I translated another one. Alexi's interview in Metalliliitto radio program 1.11.2000
Klaus: Children of Bodom, and busy musician Alexi Laiho. Good morning.
Alexi: Good morning
Klaus: So this the third piece of lullabys, Follow the Reaper album. So now we should all follow the Reaper. Has this something to do with some agrarian-aspect? Have you ever done some hay-making?
Alexi: I've never done any hay-making, but the reaper is still an important aspect. Of course it's gonna be on our album cover, and probably will always be. It has earned it's place there.
Klaus: It was already in the cover of Something wild wasn't it?
Alexi: Yeah, it's been on every album and will be on next one too, standing with it's scythe.
Klaus: Is the reaper some kind of mascot for you like Iron Maiden's Eddy? And will the Reaper join you on stage some time?
Alexi: It might be. We have talked about that.
Klaus: Of couse if he want's to come himself...
Alexi: Yeah, he's been quite busy guy recently.
Klaus: Like yourself... How did you have time to do this new album now that you play with Sinergy and Ipaled Nazarene too?
Alexi: Of course I have time for Bodom, after all it's always been my main band. But with Sinergy, these schedules have gone very hard. All the gigs are almost at same time. Regrettably I can't play gigs with Impaled even if I wanted since I don't have time. I'm going to play on their album but I haven't time for gigs.
Klaus: Do you play in so many bands because you don't get very much money?
Alexi: Well, not exactly. I just like to play all kinds of metal, it's not about money.
Klaus: I just remember that a week after the release of Something wild, mr. Laiho was in record labels office asking money for the sales...
Alexi: (laughter) It might be, I don't remember anythig abot that but it might be true.
Klaus: ...and then you were informed that it's going to take 6 months before he can get any money. You now anything about Bodom's album sales?
Alexi: Not really... just something about finnish sales. Both albums have probably sold over 10000 in Finland, and Hatebreeder has sold about 60000 outside of Finland.
Klaus: "Hate Me" has been released as a single some time ago. Is it some kind of love song?
Alexi: A love song, yeah. It was released as a single before but we wanted to put it on album since it's a good song afterall.
Klaus: Why are you asking people to hate you?
Alexi: Well, they hate me anyway... (laughter)
Klaus: When we look to the track list of "Follow the Reaper", there is again a Bodom-themed song: Bodom after Midnight. Well, what happens at Lake Bodom after midnight?
Alexi: Well, knife swings and blood is spilled. A Bodom themed song on every album has became a tradition. It's quite easy to write stories about lake Bodom.
Klaus: When you last visited Lake Bodom?
Alexi: Hmm, last tuesday. I was taking photographs.
Klaus: Have you ever been fishing there?
Alexi: No, but I've been swimming there.
Klaus: And you didn't even drown...
Alexi: No...
Klaus: So you can swim?
Alexi: Yeah, I can.
Klaus: When did you learn to swim?
Alexi: Hmm... I remember that I once drowned (laughter) when I was a kid, but I don't remember how old I was. Probably 5 years old.
Klaus: Let's move on with this track list... Children of Decadence. Was this an alternative when you were choosing the band name. But this is kind of difficult to pronounce...
Alexi: No, it was never an alternative for band name. It's just the name of a song. When we thought of that band name, there was never any other "Children of something" kind of name.
Klaus: Who are these children of decadence then?
Alexi: Well, children of decadence are all the children (laughter) who are not doing so well.
Klaus: You meand these youngsters who are drinking beer while hiding in some bushes in some park?
Alexi: (laughter) Well, this isn't any public statement or anything.
Klaus: Next one is Everytime I Die. Doing what?
Alexi: When drowning for example. Or anything else. That's the feeling when you are too tired to do anything and you feel that death is drawing near.
Klaus: Next is Mask of Sanity..., I don't quite get what that means...
Alexi: (laughter) Well, you can think it like that or...
Klaus: Are you wearing it now?
Alexi: Yes, or how do you think? If I seem normal to you, I'm wearing it. Thats the idea, and usually these songs are about different feelings, and this is about a guy who's completely psycho but he can wear some kind of mask and appear as normal to others.
Klaus: Taste of My Scythe. (laughter) So what does it taste like?
Alexi: Probably it tastes like shit.
Klaus: Is this kind of those rubber product that have different versions that taste different?
Alexi: No, scyhte tastes always the same. It's kind of murder-themed war song, which is dedicated to all people I hate. Some day they get struck in head with a scythe and it cuts their head off. (laughter)
Klaus: And it makes a funny noise when it rolls to a nearest sewer?
Alexi: Well, you can play football with it if you don't invent anything special to do with it.
Klaus: So you can think that the scythe is metallic, rusty and probably also covered with blood?
Alexi: Yeah, I thought the same. Rusty and covered with blood.
Klaus: Northern Comfort. (He translates it in finnish and laughs)
Alexi: Yeah, lyrics of that song will never be released so don't even think about it... That song is about drinking and drinking too much... The idea came from an alcohol drink called Southern Comfort.
Klaus: Yeah, I was just going to say that!
Alexi: ... this was kind of carcass-humour.
Klaus: And the last song Kissing the Shadows. So I start listening for this in my home, wait for evening and when shadows fall, I walk around my room kissing air. Is this the idea?
Alexi: (laughter) Well, not exactly... It's probably one of those songs that have official lyrics. It's probably hardest for people to understand, and it seems that it makes no sense. It's pretty much about some close person dying and you want to follow the same path.
Klaus: Can you imagine yorself after 40 years, in 2040, in a rowboat at Lake Bodom?
Alexi: After 40 years right?
Klaus: Yes, you're probably alive in 2040, I'm probably not.
Alexi: (naurua) Well, I dont know... I'm 61 years old then, I'm probably not in condition to row anymore then. Well, 61-year old Wildchild might not be the coolest thing around...
Klaus: Wild-retired-pensioner...
Alexi: Yeah (laughter)
