Children Of Bodom frontman Alexi Laiho is equally recognizable as a vocalist and a guitarist. With that in mind, during our recent interview for BW&BK (found here) about the band’s new album, Relentless Reckless Forever, we sidestepped from the standard Q&A about how much he and the band shred and kill to discuss a few guitar related odds and bits…

For starters, Laiho’s gives axe-slinging partner in crime Roope Latvala his due. He makes it clear Latvala is an integral part of Children Of Bodom even though he’s often overshadowed – in the press, at any rate – by Laiho and keyboardist Janne Wirman. Nobody should underestimate Latvala’s contributions to the Bodom soundtrack, because even though Laiho plays musical director, he isn’t about to start ordering around the former guitarist of the legendary Stone, a band he idolized.

“(Laughs) Exactly. Roope’s the kind of guy that obviously knows how to play, so he brings his own twisted ideas of letting music out to the table. He’s always coming up with crazy ideas and half the time it’s like, ‘Dude, what’s going on in that head of yours?’ (laughs). The other half of the time he has these crazy and ingenious ideas.”

In recent years Laiho used some of his rare downtime to film instructional DVD material for Rock House. Basically, a Shred-Like-Laiho video handbook for the serious musician.

“I’ve done two of those Rock House DVDs,” he says. “I’ve done guitar clinics before, so it’s not like it was a new situation for me to do things from a guitar teacher’s point of view, but the first DVD was kind of awkward because I had a script to follow. Sometimes I had to make them stop shooting and do another take because they were making me say stuff that just didn’t sound like me. Stuff I’d never say (laughs). There’s a lot of cool stuff in there and it’s worth checking out, but I pretty much had to play along with it. I haven’t even seen the damn thing but if felt kinda weird. The second DVD, I think it brings out my real personality more.”

“It’s a whole different fucking planet (laughs). Then again, it was a challenge and I like doing stuff like that. I like to keep active and do different things.”

Laiho also boasts his own line of signature ESP guitars, something he never pushed for and certainly never imagined actually happening to him.

“I’m definitely involved with it,” he says of the line. “The guitar is designed to my specifications and made exactly how I want it. It’s fucking weird (laughs). Sometimes I stop and think about it and it’s like, ‘I have my own line of fucking guitars? It’s insane.’ I must have done something right (laughs).”

And finally, while some fans are quite naturally disappointed that the long overdue Sinergy album, Sins Of The Past, is a dead issue, they may find comfort in the possibility of a new Kylähullut album. For the uninitiated, Kylähullut (translated: Village Idiots) is his punk side-project put together for the fun of it. Recorded entirely in Finnish, the albums – two full length and two EPs to date – make for a unique course in learning the language.

“I don’t know, maybe there’ll be another one,” says Laiho. “Hopefully. I think it’s going to happen one day, but I have no idea when. The albums are fun to do, and you don’t really have to understand what’s going on in the lyrics.”

Unless, of course, you start singing verses to a non-metal Finnish audience…

“Yeah, I guess that’s true (laughs).”

Photos by Carl Begai. All rights reserved. Seriously….

Check out Laiho’s line of signature guitars here. Click here to listen to ‘Northpole Throwdown’ from Relentless Reckless Forever.

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Of all the courses on offer photography was the only one that held any sort of appeal. It was either that or I could learn how to needlepoint my way to boredom by weaving fake Persian rugs. And so, off I went bitching and complaining that first day of July wondering why life was so goddamn unfair, determined not to enjoy myself. The world would pay for putting me through such misery as having to spend my summer holidays frickin’ learning stuff. My parents would rue the day they sent me away to be lectured by teachers with no real lives to speak of. I would make a mockery of their decision by being the worst student in the history of summer school-ism…

My stand as the original Stewie Griffin was short-lived, maybe 5 minutes tops.

Maybe it’s because I was shy and introverted – yes indeed, I was completely lacking in self-esteem – but I took to the art of photography like a junkie to free dope. Learned all about photographic paper and the truth behind that red light in the darkroom, made a pinhole camera and got it right first time out (only one in the class to manage that ), got to play around with the developer / water / fixer / water routine of making things come to life, and it was awesome from start to finish. At the end of that month I had Mom sign me up for the follow-up course taking place in August.

