Scythes Of Bodom & Henkka T. Blacksmith 2008
Zarok: Henkka, what's your impression of this tour so far?
Henkka: It's been good. This is the biggest tour we've ever been to, so it's quite amazing with so many people showing up on each show.
Henkka: Well, if it's up to me then I would always like to play more songs from Something Wild but this is always a big debate within the band. I don't think the other guys would do it.
Zarok: So you could never imagine to do something like Amon Amarth who will play their first four albums four nights in a row?
Henkka: I think it would be cool to do something like that but the others in the band would never agree.
Zarok: Who decides the setlists? There's a scene in the Chaos Ridden Years documentary where Janne and Alexi put together a setlist. Is it only these two or are the others also involved in choosing the songs for it?
Henkka: The whole band is always involved when it comes to that and everybody can decide.
Zarok: It's cool that you regularly add older songs again, like recently "Bed Of Razors" on the last US tour. Is there a chance to hear classics like "Hatebreeder" for example again in the future or does it belong to the songs that you rule out?
Henkka: Actually I also tried to put this song on the setlist but the other guys... they didn't want it but having "Bed Of Razors" in the set again is something special anyway.
Zarok: You try to convince the other guys to add a certain older song in the set again, which will probably surprise the fans. How's it going with that?
Henkka: Well, we played it for a while in our rehearsal room but then we were like "No, we're not gonna use it." and I think we didn't even finish it in the rehearsals. So, it's not doing too good. But I still think we should do it.
Zarok: Alexi once told me - actually he promised it to me - that one day you would play "Trashed, Lost & Strungout" again. Probably he already forgot about that the next day after that but maybe you can tell me if something happened when it comes to that. Did you maybe rehearse it again?
Henkka: I think we already decided that it doesn't work live. We tried it live for so many times but it never worked out, so I think we will rule it out for the future.
Zarok: Alexi was totally honest to me and said that the reason was just a lack of practise.
Henkka: Ok, could be. But we played it quite often and it never sounded good.
Zarok: Any chance that "Knuckleduster" will return to the setlist?
Henkka: I would love to but I think Alexi doesn't like it.
Zarok: You take care about COBHC merchandise and decide which images get printed on shirts and other clothing. How do you come up with the ideas? Do you work on them together with your friend Sasu?
Henkka: Yeah, we used to do that. We did a couple of shirts but nowadays the merchandise companies want so many different designs that they suggest things which we just approve if we like it.
Zarok: Do you care about other bands and projects of the other guys, like Sinergy, Warmen and Gashouse Garden?
Henkka: I used to have all the Sinergy albums and especially on the first album there were a couple of good songs but I haven't been really following it. I also have all Warmen albums but I haven't really listened to it. But yeah, I know some songs of this guy. (points to Janne)
Zarok: You recorded "Tie My Rope" at Sonic Pump Studios in May 2007 together with four other songs as demo tracks. Which songs were it?
Henkka: "Tie My Rope" and then... we did... "Some Day You Will Cry"...
Zarok: Isn't it "One Day You Will Cry"?
Henkka: Ah yeah, right. (laughs)
Janne: Thank you for that, mr. smartass.
Henkka: Janne, what else did we record? What was the one where we were too drunk to finish it?
Janne: "Smile Pretty...".
Henkka: What else... It wasn't "Hellhounds..." Was it "Blooddrunk"? Ah yeah, we did this... What's the name of this song... I don't remember it right now. I think it's the seventh song on the album. (sings a riff)
Zarok: "Done With Everything..."?
Henkka: Yes, it was this one I think. But after we recorded it we actually changed it quite a lot so it's totally different in the end.
Zarok: Do they sound different compared to the ones you recorded for the album?
Henkka: As I said, we didn't even finish "Smile Pretty For The Devil" in the studio because we were a little bit too drunk and it was too complicated. Otherwise the songs are pretty much the same. The sound isn't that good but the structure is the same.
Zarok: Any plans to use these demo songs as bonus tracks or something like that?
Henkka: No plans but I guess they could be used.
Zarok: What do you do offstage when Jaska, Alexi and Janne play their solos?
Henkka: I just hang out with Neubi and have some drinks.
Zarok: What's your favourite Children Of Bodom album?
Henkka: Well, Blooddrunk because it's just the freshest.
Zarok: What's the worst Children Of Bodom song?
Henkka: The worst... (after thinking for 20 seconds) Probably "Northern Comfort" but it has one really good riff and melody part though. It's not really easy to pick one song.
Zarok: So far you released three of the four recorded cover songs you recorded during the Blooddrunk sessions. Do you know when and where the Suicidal Tendencies cover "War Inside My Head" will be released?
Henkka: No, I don't even know where all those tracks were used, it could have been already released somewhere.
Zarok: No, so far it's still unreleased.
Henkka: Really? Ok, good. I have no idea but the record companies will probably find some good spot for this one.
Zarok: It seems that almost all of your cover songs and other rare tracks are released now. Recently the first three albums were re-issued and got a lot of bonus tracks, even rare stuff like the first recordings of "Children Of Bodom" for Something Wild and "Hate Me!" for Follow The Reaper. There's also an early recording of "Towards Dead End" but unfortunately it wasn't used as bonus track for the Hatebreeder re-release. Did you even have any influence on that, also when it comes to deciding the bonus tracks for it?
Henkka: No, they are pretty much chosen by the responsible persons at the record companies who hold the rights for these tracks.
Zarok: Are there any other unreleased rarities?
Henkka: I think everything is released except the Suicidal Tendencies song.
Janne: ...and the King Diamond cover.
Henkka: Wasn't it ever released?
Janne: It was never released.
Henkka: So the tribute album never came out? It was supposed to be on a tribute album.
Zarok: The band has been thinking about an album full of cover songs for a longer time now. Is this something you wanna do in the near future, maybe when you're recovering between two tours?
Henkka: It could be in the next year. Maybe 2009 would be good but then of course it depends on the record label.
Zarok: Are there any songs you'd like to cover for that?
Henkka: I guess we'd have to cover some new stuff for it but we haven't thought about it yet. But probably we will do a couple of new cover songs for it.
Zarok: Once you wanted to cover "Holiday In Cambodia" of the Dead Kennedys.
Henkka: (laughs) Yeah, we tried it but it didn't work out.
Zarok: Have you ever spent your holiday in Cambodia? You like to travel a lot and often spend your holidays in countries far away. To which exotic countries do you travel as tourist?
Henkka: Yes, I have spent my holidays there. What other countries... Well, Indonesia isn't that exotic... Thailand, Cambodia... Lately I have been to Mexico. (To Janne and Jaska) In which exotic countries have I been?
Jaska: Tenerife. (laughs)
Henkka: Yeah, and Lanzarote. (laughs) I think Cambodia was the most exotic one.
Zarok: There are a lot of tours ahead. In which countries do you plan to tour in 2009?
Henkka: Probably the same central European area we do on this tour. Then the USA and Canada. Hopefully Japan, Australia and New Zealand again. Hopefully South Africa. That's about it.
Zarok: Can you already say what's next to expect from Children Of Bodom when the world tour is finished? A new EP, DVD or something similar?
Henkka: I hope we can get this cover album done between touring. When we're done with that we can have some vacation and can start doing new stuff.
but in the standing area on Wednesay. No, they didn't search us for cameras (surprisingly). 
