bought me guitar and Risto Asikainen was teaching me. It went naturally for me.
Alexi: - I didn’t start playing guitar because of the low self-esteem. Since I started to understand anything guitars have sounded fucking great. And because my father listened Dire Straits all the time I just had to start playing.
Timo: - Knopfler has great sound. I read from somewhere that he was poor and lots his picks and didn’t have money to buy new ones so he started to play without them.
Esa: - I really dig solo in the Sultans Of Swing, it amazing. It was on the Alchemy album and he played it really well at live also. My reason for playing has been basic “this is want I want to do” ideology, as a teenager I use to “play” with tennis racket.
Alexi: - True. Also appearance of the metal bands was big factor. They looked tough guys. I player violin until I was 11 or 12 years old. I started to play violin when I was quite young, but my parents have been telling me that I used to sing before I started to speak. Guitar playing I started when I was eleven.
Timo: - My cousin taught me some chords when I was five. We used to visit them and he had a guitar that he used to play Beatles songs. First I was playing there open chords with pick then he taught some more chords. I don’t know about musical talent…I don’t believe that is genetic but it depends what kind of environment you have grown up, if your parents support you and if there’s a lot of music around you. There is nothing in the genes, or maybe Alexi has got something in the genes.
Esa: In my family everyone was playing something. Music has always been close to me. I think I was 13 years old when I really started playing guitar.
Alexi: - I studied in the Ogeli (Oulunkylän Pop and Jazz conservatory) five years and almost finished all theory classes. I don’t write any notes but I can read them. Playing doesn’t necessarily require any schools, but it’s much easier when everybody in the band understands something about the theory. If there would be one guy who would be great player but wouldn’t understand anything about theory, it would be frustrating, because you couldn’t just say F sharp minor but instead you would need to explain that put your fingers like that, we start working from that.
Timo: - I studied for a while in the Nurmijärvi folk high school. I finished theories in there same time when I was practicing with Asikainen. I learned basic things and I can write and read notes but I don’t use them.
- I remember playing scales with Asikainen and I’m sure that there were cool things, but I had this attitude that I can’t do it when some one is telling me to do it. But you should at least learn the chords if you want to play in the band. And theory is common language in the music.
Esa: - When I started to play, friend of my father was teaching me. It was kind of farce starting how to put your leg on the chair. And we studied theory so that teacher had drawn some lines for the notes by hand. I also studied in the Ogeli a couple of years. Same time there was for example Jouni Markkanen who was just moved from Kuopio to Helsinki and was on his way to international success with Suburban Tribe.
Only guitar hero in the world.
Term guitar hero amuses threesome. Who could be a guitar hero? None of the three players considers themselves as guitar heroes. Alexi summaries it by saying “I have never considered myself as a fucking hero”.
Timo: - First we need to define what guitar hero is. It’s very difficult. I think guitar hero is such who considers himself as a guitar hero. It’s a label that people stamp on you but you think yourself similarly. I can’t think anyone else than Yngwie Malmsteen thinks that of himself. And guitar hero as a term is limited to heavy metal. No one considers Keith Richards as a guitar hero.
Alexi: - or if you think Slash, he is really great player but no one thinks of him as a guitar hero. It’s definitely metal thing.
Timo: - It’s metal thing, but in my opinion also fastness has something to do with it. And one needs to be also a little bit asshole and have a big ego. Therefore Steve Vai doesn’t fit to the definition because his not an asshole and he doesn’t have big ego at all. And he doesn’t play just heavy metal. He is not a guitar hero in that sense. I think guitar heroes are little bit ridiculous.
- For example Gary Moore considers himself as a guitar hero for sure. I was seeing his gig at 1983 and there was legendary solo where he is alone on the stage with his guitar. There was hydraulic stage that started to rise up and there was smoke and lights, very “guitar hero” thing, except that stage never came down. They had to put lights on and get ladders to get him down. It was really embarrassing.
Alexi: - Acting like a rock star is fun as long you are not asshole to other people.
Timo: - but if you think that in the middle of the Bodom show you would start playing solo alone…
Esa: - but Allu is doing that.
Alexi: -Yeah well, I play solo battles with Janne, our keyboardist. It’s partly for fun but we are playing seriously.
When asking from threesome is there any guitarist they could call a guitar hero, Esa introduces name Yngwie Malmsten. He comment “He is really good player, still”.
Timo: Rising Force album was release 1984 and it was so brilliant album that no one has ever made anything like that before. Now days Yngwie has four 20 minutes solo spots. You can easily recognize from solos that it’s Yngwie who is playing, he has same things always. I’m not saying that I would be any better, probably not. But if we are talking about Yngwie he just so locked to that Yngwie mold that to get out, he need to get out from whole Yngwie.
