Alexi Laiho Interview: Children of Bodom

By: Brian D. Holland

Alexi Laiho, founding member and frontman of extreme metal act Children of Bodom (CoB), is known for incredible six-string momentum and melodic speed along with stern vocal strength. Besides CoB and side project Sinergy, he has played with Impaled Nazarene, Kykähullut, and Thy Serpent. Japan’s premier guitar magazine, Young Guitar, voted him Guitarist of the Year in 2005.

Hailing from Espoo, Finland, Children of Bodom released their 1997 debut, Something Wild, when the band members were a mere 17 and 18-years-old. One can only imagine what an experience it was for these young musicians to not only find themselves popular in their native country and all over Scandinavia, but throughout Europe, Asia, and North America as well.

They’ve since released four more studio CDs and a couple of live shows, the most recent being Chaos Ridden Years – Stockholm Knockout, on both CD and DVD format. The band is made up of Alexi Laiho on guitar, Roope Latvala on guitar (replacing the Alexander Kuoppala), Janne Wirman on Keyboards, Henkka Seppala on bass guitar, and Jaska Raatikainen on drums.

Children of Bodom is a hard rockin’, head banging, metal machine known for an array of interesting sounds focusing around super fast tempos and amazing guitar and keyboard wizardry. That description sums them up without getting too fussy about categorizing. As metal players everywhere corroborate, CoB’s Alexi Laiho being one of them, genre labels are merely something the media and fans use to categorize and tag the music while the bands go about making what they consider to be their own version of metal. It’s a style that often becomes personalized over time through the creative mind of each individual in the band.

Though Children of Bodom’s music can be described as a fusion of death metal, black metal, Scandinavian metal, neo-classical, melodic, speed, power metal, and many other so-called subgenres, it makes sense to simply call it ‘metal’ to avoid confusion. No matter how one views it, Children of Bodom’s music is unique unto them. It’s unique to the area in which they grew up as well.

“Every fuckin’ band makes their own label and style of music or whatever. I just call it metal and that’s that.”
— Alexi Laiho (Talking about the tendency of fans and media to label metal music by genre and sub-genre.)

It’s not unusual for a band as profound at the art of extreme metal to hail from the Scandinavian region. There’ve been quite a few over the past twenty-five years or more. Norway’s Dimmu Borgir and Mayhem; Sweden’s Hypocrisy, In Flames, Bloodbath, and Unleashed; Finland’s Nightwish, Sentenced, and Children of Bodom are a mere few that come to mind. There’s also the popular side project Sinergy, made up of Dimmu Borgir singer Kimberly Goss and Children of Bodom’s Alexi Laiho and Roope Latvala. Though the list is extensive, it’s Children of Bodom who are making quite a splash in the metal world these days.

The Nordic area is special in itself. Its distinct traits and facts can both dramatize fan devotion to metal music as well as lay reason to it. Though the northern territory is known as “The Land of The Midnight Sun”, where in a quarter of Finland and other countries lie within the Arctic circle (upper Canada and Russia as well) and are able to experience light 24 hours a day, the opposite phenomena occurs in winter. During this time there can be little to no sunlight at all. This marvel, known as “polar night,” is known to cause S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder), a condition causing severe depression because of the lack of serotonin in the body, or the exclusion of natural sunlight.

Though a magnificent land made up of wonderful people, it’s no secret that Finland has for years been known for its high suicide rate and mental health issues, along with alcoholism and drug related problems. Whether dramatized or blatantly real, balance this scenario with the violent and dark lyrical content of much of the heavy metal created over the past quarter of a century and a relation becomes apparent. Put that next to the fact that Children of Bodom named themselves after the notorious Lake Bodom (of Espoo, Finland) incident of June 4, 1960, in which three teenagers were brutally murdered while asleep in their camping tents, and the horror escalates.

Minus the light thing, this scenario isn’t non-existent in European or US society by any means, nor is it in other parts of the world. Since the onset of metal and the likes of Black Sabbath, Metallica, Priest, Maiden, Megadeth, and countless others, the style has branched out in numerous multifaceted and complex directions. In many cases, in company with transformation it gained volume, angst, and brutal force.

