Scott Smith of May The Rock Be With You recently conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho of Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
May The Rock Be With You: “Relentless Reckless Forever” has been out now for about six months. Have you generally been happy with the way the way the fans have responded to the album?
Alexi: It’s been really great — like, for real. I’ve only heard good feedback, but it’s not like people are going to come up to you and tell to your face, “Dude, the album sucks!” I mean, they do that on the Internet, but I don’t even usually go to our web site or check any online stuff as I’m not into that stuff. But all the stuff I have seen, it’s pretty much been positive!
May The Rock Be With You: As far as the whole process of recording and writing that album, would you say that was probably your most enjoyable or difficult, what is the feeling now when you look back on it?
Alexi: It was both. It was definitely tough, as we had less time in the studio than what you are normally used to. We took a bit more time on the songwriting and we worked with a producer this time, which was new for us. He was a good dude, Matt Hyde; he made sure the wheels were in motion and cracking the whip, something was always happening and people were not slacking off or anything. It was kind if tough, but I did enjoy it a lot, working so hard. Usually we will spend about six weeks in the studio just to record usually everything except for the vocals. Recording for us, while we take it very seriously, it’s also been a big party for us. I’m actually really proud of this one as it was pretty much recorded in three weeks and it’s better-played than anything we have done before.
May The Rock Be With You: Some bands will start working on songs for their new album practically as soon as the current one has been completed. Are you one of those bands, or do you only write when the time comes to start thinking about a new album?
Alexi: We are definitely not one of those bands! When an album is done, we just concentrate on the touring. Like you said, I know a lot of people can actually do writing while touring, but for me it doesn’t work out man. Just the tour environment, it’s so wrong for writing, at least for me, anyway. So we just want up concentrate on the touring and when that’s over, it’s all about the songwriting; that’s how it works for us.
May The Rock Be With You: CHILDREN OF BODOM has been in existence for over 15 years, how has the metal scene in Finland changed in that time, is that very different to when you first started out?
Alexi: It’s definitely different. As much as I’ve been able to follow the metal scene around here, it just seems now it’s the whole kind of folk metal stuff with people dressed up wearing bear skins and stuff like that. That really seems to be the flavor of the month right now and there’s a couple of decent bands that play that who I can listen to. Back in the day, it was different ;there was either really underground extreme death metal bands or more like ’80s HELLOWEEN-type bands like STRATOVARIUS. Then just the fact of how big and popular metal has become over those 15 years. Metal music here in Finland is seriously considered mainstream and it’s kind of like a double-edged sword. It’s a good thing with albums and sales, but the one thing that appealed about metal to me was the whole rebellious nature, like it was our thing, not like the family-fun thing! But what are you going to do?! I can’t complain.
Read the entire interview from May The Rock Be With You. Source: Blabbermouth.net
Norwegian metallers SUSPERIA will release a CD celebrating their 10-year anniversary as a recording artist, “We Are The Ones”, on November 11. According to a press release, “This album marks 10 years of releases, and at the same time a nice end of a circle where Mustis (ex-DIMMU BORGIR), who participated on SUSPERIA‘s first demo in 1999, now returns after 12 years to once again put his magical touch on new, as well as old songs. A very fruitful cooperation which now has led to some fantastic re-recordings of some very popular, classic songs, now in complete symphonic versions. A brand new song has been recorded, with a massive orchestral theme. The contribution to this year’s Eurovision Song Contest is of course featured. And to round up a celebratory album of this magnitude the right way, here it is finally, the entire infamous demo recording from 1999; ‘Illusions Of Evil’! Remastered and officially released for the very first time. Øyvind ‘Mustis’ Mustaparta has been a guest musician in the band for a period of six months, and the result of this junction is finally ready. Really just a huge celebration of the longtime brotherhood of the band, and an even bigger thank you to the devoted fans worldwide. What contributes to making this album so special now is the fact that SUSPERIA, in their 12-year existence, have had the same lineup of members, without exception. This is very rare, and quite special not only in the metal genre, but in the whole music industry in general. Especially within bands consisting of five or more members. This will also be vocalist Athera’s first release with SUSPERIA since the near-fatal heart attack in March 2009, and the subsuquent open-heart surgery.”
Fans of dramatic, symphonic Euro metal have something to look forward to when the cold, dark, dreary winter sets in. Finnish/Swedish superstars NIGHTWISH will release their new album, “Imaginaerum”, in North America on January 10, 2012 via Roadrunner Records and it will serve as a welcome beckon of warmth and light in an otherwise dark season! The album is the band’s first since 2007’s “Dark Passion Play”, which was then-new singer Anette Olzon‘s debut.
Due to complications from singer Tony Moore‘s emergency oral surgery, legendary U.S. metal band RIOT is disappointed to announce that it will not be able to support HAMMERFALL on the Swedish metal act’s previously announced European headlining tour.
Swedish melodic rockers DEAD BY APRIL will release their second studio album, “Incomparable”, in Sweden on September 21 through Unviersal Music. A new video, “Calling”, can now be viewed below. This is actually the second single from the new album, following on from “Within My Heart”, released earlier this year.
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 