Those experiences stuck with me through the years that followed, but it wasn’t until 1995 that I started to treat photography as an “I can do this” pursuit. Thanks to some amazing industry people I was able to attend seven shows on Dream Theater’s tour through Europe for the Awake album. Camera in hand with the intention of documenting the adventure for myself, I spent a great deal of time trying to get the ultimate shots of the band on stage. The whole sound-meets-light environment had me hooked from the word “go.” In the wake of that experience I made a point of trying to arrange a photo pass for any shows I was due to attend, slowly but surely developing an eye for the art and a catalogue as I went.

I also spent a ton of money on getting film developed and pictures enlarged. Never regretted it once.

Over the years I’ve taken some great shots and plenty of crap ones. A huge stack of crap ones actually, but it’s all been learning by doing. Had some photos published, and even managed to make some decent coin on a few. Also branched out to taking pictures of non-metal and non-musical subjects. I’m nowhere close to being a professional photographer, and I don’t give a shit what people think of the pictures I choose to put out there. I love the process and I enjoy being able to look back on those shots and remember the events in question. I’m grateful I have the privilege of being front and center when a show comes to town and thus be able to immortalize some of those moments.

Of course, just like the world of making music, the rise of digital technology opened the field up to anyone with a mind to give it a go, and sadly I’ve discovered that many of the people with the same advantages as myself clearly have no appreciation for their position. I’m not talking about the folks that bring their pocket cameras into a show to fire off a few keepsakes. Hell, if I wasn’t a journalist I’d be one of them, jostling for position and wishing the too-tall Neanderthal in front of me would get moshed out of my line of sight. No, I’m referring the so-called professionals that take up space in the photo pit with their talent-free ego posing.

Case in point last year at a Children Of Bodom show. More interesting than the gig itself was the goon in the pit with a camera that looked like it had been outfitted with the primary telescope from an observatory. Someone who clearly believes the more gear he has and the more noticeable it is to everyone else in the room, the more professional he shall be. I was tempted to tap him on the shoulder and mention that the show was not in fact taking place on the moon, and by the way, are you trying to take a picture of the inside of Alexi Laiho’s skull? Only problem was I couldn’t get close enough without risking getting slammed upside the head by his Pseudo Dick Macro when he turned around. And there was the very real risk he might sweep the feet out from one of the band members as he did so.

Worse than this Bigger-Better-Badass approach are these morons – and there’s a frickin’ legion of them out there – who call themselves photographers but don’t know the first thing about actually seeing the shot before and when they take it. These are the ones that motordrive their way through a three-song photo pit opportunity, finger down on the button like a Formula 1 driver on the gas in the home stretch, creating an instant fucking flip book. I encountered a few of these numbwits at some recent shows and in one case I thought I was missing an Angelina Jolie nipple slip. My right ear was practically ringing with the sound of doodness’ shutter in rapid fire mode and I figured it was only a matter of seconds before his camera burst into flame.

Not that I care all that much; I just don’t understand why a person would waste their time and energy – not to mention their money – on doing something they clearly have no passion for. Sure, they can preach about having to get that ultimate shot for their publication or risk not getting paid, but I know from experience that looking for a shot, waiting for it, can yield some pretty amazing results.

I have an acquaintance that prides himself on his abilities as a photographer. He talks up a storm about his newest lenses, camera bodies, light tables, photo chop shop software and all the money it cost him. Parades around post-show offering a glance at the 75 blinkshots he took of Rock Star Frontman moving from heavy metal right hand pose to heavy metal left hand pose. Prints his pictures on AGFA Muchas Maracas Grade A+ Oblifantastico 10 ply photographic paper and goes on about how kick ass they are. Each time I see his pics I quite arrogantly think to myself that I, with my low-end Sony Alpha digital and beat up Canon AE1 made-from-scrap-in-’78 mechanical camera, take better shots with both hands tied behind my back. But, I grin and bear it and let him talk, knowing that he prides himself on being the next Ross Halfin or Neil Zlowzower. Not a hope in hell of that happening – at least not until they come up with an iCamera Halfin application – but one can dream.