Extreme metal is a theatrical stage act of horror and violence. It’s an art form of precision musicianship and melodramatic lyricism, performed powerfully, and often belted out vocally in shrouds of aggressive screams. Just like rap or hip-hop, its lyrical substance is understood by a world of young people. It talks of world disarray, social dysfunction, and the torment and sorrow only known by the young at heart. Add in a knack for melodic phrasing and twin guitar shredding and you’ve got the music of Children of Bodom.

Alexi Laiho’s often opinionated and in-your-face attitude has a tendency to exert itself off the stage as well as on, rendering him an attention-grabbing and controversial character. As well as being a revolutionary metal artist, he’s no doubt young and defiant (weren’t we all at one time?). These traits go together like paper and fire, and often with a comparative result; one that’s sizzling, volatile, and never boring. He was exhausted when I spoke with him. The excitement constantly exerted in CoB’s style of music would easily tire anyone in due course, especially when well into a long and grueling tour schedule. Though he was friendly and personable, the “Wildchild” in him was at the surface in a fun way.

******

Brian Holland: Hello, Alexi. How are you?

Alexi Laiho: I don’t know. I’ve been better. I’m just fuckin’ exhausted, man. I’m so tired. My body is hating me right now. But other than that, I’m doing all right. [Laughing]

Brian: Well, you’ve been touring quite a lot.

Alexi: Yeah, it’s been a long ride. That’s for sure.

Brian: Yes, it has. Explain your “Wildchild” nickname.

Alexi: I don’t remember how or when I got it. But I think I got it from that W.A.S.P. song. I’m one of the biggest W.A.S.P. fans in the world. I’m living up to the reputation; that’s for sure. Right now I’m paying for it. [Laughing]

Brian: You speak English well.

Alexi: Thanks. We start learning English in elementary school in like the third grade, about eight-years-old. We have English on TV as well, so I’ve been speaking it ever since I was a little kid. Also, my girlfriend, whom I lived with for about four years, is an American. I guess I got the accent and everything. But, you know, we’ve spent a lot of time here [U.S.] as well.

Brian: Talk about the band name, Children of Bodom. Is it descriptive of the band’s music and lyrics? In reference to the lake in Finland where the gruesome murders took place, does the title front the actual theme?

Alexi: Well, no, not really. We have one Bodom-related song on each album. It’s just a thing we do. Other than that, the music isn’t really related to that incident. Our music is reality-based. It’s based on real feelings and stuff. The name was related to the incident, but it’s only the one song on each album that’s about that subject.

It’s the fictional part actually. I’m not really stating fact about what actually happened there; we’re just making up stories about what could’ve happened. As to what actually happened, it’s still just a mystery. You can go on and on about it, but nobody’s ever going to find out what really happened.

Brian: Ever camp out at Lake Bodom?

Alexi: I never camped out there, but we’ve hung out there a lot. It’s really a great place. There are a lot of nice beaches there and stuff like that, and camping and barbeque areas. I’d like to camp out there one day.

Brian: If you had to categorize it, what metal genre or sub-genre would you put the band’s music into?

Alexi: I really wouldn’t want to categorize it under any certain label. You know, when you think about it, Children of Bodom is like a combination of so many styles of metal that it’s hard to categorize it. I’m not really into the whole labeling thing anyway. Every fuckin’ band makes their own label and style of music or whatever. I just call it metal and that’s that.

Brian: I understand. Most metal people I speak with don’t seem to delve too deeply into the genre labeling attached to it by the fans and media.

Alexi: Yeah. I think “metal” is enough. If people don’t know the actual metal of a band then they should find out by listening to them.

Brian: Do you take the music and lyrics seriously, or is it more of a theatrical thing?

Alexi: Well, it’s not like Spinal Tap or anything. Of course we take it seriously, but it’s kind of a thing where we know our limits and how serious it can get. We can laugh at ourselves, and we do, all the time. And we like to have fun, and we’re not afraid to show that to people.

