Interview

Timo: Well I think there was an agreement about doing the last ten shows together. I heard some rumours that there was something with the day where we were supposed to play Dynamo Open Air. Maybe there could be nine basically left. But I wasnīt so pleased with what happened there in Spain because - I donīt know if you read about some things on the stage which should not be there... em, if youīre playing your music and then some of the guys donīt care so much about it. So, itīs not very nice for me because every time I go on stage Iīll try to give the fans a show as good as possible. And then thereīs - letīs put it like this - thereīs some idiots in the band who behave the way they want to behave and who are almost ruining the whole show. So thatīs not nice. Iīm not really very interested in doing these shows in the future. Letīs see what happens. Probably we will do them if the guys calm down. But I mean if theyīre acting like stupid idiots it doesnīt make any sense.

So it is true, that Jens was literally pissing on stage in Piorno?

Well, I didnīt see that because I was singing the song, standing in front. So I didnīt see it. But I saw some pictures because we had some Finnish journalists there, one of them is also a very good friend of mine. And then later in the evening one of the journalists showed me some pictures and I couldnīt believe them, I said: "what the fuck?", he really did that ...

But Jens is still in the band, and you are not...

Iīm not, but I donīt know about the others. Probably he is. Maybe Tolkki even liked this kind of piss-games, I donīt know.

I only get my daily news via Blabbermouth as well, which is mostly rumours, confirmed rumours and non-confirmed rumours...

Exactly

So I mostly donīt know what I can take for serious. How do you stand playing with the other guys right now after they behave like children?

Well, of course it helps that I donīt see them normally. Well, Iīm getting along quite well with everybody else except Tolkki, but of course I never really supported what Jens was doing. That was something very stupid. He can be a really funny guy, but very often he is also doing something I that wouldnīt do. This kind of things they did there it has nothing to do with the music.
But of course it helps when weīre having separate backstage rooms and I donīt have to really see them that much. I mean, theyīre very good players, I like their playing and et cetera, but I donīt like this kind of behaviour. And everything what some of the bands say in interviews... I havenīt really followed it that much, but of course I hear from my friends that somebody said something about someone again, so thatīs not very nice.

In my opinion Timo Tolkki is making a complete fool of himself - or an elk, as we would say in German. First nobody could really understand what has happened and why. Now, after you all gave your statements to this I still canīt understand why thereīs so much fuss made about it. But I mean after STRATOVARIUS is no longer maybe it is a good time for your new album?

Of course Iīm kind of relieved that the future is wide open in that case. The truth is that I donīt expect anything big. If the people like the album it would be nice of course but if the fans donīt like the album and the songs, thereīs not much what I can do about it. But at least I tried to make it a good album as possible. I will try to do some tour and some shows after these STRATOVARIUS shows. I have not many confirmed gigs yet but actually Iīm in the same building right now giving interviews where my booking agency is as well. Iīm gonna see the guys downstairs afterwards to talk about it. But... Itīs kind of a fresh start for me, you know. When I did my first album "Waiting For The Dawn" it was just a dream coming true, I always wanted to do a concept album. And now Iīve done a concept album, and itīs done, I donīt have to re-do it again, so this is like basically I would say, the first "real" album for me and of course especially when Iīm not in the band anymore. A new start for me.

It still seems refreshingly like a fun project to me. it seems to be done with lots of fun, lots of friends of yours who are engaged in their own bands as well. Is it someway different if you have a new band really which you rehearse with or something like that or if you do such a project? Thereīs so many members in it, for example, did Nino Laurenne (of THUNDERSTONE) help you as well this time or didnīt he?

Heīs never been there.

But you there are some pictures from the recordings on your website!

