Live-Metal.Net - Interviews: Children of Bodom

March 25, 2006

Greg Maki of Live-Metal.net caught up with Children of Bodom bassist Henkka T. Blacksmith backstage at the Recher Theatre in Towson, Md. The band is on its second headlining tour of the United States on a bill that also features Chimaira and Through the Eyes of the Dead.

Live-Metal: One thing I’ve been dying to ask you guys about is the Britney Spears cover song [“Oops, I Did It Again,” available on the “In Your Face” single]. What’s the story behind that?

Henkka T. Blacksmith: Well, it was one drunken night on an American tour. Britney Spears was on the TV, and I think it was [keyboardist] Janne [Warman] that was just like, “Let’s do Britney Spears next.” And then we were laughing and we just forgot about it because it was a bad joke. Then when we were in the studio and we had no idea what to do, we were like, “What the fuck? Let’s just do the Britney. Who cares? Let’s see what people think about it.” It’s been pretty interesting views that people have had.

You guys have done lots of cover songs. How did the other ones get chosen?

Usually we try to do something a little surprising, not so obvious. Not like Judas Priest “Painkiller.” It’s always a little difficult to pick it out. But usually it’s just the bands we like, for example, the Ramones, Andrew W.K. And, of course, it has to be a song that we can pull off in our way and it should sound good as well.

How do you think the band has evolved other the years? If you listen to the first album and then Are You Dead Yet?, it almost sounds like two different bands.

Yeah, it is totally different, but still it’s a quite natural development. The biggest thing is, I think, we have dropped the classical things we had on the first two albums. Other than that, I don’t know. We’ve just been evolving.

It seems like Are You Dead Yet? has a more straightforward, American influence. Is that accurate?

Well, I don’t know. Maybe it’s not as progressive anymore. Song structures are pretty standard, I would say. But, of course, it’s very complicated music still. It’s one of the most difficult records I’ve ever played on.

Are you having fun playing those songs live?

It’s very challenging.

It was your first album without [guitarist] Alexander [Kuoppala] in the band. Was it odd going into the studio without him?

No, it wasn’t that odd. You don’t go into the studio that often, so you don’t get the same feeling anyway. So it’s always different.

What has the new guitarist, Roope [Latvala], brought to the band?

Well, a lot of laughing, laughter, a lot of stage show experience and technical experience, and skillful guitar playing.

Alexi [Laiho] is the main songwriter. How does the rest of the band contribute to the creative process?

It’s kind of a puzzle that Alexi provides the pieces. Then we together start putting things together and then we have a complete puzzle. So it’s pretty democratic. Everybody is involved in the songwriting. Sometimes, very rarely though, he has complete songs already done when he shows it. But usually he’s just showing riffs and then we decide together which is the verse and which is the chorus part.

Other than playing bass, how do you see your role in the band?

My role in the band is pretty much taking care of all the things that no one else is doing. Being the guy who provides all the information from the booking agent or management or record label. It usually comes through me.

So you deal a lot with the business side?

Yeah, all this stuff, for example, on tour and merchandise. And Janne, our keyboard player, he’s doing the money thing. He’s running the firm, the company that we have. And Alexi’s just doing the songs.

With the tour last fall with Trivium, this tour and the Slayer tour coming up, it seems you’re really concentrating on the United States. Are you trying to really build the fanbase here?

Well, yeah, in a way. It’s just the U.S.A. is a little different than the other parts of the world. You have to keep on touring and touring here. I don’t know why it’s like that. For example, in Europe we can do one tour and then take two years off and then we can do a tour again. But here it doesn’t work like that. So that’s why. Once you start touring, then you just have to keep on doing it.

Are you looking forward to the Unholy Alliance tour?

Yeah.

Have you toured with any of those bands before?

Lamb of God. And we played one festival in Italy with Slayer.

What are some of the other differences between the metal scene in Europe and here that you see?

Here, we have a lot of these metalcore bands. In Europe, there’s not so many of those. That’s the biggest difference. Other than that, I don’t know.

Do you have a dream tour, somebody that you’re just dying to go out with?

Always when I’ve been asked this question I’ve always said Slayer.

Well, there you go.

Yeah, there we go. So I’m pretty excited.

What about any band, past or present?

Pantera.

From your years in Children of Bodom, what would be your personal highlight?

Hard to say … I think the first headlining tour we did here in the States in the fall. That was just so surprisingly successful. And then the European tour we did this winter was also very big and very successful. Those were the kind of tours where we were like, “Well, we started in the garage and now we’re here.” It’s just amazing.

Does it get kind of crazy out on the road for you guys?

Well … It’s not that crazy. Of course, sometimes there’s a lot of drinking and stuff after the shows [holds up his Corona]. I take it pretty easy. I like to be sober and do some sports once in a while. So it’s not that bad.

What’s one of the most ridiculous, craziest things you’ve seen out on the road?

There’s a lot of things going on. Oh, what comes to mind first is when Janne shit his pants during a show in Columbia. It was funny. And then he ran through the stage to the dressing room and there was no toilet in the dressing room. That kind of thing happens when you’re touring South America.

I don’t have any other questions for you now. Is there anything you want to add?

It’s our first time in Maryland. Are you from here?

I’m from Maryland, but not this area.

I’m pretty excited about it. This is a nice club. Let’s hope that there’s a lot of people out there.