Esa: - Maybe guitar hero label also requires death before you can be absolute hero. Then you are bigger than life like Randy Rhoads.
Timo: - Actually I was listening his solos one day and they are really cool. First of all he played all of them three times with different guitars. When you are listening to them with headphones, there are weird things going on. But he was really modest guy. I don’t think you can be modes and a guitar hero same time.
Alexi: - For some people guitar hero means that you are super fast for some others that you have created something revolutionary.
Threesome admits there will always be guitarist whose fingers are watched closely. And sure you want to show off then, but same thing is with creating the music. On their album band wants to convince listeners that hey do good music.
Alexi: - you know that you are famous guitarist when people come to ask picks at the bar.
Esa: - I have told many times that you can get exactly same picks from Musamaailma, but sure take one.
Timo: - I don’t go bars that much anymore but earlier there was always lot of people telling me things. Scale was from “your music suck” to “you do fucking great music”. I wouldn’t have balls to go to say some one that “you are fucking bad graphics designer”.
Alexi: - But I have to say it feels good when people come sincerely tell something about playing, style or whatever. It’s really rewarding. I have never go comments that I had just ignored.
Teaching guitar playing in Japan.
It has been said that guitarist need to practice all the time. But Timo Tolkki points out that Jeff Beck has said that he hasn’t practice with guitar for long time he prefers fixing cars.
Alexi: - I play for fun quite often. Sometimes I might take break for couple of days, which can be a good thing. I have techniques in such a good conditions that I don’t need to practice them anymore, but at home I just put some cd playing and play solos on top of that. It’s fun. And I also have to play a lot when touring or making a new album. At the tour there is not much to do before shows, because you really can’t drink, so I just sit on backstage and play something.
Timo, Esa and Alexi are all recognized guitarist around the world, especially in the Japan where guitar playing is serious as a death.
Esa: - They are so serious over there. We had a gig there and some guitar magazine wanted to do photo soot next day. We had terrible hangover and Koivusalo’s bridges where out of their places and he hadn’t bothered to repair them. Journalist and photographer were really excited that it is the reason for Amorphis sound. And then they took pictures of bridges.
Timo: - When you are doing guitar videos in the Japan you have to play same solo over and over again exactly same way because they are filing your fingers. But best thing that ever happened to me with these guitar magazines was in the Brazil. It was our first time in Sao Paolo and w e drinking there a lot. Next morning I had photo shoot with some magazine. I had been drinking caipirinha until morning; at 10:00 am our tour manager came to wake me up for the photo shoot. I never forget that feeling. I then just took that fucking guitar and went outside for the pictures. I have never seen those pictures, they must have been awful.
Alexi: - I have had similar events. It is even worse when no one has even told you that at the afternoon you have to go play guitar to somewhere. Manager wakes you up ten minutes before and then you should go, in terrible hangover, somewhere to explain “this is this kind of thing” and also try to play good. You can’t think anything else than I just want out of here quickly.
All three have endorsement deals with ESP and their guitars are handmade. Alexi also has signature series of his own.
Timo: - ESP is originally from Japan and it’s easy to co-operate with them. You get guitars from them and then you go to speak for example ESP music schools and keep guitar clinics. I have been shaking in those in terrible hangover.
- It’s enough for them that you show up, and then they are really excited if you keep guitar clinic. I tried to explain them (Japanese) that you need to do mistakes. But then I realized that its Japanese society where you don’t do mistakes. In the end they brought me some student made instruments to evaluate. It kind of sucked.
Alexi is only one from this threesome that considers himself as a guitar freak. Tolkki has two electric guitars, Esa has ten guitars. Alexi has more.
Alexi: - I have 200 hundred guitars…Just kidding I have maybe 20 guitars. And one broken acoustic one. I’m not collecting guitars but I wouldn’t say no to Randy Rhoads’ guitar. These things are based on feelings, I’m not collecting them.
Esa: - I have one thing I have been collecting. I have Pete Walli’s old guitar gear, old Marshall cabinet. It’s my altar and it’s not used in playing anymore. I have tried it when we were recording Elegy, it broke down and after I got it fixed I decided not to use it anymore.
Timo: - For me guitars mean less and less when I grow older which fucking annoys me. I don’t really play guitar anymore. I have reached certain point on it, if I would like to further develop it would require so much work that I don’t feel like doing it. I have been playing 23 years in Stratovarius and I don’t know if I have anything left to say. But I’m music freak.
Alexi: - I follow guitar magazines so that I know what is going on. But I have always wanted to play with that one sound I have, so I haven’t needed anything new. Lately my sound has started to really annoy me and I have been testing different things. But I don’t go to Musamaailma to test every fucking new wah that comes out.
Cheap guitar kills inspiration.