There’s no jealousy here, no competition. Call this a tribute to the folks that know what they’re doing and let their work speak for them – Darko, Boudreau, Issler and Dujardin come to mind – and to the wannabes 10 rows back hoping for even a single moment that can be taken home in their back pocket.

To the gearhead stickyfinger posers; you’re in my light and your three songs are up.

Four albums into his long suffering Warmen project and Children Of Bodom keyboardist Janne Wirman can officially say he has a second band. Not that he needs one. Bodom has grown from a little known Finnish punk-fried neo-death flavoured export to one of the most popular and equally loathed metal bands around, giving Janne very little free time between touring and the studio. Even so, he and his brother Antti (guitars) managed to spit out what is hands down the strongest album of Warmen’s career. A song-oriented platter rather than a showcase for Janne’s keyboard acrobatics – although there’s plenty of pseudo-ivory shred to be had – Japanese Hospitality sounds like a band effort. Straightforward and to the point, it touches on everything from rock and pop to a full metal racket that smacks more than a little of Children Of Bodom, yet keeps things streamlined and focused. No dicking around this time. At this point the music is easily identifiable as a Warmen album rather than an attempt by Janne to do something away from the comfort of home.

“Everybody’s been saying that Warmen finally sounds like a band with this one and I agree,” says Janne. “Warmen has found it’s path, I guess you could say.”

A path that was beginning to look like the one that swallowed the long-awaited and presently lost Sinergy album featuring Children Of Bodom vocalist / guitarist Alexi Laiho and guitarist Roope Latvala…

“(Laughs) The previous Warmen album (Accept The Fact from 2005) actually took more time. We started recording last fall. Before the tour we recorded the drums and my brother did his guitar parts while I was on the road. So, we really started writing songs for this over a year ago. We were just putting this one together between my touring, and at some points I got pretty fucking frustrated by having to do it that way. Touring is hard work so you really need a break, but between the tours I was in the studio doing this, to the point that I almost ran out of time getting it finished before the deadline.”

“It’s way more work than I expected,” Janne admits, “and this time we decided we were going to mix the album by ourselves as well. I’m really into studio stuff – recording, mixing and shit like that – so I decided it was time for me to start mixing my own stuff. That was one of the things that really delayed the schedule for this. It wasn’t as easy as one thinks (laughs). But I like the fact that I have control of everything in the project. It’s a lot of fun for me because I enjoy being in the studio with all the gadgets and gizmos.”

With Laiho traditionally doing the bulk of the songwriting for Children Of Bodom it’s safe to assume Warmen is something of a haven for Janne and his own musical ideas. Asked if he feels he’s taken on a reduced role with Children Of Bodom in the studio – the band’s 2006 album Are You Dead Yet? comes immediately to mind – he dismisses the suggestion as bullshit.

“A lot of people have asked me about that and I didn’t really know what they meant, but I went back and listened to the Are You Dead Yet? album and the production compared to Blooddrunk isn’t good at all. So now I understand why people ask me that because I think the keyboards on Are You Dead Yet? are too low in the mix at some points. I didn’t realize what people were talking about because I knew there was the same amount of keyboards on Are You Dead Yet? as the others. It was just mixed differently.”

Japanese Hospitality features the continued support of several singers known for lending a helping voice when a new Warmen album comes around. Stratovarius frontman Timo Kotipelto, ex-Thunderstone vocalist Pasi Rantanen and Finnish pop-star-turned-rock-chick Jonna Kosonen all return to play their roles as part of this extended family. According to Janne, who sings on what song is not something that needs to be planned out for the writing process.

“That just kind of happens when we get into writing the songs; ‘Hey, Timo should sing that song and Jonna should do that one…’ We know almost from the beginning which singer would be the best person to do certain songs.”