Yeah, but he wasnīt on the album. Of course we did something in his studio, thatīs true. And also we did something some transfering stuff at Sonic Pump studio this time, too. So he let me in with one of the guys to do some transfering shit. But - you ask too many questions in one question. When I started doing this project I was still in STRATOVARIUS. It all started letīs say at the beginning of the last year because I started composing the songs then. And then I wanted to have most of the guys of the previous album also on this album, thatīs why I contacted Mirka Rantanen (THUNDERSTONE) and Janne Wirman (CHILDREN OF BODOM), because they are also very, very good friends of mine. At that time I thought that I wonīt have a band anyway because Iīll be too busy because of STRATOVARIUS. The things did change literally in the end of last year so of course right now it is a slight problem when it comes to touring. I was supposed to do some touring in april/may but it is not possible because of Janne. He is in the States with CHILDREN OF BODOM. And then I guess THUNDERSTONE will have some shows, and then Bodum will have more shows, and so on. And Mike will be touring probably with Symphony X. Having a band for myself, that would mean that this album should sell very, very well that I could pay these guys enough to live from my album and from my band. Of course that would be a dream and I donīt think it will happen. It is probably not possible. I donīt even know whoīs gonna be on those shows with me. Iīm quite sure that I will get good players, but itīs still a little bit open. Of course I would like to have Mirka and Janne there at least, but letīs see.

Of course THUNDERSTONE and CHILDREN OF BODOM are going to be on tour, but afterwards I think for Janne and Mirka it would be easy, isnīt it a bigger problem to team up with the SYMPHONY X guy?

Yeah, you could be right. I talked to Mike Romeo in January about touring, and he said, "yeah, yeah, sounds good, sounds good." But then I tried to call him three times the next week and he never answered. Heīs a little bit - letīs put it this way - an artist. The plan is to tour, but it depends on BODOM. But, I also talked to Janne that if I would get a nice tour somewhere and heīs not available then of course he wonīt be there. I told him: "You wonīt cancel any COB-gigs because of my band, you will do everything that is offered for COB and this is just your second option." H told me that he really liked to play in this band, but of course I told him that I donīt wanna be in that situation that somebody from your booking agency or someone of Bodom will call me like "What the fuck is going on?" Of course thatīs not the way it should be. There is actually a priority, you know?! But I mean if Janne canīt do it and I have a good tour then Iīll have another keyboard player who will possibly do the tour with me. But my first option is of course these guys. But then again, my songs they are not so difficult to play. I mean even I can play these songs and Iīm a terrible player. Of course I canīt play them so well but the thing is that the guys in the band who are playing on my album they are very, very talented and so very good players. If I would get somebody new to the band he should be on the same level, otherwise he will maybe feel not so good on the stage. Cause, except of me of course - they are so very good players.

Yeah, but youīre the good singer, thatīs your job. Yeah well, I just try to make some noises. Thanks god I donīt have to play anything. Letīs see. Probably I know more about it next week but I would definitely like to do some touring. Maybe a small club tour in Europe, maybe two or three weeks . And Iīve been also in contact with some promoters in South America, so I might do a South American tour. Because I was supposed to tour there already two years ago but it got cancelled two weeks before. And somebody from Taiwan contacted my booking agency as well. But I mean these are just offers and Iīve been in this so called music business now for so many years that I never trust in these first offers. They will always change. Itīs probably better not to say anything about touring to you when it hasnīt happened yet. (Of course, and weīre not in an interview situation, are we? - da ed.) But those are the plans.

But for sure youīre playing Wacken Open Air this year.

Yeah. Thatīs confirmed, and also one festival in Finland. Those are basically confirmed, and Iīll try to fill in some other weekends. But then, well thereīs this COB South American Tour, COB United States tour coming up, so letīs see.

Has Janne said this to you seriously, that he would rather tour with you?

No, no, no, no, no, he didnīt say like this, donīt get me wrong. But he said that he really would like to play in my band. Like, if thereīs a chance that they have something which is not confirmed than he is rather saying: "Donīt confirm that, I have something else." But theyīre CHILDREN OF BODOM, and thatīs his main job. And thatīs the way it should be.

I think CHILDREN OF BODOM as big as youīve been with STRATOVARIUS maybe five years ago.

Yeah, they are big, and I think theyīre getting bigger, because they are young, and they are very talented and they still wanna work hard and do a lot of touring and theyīre into what theyīre doing. I think they will be bigger.

Didnīt you want to work hard and tour hard during the last years with STRATOVARIUS?

I did, but not everyone else. So thatīs one of the reasons why we didnīt get along so well in the end.