Esa Holopainen works in music store and almost daily advises parents which kind of guitar should be bought for the beginner. First of all Esa warns not to buy 100 or 200 € packages. Those packages should be burnt.
Esa: - You should buy too cheap guitar, it’s better to save some money and buy decent guitar and amplifier. If you have cheap guitar that is constantly out of tune it kills inspiration. But nowadays there are more options and you can get decent guitar with decent price. It is true that production is in cheap production countries nowadays but they are starting to have knowledge. You don’t need ridiculous amount of money to have good guitar anymore.
Alexi: - It’s true that if you start with bad guitar it kills the spirit and joy of playing. My first guitar was Tokai Stratocaster and amplifier was 50W Marshall. Both of them were second hand, but I could still use them. They cost almost nothing. I didn’t understand anything back them but my dad didn’t want to buy any Korean guitar.
Esa: - That was smart. Seriously it’s great if parents understand that it’s better to invest little bit more. For example with 600-700€ you can get good guitar with good components.
Timo: - My fist electric guitar was Arial and amplifier was Carisbron. It was so great to get them even though Arial is shitty guitar. But it was a guitar. I can’t even remember how great it felt to get your own electric guitar.
Esa: - It’s like getting color TV.
Timo: - True. Then rather quickly I got Stratocaster. There was huge difference. I don’t believe that bad guitar prevents you from learning if you are enthusiastic.
When you start playing guitar different videos can be helpful. But you might easily start with too advanced videos and become frustrated.
Esa: - One useful thing is you band mates. Everyone is thinking guitar playing differently and when you are playing someone else’s stuff you get an idea how they think.
Timo: - If we are talking about metal, it’s in totally different place compared to when I was 12-13 years old. Guitarist weren’t in same technical level than in nowadays. These days when kids listen guitar playing they wonder how anyone can play like that. It’s so technical and talented that it’s feels almost impossible. For me it was Blackmoore who had four notes. It was easy to start and it sounded so cool. But if you are listening to Dragonforce and jumping in the trampoline and its 250 bps, it’s totally different thing. Achieving that level of technical talent requires years of practicing and it might kill the enthusiasm.
Esa: - Dragonforce is annoying. If we think really good guitarist, Jimi Hendrix is one and of course John McLaugh who is one of my favorites.
Timo: - Mine too.
Alexi: - Who the fuck is he?
Esa: - He has played din the Shakti and Mahavishnu Orchestra.
Alexi: - What the fuck are those?
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Mutual respect
Let’s find out what Alexi Laiho, Timo Tolkki and Esa Holopainen think of each other.
About Esa Holopainen.
Timo: - I have to admit that I haven’t heard that much Esa’s playing. I don’t listen to guitarists, I listen to music, because I think guitarist are boring including me. I have know Esa a long time and seen his development. I think guitar hero of the Amorphis is actually Tomi Koivusaari who practices Rainbow solos and who has a penis piercing. But Amorphis has a thing of its own that is reason it has lasted so long. I can’t think Esa, or myself, as a guitar hero.
Alexi: - I’m old Amorphis fan. When we were 13-14 years old we went to see their gigs and listened to Amorphis a lot. Esa’s guitar playing servers the song, it’s melodic and in my opinion it’s what this is all about.
About Timo Tolkki:
Esa: - When I heard Startovarius album first time I was amazed that we have such a player here in Finland. Timo is a guitar hero. Stratovarius without Tolkki, wouldn’t be Stratovarius. It’s same thin in Startovarius music; Timo’s playing is the thing.
Alexi: - First Stratovarius album I heard was Episode. It didn’t impress me that much but my friends wanted to go to see then right after Visions came out. We went to see that gig and I was thinking that fuck those dudes are amazing. Stratovarius was that time best band in its own genre. It had the best players and the best songs. It was influence to us in the beginning.
About Alexi Laiho
Timo: - I take fatherly approach to Alexi. Just kidding, I saw Bodom first time in Czech when we were playing at the same festival. I don’t listen to that kind of music at all because it’s so aggressive and I’m so sensitive person, but I dig that kind of music, which is based on hate, in the small portions. For example Pantera is same kind of band, I like it but I can’t listen to it too long. Bodom’s thing is based on expressing hate and their songs don’t express that much for example sadness. Alexi has world class technique and he has developed style of his own. And Alexi has also that wild child thing when he is signing at the same time. Bodom show is impressive experience. And it’s much healthier that beating up old women.
Esa: - I really respect what Alexi has achieved as a guitarist with hard work. Not only with his band, but also as a guitarist. It is great to see how high he is ranked as a guitarist. He has good technique. One thing I really like in the Allu’s playing is that he has rock thing going on, not just usual shredding.
sleeper666
MetalMutha
That's a really interesting interview, thanks for translating all that, valkokukka; and thanks also to Celeb for scans