There’s humor in some of the songs, too. Like in the song “Bodom Beach Terror,” you can’t do that with a straight face, you know. But I don’t know, dude. Even though metal is metal, you have to be able to laugh at yourself. Otherwise you’re just a fuckin’ jerk off. That’s what I think. [Both Laughing]

Brian: How well received has the band been in the USA?

Alexi: Really well. We didn’t start touring here until the end of 2003. But since then we’ve been here like six-and-a-half months out of every year. So we’ve been working hard and getting a lot more exposure in magazines and stuff like that. Finally we’ve been able to headline tours and stuff. And yeah, it’s been good.

Brian: Was the band received as well in Finland?

Alexi: Well, when the first album came out it was very well received. It was a big surprise for us. We figured it would be too black metal, and only for black metal kids or something. But it picked up fairly well since the first album.

Brian: The single “Children of Bodom” did pretty well over there.

Alexi: Yeah. We recorded that single a few months after the first album came out. I think the album hit number 35 or something, which at that time was unheard of for an extreme metal band. The single hit number one on the charts and stayed there for like eight weeks. It was pretty insane.

Brian: I like the fact that your music is both heavy and melodic. Was that an initial goal?

Alexi: Not really. It just happened naturally. Those are the things we like to do, you know.

Brian: Being from Espoo, Finland, what are the differences between Helsinki and American cities, such as New York and Boston?

Alexi: Well, Espoo is a suburb of Helsinki so it’s like some small town in New Jersey or something. Helsinki’s a really cool city, though. I like it there. But my life is pretty hectic as it is, so I like to chill out in a quiet place when I’m at home.

Brian: Talk about the music scene and the nightlife in Helsinki.

Alexi: Well, the metal scene is huge. There’s a lot of rock and metal bars. It’s a cool vibe. There are a lot of metal bands from Helsinki, and we’re all just good buddies with each other. We go out drinkin’ together, you know. There’s no ugly competition or anything going on there. It’s pretty cool.

Brian: Are there any plans for Children of Bodom to do Ozzfest?

Alexi: We’d love to do it. At one time we were trying to get on Ozzfest, but we were offered to open for Slayer instead. If you get a chance to open for Slayer, of course, you do that. I don’t know. We’d love to do it, definitely. Ozzfest has done a lot of good things for a lot of bands.

Brian: I read somewhere that although you’ve been a huge fan of Yngwie Malmsteen, you’ve since gotten away from him and his style of playing.

Alexi: Yeah, well, Yngwie is Yngwie. I mean, what can you say? He’s fuckin’ bad ass, and that’s like stating the obvious. I was more into that neo-classical guitar thing when I was younger. Yeah, I was a huge Yngwie fan. You can hear that influence, especially on the first two albums.

At that time, in Europe, there were so many guitar players, you know, Yngwie-copies running around everywhere. They all wanted to be like Yngwie and sound like Yngwie. It kind of pissed me off, you know. I didn’t want to be one of them. So I kind of turned off to that whole style of playing and decided it wasn’t going to be my thing. That’s Yngwie’ thing. He’s one of the greatest ever. End of story.

Brian: You’re a big fan of the Ozzy players Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee, and Zakk Wylde.

Alexi: Definitely, yeah!

Brian: Are you a fan of Black Sabbath as well?

Alexi: Yeah, which is weird. I’m not really into that ’70s music. I grew up with the ’80s bands. The ’70s stuff is too old for me. But I like Black Sabbath. It’s real hard not to like them.

Brian: Who are your influences?

Alexi: I was a fan of the band Stone. In fact, Roope Latvala, who also plays guitar for Children of Bodom, came from that band [Roope was an original member of Stone, one of the most famous Finnish metal acts of the late ’80s]. I was a big fan of a lot of stuff you wouldn’t even think of. A lot of older bands from the ’80s, glam rock and metal, like Poison, Motley Crew, Twisted Sister, W.A.S.P., Skid Row, Guns ’n’ Roses. And I’m still into that kind of thing.

And I got into more of the harder stuff, too, like Thrash, Anthrax, and Slayer. Then I got more into what they call death metal, you know, bands like Hypocrisy. Obituary is one of my favorites. And I got into a lot of black metal, too, a lot of Norwegian bands. I dig them all, you know. That’s the way it is. As far as guitar players, I have to mention Steve Vai, definitely. He’s one of my main influences.

