Interview с Children of Bodom : DARKSIDE.ru

llo, this is Hennka.

Hello, Ksenia is speaking! How do you hear me?

Great!

Me, too! Then we shall start I think. How and when did you come up with an idea to release a compilation of cover versions? And why did you release it only now?

The idea itself goes back to six years ago maybe. Fans were all the time asking us when it would be possible to get all the covers in one piece, one package. Because some of the covers we’d done earlier are very difficult or maybe impossible at all to find nowadays, because they were released as b-sides, or on some singles. And now we finally decided to release all of them together, we recorded two more tracks and made a special release of all our old covers with two more songs.

For the new CD you recorded only two new covers “Hell Is For Children” by Pat Benatar and also “Antisocial” by Anthrax. Why so few?

We recorded these two songs, because they seemed to us more interesti

ng, and “Hell Is For Children” turned out really well.

Another cover “War Inside My Head” by Suicidal Tendencies was recorded two years ago, but was not released then.

Oh, yeah, We were in the studio with “Bloodrunk” and we recorded a couple of covers, and this song was one of the two. We didn’t intend to release it with the album, probably we intended to release it with some special edition, but it so happened that we didn’t. But it turned out really well, so I’m glad that now it’s a kind oh unheard track on this album.

On this CD the song by King Diamond “Waiting For Darkness” goes as a hidden track. Why did you make it a hidden song – is it just a hint to the title of the compilation meaning that no matter how many skeletons you pull out of your closet, there is always something left there? Or is it connected with the rights on this song or what?

(laughs) A good idea! I don’t really know. Maybe there are always some skeletons in the close

d! But it is not connected with the problems with rights. I think it’s just not the best cover version that we did, we are not quite happy with it, though it’s not bad. We decided that it would be right to place it as a hidden track for the people who really search – they will find this track, it’s a kind of surprise for them. I think that hidden tracks are always funny a little bit, it’s a good idea.

You make a lot of covers, and have you ever received the negative response from the original singers of this or that song? Were there cases that musicians just didn’t like the way you did your job?

If there were any, I haven’t heard about them. I assume that there are probably such reactions, but I haven’t heard them myself. It would be nice to hear some opinions – even negative. It doesn’t matter – all reactions and opinions would be equally interesting.

You released this compilation in three versions – for The USA, for Europe and for Japan. Why did it so happ

en that the song “Ghost Riders In The Sky” turned out to be outside the European version, probably the most popular version to be sold?
I think it’s a matter of the rights. I think that “Ghost Riders In The Sky” was already released in some of those areas, so it couldn’t be on the same area released. It’s all about it, it’s the record label policy.

And why are there only 14 tracks for Japan this time? For Europe you have 17! And Japan is famous for having always all the best versions, it always has CDs with more bonus tracks, than other countries, it always has a lot of very “tasty and delicious” editions. And this time only 14 songs…

Actually I don’t know, we don’t decide such matters. By the way, a good question, I haven’t thought about it myself. I’ll ask! (laughs)

Your latest album was released also in a special edition with a bonus DVD, which included the versions of your songs in 5.1 Surround Sound. Was it just an interesting experiment for the

band, one-time enterprise or do you think that it it a future format for your music and music in general?

I think we did it once before with “Are You Dead Yet”. I think it’s an interesting thing. I think it’s really the future for the recording, because 5.1 Surround Sound is a really good thing! And I hope it will keep on like that.

There have been a lot of talks lately, when you had to cancel some shows, because Alexi fell from his bed in a tour bus and broke his arm. How does he fell now? Do you bind him now to his bed to prevent such cases in the future? (everybody laughs)

Well, now he is fully recovered, which is a good thing. Actually he was out of shows for two weeks, he had to have a rest to recover – and this is a bad thing of course, that he couldn’t play on stage. Now he is fully recovered. And yeah, he always slept on the highest bed, on the top bed, and now he sleeps always on the lowest bed! That’s the only thing we could do about it! (laughs)

You are now on a tour supporting your latest album, but fans always want to know more. So do you have any ideas about your future album, did you write any songs for it?

We don’t have any songs written yet. I think Alexi has been personally preparing something already. But we have no ready songs so far.

You are the only band member who is not involved in any side-project. Why is that? I cannot believe that no one invited you to take part in some enterprise…

Oh, I’ve never felt any need for it. Musically I’m very content with Children Of Bodom. If I were not, I would search for some side project, but musically now I’m totally content. And I also busy with some other things, so there is no need for me.

