Alexi: Yeah. [Laughs]

Karma: How does it feel to be back nearly three months later? How did that tour compare to this one?

Alexi: So far it's going really good but it's kind of weird because it almost feels like we're here all the time now, you know. [Laughs] That's what it feels like anyway. I'm just wondering if people are gonna get fucking bored like, "Children of Bodom again? Oh, whatever!" It's just the kind of thing we wanted to avoid but on this tour, we've done totally different cities and different states that we usually do. Chicago is the only that's the same from the last tour.

Karma: So your main concentration was on less populated cities this go round?

Alexi: Yeah.

Karma: By the way, no one's gonna get bored with you ever. There was a stretch from October 2004 to October 2005 where you didn't tour the States for a year. So you're just making up for lost time.

Alexi: [Laughs and nods head] Yeah, yeah!

Karma: What has been the biggest crowd pleaser this go round?

Alexi: It's probably the first track off the new one [Are You Dead Yet?], "Living Dead Beat". It's been popular and like equally in Europe and the States as well.

Karma: Speaking of the new material, overall has it been better received?

Alexi: From the last time, yeah… [Pauses] I think it's received better definitely because I think that this time around on tour they are actually more used to the new stuff, you know. They can actually get into it, make fists, and shit like that! Whereas it's not the first time, we toured and put out a new album. I guess the album had just come out a week before we started the tour so I think that was the kind of thing that they were just listening and weren't definitely into the album yet.

Karma: Would you say that you're more comfortable playing the new material now?

Alexi: [Nods head] Yeah, yeah.

Karma: As you band it's safe to say you have been able to iron out all the kinks too? Is everything falling into place as you expected them to?

Alexi: So far everything is as it should be, yeah. But I think that after one year, the songs are going to change somehow. We're gonna add something that's a little different, you know. It's what we do with all the old songs. Not even that anyone would notice, but just more details and shit like that.

Karma: Speaking of touring, The Unholy Alliance Tour! I mean how cool is that!

Alexi: Yeah, it's pretty fucking cool! [Beams]

Karma: I know being able to tour with a band like Slayer means a lot to you, how did you get hooked up with it?

Alexi: Oh yeah! It was like our management that hooked up the opportunity. We wanted to do, the original plan was we were trying to get on Ozzfest 2006 but then we heard about the Slayer tour that we could maybe get on it… I figured, Slayer, hey! Of course, I want to do that! And then, we initially got it. Our management contacted Slayer's management and then…there it is. I'm pretty fucking psyched about it. I mean it's crazy!

Karma: I can imagine!! How long will you have for your set, do you know or is it a little too far in advance?

Alexi: We're gonna play for about thirty-five minutes I think or something. I mean after all the headlining stuff and playing ninety minutes, first that's a long time, and headlining and everything. Now all of a sudden we play for thirty-five minutes, pretty early on then after that you don't have to do anything but get crazy and drunk and see Slayer! [Laughs] I mean that's pretty fucking cool; it's like a vacation.

Karma: That is a pretty cool opportunity. Speaking of partying, etc. Any wild and crazy tour tales this go round that would lead to another cover tune? [We both laugh]

Alexi: [Still chuckling] Oh man! This tour has been going for about a week so I think we'll need another one to get an idea for a cover. [Laughs]

Karma: Going back a bit, what can one expect for the setlist for this tour?

Alexi: Well what we're trying to do is make it a little bit different from the next one.

Karma: As in the Slayer tour.

Alexi: Yeah, like I was saying, we have such a short period of time so I don't know if it's going to be, even though we're doing different cities but I know there are going to be the same faces from the last tour. So we try to do a different set, like some old songs that he have never played here before. We're gonna do stuff like that. The setlist is gonna be something interesting for everyone, and for the people who saw us the last time.

Karma: Any ideas for the Unholy Alliance tour?

Alexi: Uh, I don’t yet. It's going to be a surprise, for us to actually pick out the songs, you know. Thirty-five minutes, five albums… [We both laugh]

Karma: I am sure that's going to be a chore, no matter how you look at it.

Alexi: [Smiles] Yean, I guess mostly stuff from the last album, from what I understand.

Karma: Now as far as your recent appearance on Headbangers Ball, what really happened?

Alexi: I don't know what happened exactly! [Snickers] Like I just heard that it got totally fucked up! What happened, do you know?

Karma: All of the videos got messed up, they were not who they said they were…it was one cluster fuck after another.

Alexi: [Intently listening] Oh!

Karma: It was strange.

Alexi: Did they play our video?

Karma: you know now I'm drawing a blank. I seriously can't remember. Sorry.

Alexi: That's okay. Yeah, I heard there was some sort of mix-up, like when they were supposed to play our video, they played something else. Yeah, it was very nice! [Said in the most sarcastic tone possible, then we both laughed]

Karma: Since we are on the subject of TV and appearances, I heard you did a kids' show in Canada. How did that all come about?

Alexi: Oh, yeah…the last tour they took us to a candy store.

Karma: A candy store? Okay, why?

Alexi: I don't know. Not they ever know where these interviews are coming from. But first day they were like, "Yeah, we need the whole band and it’s going to be on video. And we're gonna take you to this candy store!" I was like, "Excuse me, a candy store? What the fuck dude?" [We both laugh] They figure you have Children of Bodom so it would be funny to do it in a candy store. I was like, "Whatever man!"

Karma: Guess it's different.

Alexi: [Laughs] Yeah, it was like a normal interview but it was just funny because we were acting like people who don't usually act like that in a candy store. We were being loud and cussing and shit like that all the time! [Snickers] It was so stupid anyway.

Karma: That's not the same episode where you taught the kid to play guitar, was it?

Alexi: No, that was actually a different one. That one was someone had won some sort of contest. Then it was a fifteen-minute lesson from me. It was okay.

Karma: Hmmm, okay. How's the DVD coming along? Are you still compiling footage?

Alexi: Yeah, I mean we're still working on it and now I think we have enough footage to actually put a really good one together. We have the live show filmed from Stockholm from the last European tour, which will be on the next DVD as well, there's so much off stage footage that it won’t fit on one disc. There's a lot of crazy shit in there that we're gonna use. 

Karma: What are your future touring plans past the Slayer gig?

Alexi: Well between this one and Slayer we go to Japan, and I think after Slayer we go to South America. [Chuckles] We have shit booked until the end of the year and then after that we'll start working on new songs I guess.

Karma: Kiittääs!

Alexi: [Clasps both hands, smiles, and slightly bows] Ole hyvä!

I’d like to thank Alexi for speaking with FourteenG again and to the band's camp for setting it up!

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