![]() Outside of music, I don’t do anything that requires any kind of achievement.Ĭhildren of Bodom were always influenced by classical music. I’m not fucking proud of anything! This job in general is very stressful so in my “off time” I like to just cruise around in my car or something. Outside of music, what are you most proud of? I can remember that feeling, though, when you’re 14 and you want bands to be like your secret, but yeah, I definitely think metal should be bigger. A lot of people were pissed about it, but I thought it was fucking awesome. I never really understood when black metal became so big with bands like Dimmu Borgir, etc. I always think metal should be bigger and should rule the world. That changes every day at the moment, but I guess right now I’d say the title track.ĭo you think heavy metal could possibly become a force in the mainstream again like it was in the Eighties - or should metal stay in the underground? If I’m on the road, I’ll probably play for about three hours before the show, and if we’re recording 10 hours a day wouldn’t be unusual. I can’t just pick up a guitar and start shredding now. It takes a lot more time for me to get warmed up. As I mentioned, due to my injury, I’m practicing certain techniques to get back to where I was. I do have this “one hour minimum” rule, which makes it sound like a chore, but I do really enjoy to play. Sometimes I think of lyrics that are not so much about life experience as self-destruction - sort of like more violent fantasies that aren’t things I’m planning on doing, you know? Everyone’s got fucked-up shit in their heads and music’s my way of dealing with it. That whole dark thing is kind of intriguing to me it’s a good source of ideas for music. But I’m on the road a lot and I spend a lot of the year living by myself in Helsinki my wife is in Australia so that’s a different kind of existence. I kind of have two different lives, so that’s one half. I’m married, and my wife has a daughter, so I get to experience all those kinds of things. What’s your philosophy about life and death - and your everyday philosophy in terms of living and enjoying life? In most Children of Bodom songs, death is a recurrent theme. I hope there can be some kind of solution to stop artists getting ripped off. I can imagine for so many acts now it must feel like a lot of pressure to keep working, but what are you gonna do, you know? Who knows what it’s gonna take to get musicians what they deserve. It’s fucked up now, but we’re lucky we were already used to working a lot. The business is so bad now that a lot of bands have had to undergo major lifestyle changes from the days when there so much more money available from album sales. ![]() I know a lot more bands tour more now and have to, to keep making money, and we’re no different. What would you say is the glue that keeps Children of Bodom together? The music industry throughout history has had numerous groups disband or founding members leave. There’s just something about that dude, you know? Keanu’s a great actor, though. Nicolas Cage by far, man! He’s fucking cool. Would you rather jam with Keanu Reeves or Nicolas Cage? At the same time, I was finishing the I Worship Chaos album and recording an EP with my covers band. It was at the Helsinki festival - it was huge, insane. I wrote the piece they performed it was about 15 minutes long. I had a lot of help from guitar players all over the world. What’s been your greatest challenge as an experienced musician?ġ00 Guitars from Hell was a huge challenge. Blacksmith and Daniel Freyberg (Image credit: Marek Sabogal) Jaska Raatikainen, Janne Wirman, Alexi Laiho, Henkka T. I’d just shut the fuck up and listen to him. What would you tell your younger self knowing what you know now? Maybe if I was born in Kazakhstan it might have been different! I’m sure that, as it would still be me, I’d have still been a metal guy, but obviously in some countries the possibilities are more limited than in others. If I was born in Sweden, say, then definitely. ![]() If you weren’t born in Finland, do you still think you would’ve started a metal band, or is it just a coincidence? I think it’s fair to say I’ve developed my own style as a solo player and as a rhythm player too. I’ve branched out into every possible style since I was first influenced by Yngwie, and I think that’s the secret - if there is one - to be open to everything. There were a lot of neoclassical influences out there, but Yngwie was obviously at the top of that genre. There was a whole lot more to my playing than just harmonic minor. Well, everyone has influences and I did listen to Yngwie a lot, but I don’t think I ever said or felt I was an Yngwie copycat. How did you break away from imitation and start developing your own style? You’ve now developed a style that is recognizably your own. I believe you once said you felt like you were imitating Yngwie Malmsteen in your early days.
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