But musicians don’t always organize side projects or take part in some enterprises only because they are not content with what they are doing in their main band. Sometimes some interesting collaboration or invitation to be featured

on this or that band’s album results in a wonderful compilation of different artists, like Ayreon for example…

Oh, yeah, there were some talks about some kind of collaboration, but since I have some other stuff besides the band, so I said I’d do something when I’m really interested in it. I wouldn’t go for any collaboration just like this, “Oh, yes, it’s o’k, let’s do it…” If I take part in some side project, if I find some time for it, then I would have to be really passionate about it. In this sense I mean that I have no other passion for music right now. So that’s why I don’t find time for doing a side-project.

A couple of years ago you toured together with Slayer, Lamb Of God and Mastodon. What reminiscences do you have from those times and what do you like more – to perform with such great and big bands or with a couple of smaller bands?

Oh, of course when we have a tour with such big bands like Slayer, it’s wonderful, because you can show your music

for the new people. But Slayer fans are rather stuff, they don’t really appreciate anything new. Lamb Of God now are getting really big, they are almost as big as Slayer in the States now – so it’s also great to play with them. I like their music a lot, they are guys it’s great to play with, both musically and personally. And when we are headliners and have some supporting bands, it’s usually that most of the people are there to see US, and these shows for us are a little bit more intense. These are totally different things – to be opening for Slayer or to play your own show in Moscow, for example. The feeling is totally different. And I don’t know which one is better. Of course, it feels nicer to play for your own fans, because all they are just there for us. It’s a very nice feeling. But then again to play for 10 000 Slayer fans is like a challenge to you, to show the people that we are a kind of a good music, too.

To gain a new audience?

Exactly!

On your

official web site you made a kind of competition on which you asked your fans to say which songs or artist the band should have covered and why. How many responses and mails did you get? And what do they ask for?

Oh, I haven’t seen any results of this competition yet. But I know that one of the variants asked for is “Heartwork” by Carcass.

As soon as you made it public that you release a compilation of covers, the Internet was full of different rumors and talks that the band was against releasing this CD, but it was the label that insisted on it. Is it true?

My side of the story is that I was asked a lot of times by the fans to release this CD, and then the band several times suggested releasing this CD to the label. Now the label thought there high time for it. And I’m not sure, but as far as I know there were not any problems. And it’s not included in our record contract. So nothing special, or anything serious…

Children Of Bodom is probab

ly one of the most fruitful bands in terms of cover versions. So how do you usually choose which song and which artist you want to make a cover on?

Usually everybody brings a couple of suggestions. Then we talk about it together and take the most interesting ones, we try to play them together, and then the ones that sound best – we choose them. Even if it’s a great idea, we try it first, as it might not come out as good at the end as it seemed at the beginning.

The cover artwork of this compilation is rather interesting. The album is called “Skeleton In The closet”, but there is a mirror on the cover. Of course the Ripper is also there with his scythe. So why mirror and who was responsible for the artwork?

It’s Kalo Koskinen, he works with our label. This precise picture of the Ripper – we thought it funny. The Ripper is a kind laid back on his scythe, or rather leaning on the scythe, having a break. It has a feeling that it will be in the closet, though it’

s a mirror reflecting. So that’s pretty much the idea of it, but the main idea is this Ripper leaning on the scythe like taking a break and taking it easy.

You masterfully create cover versions, that’s no doubt. But what is your reaction if someone makes a cover on one of your songs?

I’d only say, “Go on!” Moreover I would like to have them all. It would be interesting for me to hear them.

Do you plan a concert to support “Skeletons In The Closet” with a set-list full of ONLY cover versions?

No, we have no plans like this. We are still touring “Bloodrunk” tour. This is not a proper album, it’s just a cover album and when we tour with this cover album, we’re just gonna concentrate on the new album.

Could you disclose a secret to us? Will you play any cover versions on your Moscow concert in October?

I don’t know. I don’t think so, as we usually don’t play covers live, but it’s still a two-month time, so nobody knows what’s gonna happen.

Let’s return back into the history of your career. Do you remember the first day when you took bass guitar in your hands and what did you feel when you performed the first sounds by yourself?

I don’t remember the exact day, but I remember that I liked it! (laughs) It was amazing that I could play myself, it was like “Wow, I can do it myself! I can hear it on the album!” It was an amazing feeling.

Did you study somewhere? Did you take lessons of guitar playing with a teacher or you are a self made musician?

I’m more like a self made, but I took some lessons. Maybe for a year I took some guitar lessons. But I would say I’m a self made musician.

Thanks a lot for your answers, probably you have something to say to our readers.

I’m looking forward to coming to play to Russia, as Russian fans are always great, it’s a great audience, see you very very very soon!!

Interview by Ksenia “Wolfin” Khorina
Questions also composed by Blindman, KorDan
21 окт 2009 the End


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Children of Bodom

No Skeletons in the Closet

MAX DE SADE

Wolfin

StarChild

Blindman

Wolfin

Boev_Danil

sfajrat

Jon Roach