Laiho makes his presence known once again, having made his Warmen debut on Accept The Fact with a cover of the ‘80s pop hit ‘Somebody’s Watching Me. This time out he sings on one track – the COB flavoured ‘High Heels On Cobblestone’ – and wrote a song at Janne’s request which he doesn’t appear on.

“Alexi wrote the whole song ‘Don’t Bring Her Here’ for Jonna,” reveals Janne. “Me and Alexi, when we get drunk we like to listen to Lambretta and Pink, and one day I asked Alexi if I could order a Lambretta-type of party song for Jonna (laughs). He came up with ‘Don’t Bring Her Here’ and I think it’s pretty fucking cool. It was never meant to be a Bodom song, though; it was custom made for Jonna and Warmen.”

Japanese Hospitality also features what ranks as some of the fastest leads of Janne’s career on the instrumental ‘Switcheroo’. Jens Johansson, eat your heart out.

“Yeah, well, I have footage of me and my brother rehearsing it up to tempo, and dude… we thought we could pull it off and soon realized that the thing was way too fast (laughs). We had to rehearse our asses off to make that thing happen. We did a demo version but we didn’t really try to see if we could play at that tempo, then we recorded the drums at the real tempo for the track, went back to the studio to do the leads and were fucked because the tempo was way too high (laughs).”

With Children Of Bodom due to spend most of 2010 working on a new album, Janne has been giving some serious thought to taking Warmen out on the road if conditions are right.

“As you said, the line-up is constant and some of the singers are open to doing shows. I could see it happening, but the thing is that Warmen isn’t a known band at all so we’d have to do a mini-tour of some kind. I’d love to do it, and now that Bodom is going to have a break to write new material I’m going to see if there’s any possibilities for us to do a short tour.”

For the record, the Japanese Hospitality title is indeed a tongue-in-cheek take on Axl N’ Roses’ monumental stinker Chinese Democracy. As he explained in an interview with Children Of Bodom’s fan site earlier this year, “Japanese Hospitality was my idea for a Warmen album for years because Japanese hospitality exists, unlike Chinese democracy.”

Even as he works on the next steps for Warmen, Janne is out on the road with Children Of Bodom supporting the band’s new album, Skeletons In The Closet. A compilation of the cover songs issued by the band since the very beginning of their professional career, usually as B-sides, it is a treasure trove for younger fans. The diehards that have been on board for the last decade are likely not as thrilled given they’ve likely spent good money over the years on procuring what were considered rare limited release songs. Janne understands the complaints, but he insists the album wasn’t a record label cashgrab.

“We realized on our own that we’d done so many cover versions, why not put them out as one album? But, we didn’t want to do it the cheap way and just put out only stuff that’s already been released, so we recorded two new ones to make it more interesting. It wasn’t a case of the record company trying to make more money off us because we were fully behind the idea. All the songs were remastered but I don’t think they were remixed in any way. We did two new songs and we had to leave a few covers out on purpose, but they all wouldn’t have fit on one CD anyway.”

“It was fairly easy to do, but picking the two new songs to cover was difficult,” he adds, referring to the band’s versions of ‘Hell Is For Children’ (Pat Benatar) and ‘Antisocial’ (Anthrasx / Trust). I’m really happy with the way the Pat Benatar song turned out. It’s really cool. Everything but the drums was recorded in my studio for that song and it’s a nice atmosphere just doing it there. The new songs sound really fucking good.”

As for the future fans can expect a new Children Of Bodom studio album in early 2011, followed by a tour that, according to Janne, will make more sense.

“We’re doing this one last tour and then we’ll be concentrating on writing for a new album,” he reveals. “I think we kind of fucked up the touring for Blooddrunk in a way because we did too many US tours before going to headline a proper European tour. And right before the European tour we supported Slipknot in Europe, which definitely wasn’t a good decision. The way the tours were booked and organized was not good at all so we kind of bummed about that. We’re going to go into the studio, do the new album and make things better the next time we go out.”

Go to this location for audio samples from Japanese Hospitality.

Live pictures by Carl Begai. All rights reserved.
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