Brian: I know you’re into classical music as well as metal, but do you listen to other styles of music as well?

Alexi: Yeah. I’ve been into classical for a long time, but I’m into a lot of stuff, whatever sounds good to me. I listen to a lot of old blues stuff, like John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, and all that stuff. I love the kind of music that’s one guy and one guitar and that’s it. I like punk rock. I grew up with a lot of that. I’m into a lot of guitar stuff. I’m also into Blondie, though I don’t know what category it is. I guess ’80s New Wave.

Brian: Talk a bit about your guitar playing style. Does it come easy to play along with fast tempos and sudden changes?

Alexi: Yeah. It’s a lot of fun.

Brian: Do you incorporate hammer-ons, pull-offs, and a lot of tapping into your playing?

Alexi: Yeah, pretty much everything.

Brian: What has been the most obvious change in the band’s music over the years, say from 1997’s Something Wild up to 2005’s Are You Dead Yet and the more recent live material?

Alexi: Nothing major, but our development has been pretty consistent. When the first album came out we were like 17 and 18-year-olds. Obviously, playing-wise and songwriting-wise, we’ve improved a lot album to album. And that’s the way we want it to go from now on. That’s pretty much it.

Brian: Do you consider Stockholm Knockout, the live Children of Bodom CD and DVD, to be a good audio and video presentation of the band’s music?

Alexi: I didn’t even know the album was going to be released. I think the DVD is good. I guess the live album is okay, but I wouldn’t buy that damn thing. I’d just buy the DVD. [Laughing] I mean, I’m just being honest. It was the record company’s idea to release a live album as well.

Brian: I like The Clash Of The Booze Brothers.” There’s a lot of interesting instrumentation going on in that one.

Alexi: Thanks. It’s an interesting guitar and keyboard thing. I think it’s pretty cool, too.

Brian: Will you be releasing a new album soon?

Alexi: Well, after this tour we’ll go back home and take a break. We’ve been out touring for about the last 13 or 14 months. After that, we’ll start working on some new stuff. We should be in the studio by July or something. I think it’ll come out around January of 2008. Maybe we’ll have a single out before that.

Brian: Talk about the skill it takes to juggle both vocals and guitar within your style of music.

Alexi: I call myself a guitar player. I’m not really a singer. I sing in this band because I had to. No one else wanted to do it. I sort of got stuck with it. But I enjoy doing it nowadays. I can obviously hold a note and stuff, but I’m just screaming my ass off, you know. That’s definitely a big part of Children of Bodom’s music.

Brian: You and Roope share guitar parts in a unique way. The two of you seem to have a good rapport.

Alexi: We just want to rock. He might add some riff, and then I pick it up and kind of play along. It’s cool that we can communicate musically like that without even talking. We communicate through the music. Being able to do that with someone is pretty cool.

Brian: Do you get into alternate tunings?

Alexi: Yeah. D and Drop C. Most of the songs on the previous album were in Drop C.

Brian: ESP LTD Signature Series Guitar?

Alexi: Yes. I have my own model. It’s Randy Rhoads-shaped. It has one humbucker, a Floyd Rose whammy bar, and it has 24 frets. It’s a cool metal guitar.

Brian: Any word for the fans?

Alexi: I’d like to thank everyone for the support. We appreciate it a lot. Without the fans there wouldn’t be a band.

******

Alex Laiho’s gear

Though Alexi may have been quick and nonchalant concerning gear, that’s really the way he is. In comparison to most technical players, he doesn’t utilize many effects other than a Rocktron Intellifex and an RSP 2400 Hush/Enhancer/Exciter.

For years, he used two Jackson Randy Rhoads Customs, one white pinstripe and one green pinstripe. He now has his own ESP Alexi Laiho signature guitar equipped with a Floyd Rose whammy. It contains an EMG-HZ H4. The passive pickup is manipulated by a switch above the pinstripe triggering an onboard gain booster. This all goes into a Lee Jackson Perfect Connection GP-1000 tube preamp, VHT power amps, and out through Marshall 1960B 4/12 cabs.