Concerning friendship or something like that: Timo Tolkki helped you on this album still to record drums and bass. Hasnīt it been a little surprise how it works out? Jari is still playing with you, and Timo did help you record this shit?

I donīt have really problems with Jari, I mean, we are not "best friends", but we are still friends. Sometimes I might even call him. (Heīs saying this with a grin, so donīt get him wrong this time - da ed.) Timo promised me already last spring that when Iīm doing the next album he might do some sounds. So it was just bringing some microphones and thatīs it. And that was already in September. That was like a deal done.

Whatīs up with you and Jörg? I just read Jörgs Website and this was a little bit cryptical. What is between you and him?

I donīt know about it. Whatīs written there?

Something like: Hope we are getting along some day again. (And here I did a mistake, because thatīs the exakt word thatīs written vice versa not on Jörgīs but on Timoīs own page... - da ed.)

Em, yes? Maybe I am not either, of course, but he is not the easiest guy to get along with. Heīs got his personality and his special ways of doing things. And very often itīs just his way and not somebody elseīs way. But I understand him and I respect him because he is probably the only sane person who was in the band. But, like I said, itīs not that easy.

Letīs keep the past the past. Letīs go to the present: Your last album was a concept album about Egypt. Now itīs "Coldness". Seems a bit like a Finnish concept album.

Exactly. Yeah, well. The first album was just fulfilling my long-time dream, cause when I was younger I was listening to a lot of metal albums, and especially some concept albums like "Operation Mindcrime" of Queensryche really hit me hard. At that time I thought, "Fuck, maybe one day I could do a concept album myself." We never did it with STRATOVARIUS, we had some themes on the albums but never really a story behind it. I wanted to do it once, and now Iīve done it, and thatīs done, and I donīt have to redo it again. Itīs funny because "Coldness" has a total different atmosphere. From the hot sand of Egypt we go to the modern fucking ice cold Finland. Itīs a total different change in my life. And also I mean of course itīs everything related to the changes in my life in the couple of month, or six month time so...

You started recording in september last year, didnīt you write the songs in September and October as well - if I get it right from the BLOG on your website?

Yeah, but I didnīt write the lyrics then. I started writing one part of the lyrics probably in august, but than the other part was later, much later. And I actually wrote some of the lyrics for the last songs in the studio when I was singing and that was still almost in january. Cause it happens to me very often, well, and it happens to everybody I know: When theyīre recording theyīre still writing the lyrics. Itīs quite easy to get the picture that itīs only about the STRATOVARIUS shit that was going on at that time. But itīs not about that only. Thereīs been some "personal things" as well. Itīs just everything what Iīve felt during those month. So basically itīs about more than a six month time period.

Thereīs "Happy Metal" on your album, but thereīs a kind of rock song as well. Did you listen to such influences a little bit more during the last time? What makes you write songs like this?

No I havenīt been listening to actually anything. My music is obviously a combination of different things. Thereīs a lot of things from the eighties, and some people even found some things from the seventies when theyīve heard the album. And of course thereīs maybe even something from the nineties, and maybe even some newer stuff. Iīm combining my roots, and of course thereīs my voice there and I canīt change the fact that Iīve been in one band for ten years. Of course thereīs influences from STRATOVARIUS, thatīs something that I canīt help. I didnīt wanna do the same kind of songs anyway but I didnīt plan it like "this song will be heavier, this will be faster, or this will be like blablabla". I composed whatever I felt and then when I had the songs together I noticed that I had different kind of songs. I think itīs a good thing. But of course, I donīt know what kind of people might like this album, donīt ask me. Maybe nobody.

Oh, I donīt think that nobody would like it. So, good luck to you. Any wishes for the future?

I wish that I could do this kind of a little european tour somewhere. It would be cool. I wouldnīt mind to support some other band - if the guys in that band are nice (laughing). It would be very, very nice to do a little tour, maybe play two or three shows in Germany, and maybe some in Spain, Italy, France, maybe Belgium or Holland and then I will play some shows in Finland for sure. Of course I also hope that the fans will like the album. And: Weīll see on the possible tour!

Alright. So, see you at least Wacken.

Surrendering with a little laughter:
Ok. (laetti)