Henri Samuli Seppälä Looking Foxy
I must admit, I initially thought everyone in Children Of Bodom looked exactly the same, Finnish Metal Gods, but after speaking to bassist (and my new celebrity best mate) Henri Samuli Seppälä I realised that they in fact, do not.
I chatted to the super hot Red Hot Chili Pepper fan to find out super top secret information about their new album, who would headline their dream festival, and having sex with strange people on aeroplanes.
How are you enjoying being in the UK again?
Yeah, we love it; it's getting better all the time... when we stated coming here about four years ago it was only in very small places and now it's much bigger. I just came outside and saw the huge line; it's pretty amazing! It's a little grey outside though.
I know it's freezing! It's been snowing too, is it snowing where you've come from?
It's freezing there as well yeah, but it's been sunny there too.
Are you going to be releasing any new material this year?
Hum, I don't know. I don't know if it's supposed to be a secret... [FF: You can tell us, we won't tell anyone!] there's a plan to release a cover album because we've done a lot of covers in the past; it should be out this fall or next fall.
Why do you think that Scandinavian countries are such a hotbed for metal music?
That's a good question; I have heard it many times but I don't really have an explanation.
Who is your favourite Scandinavian metal band?
In Flames has been my favourite for a long time, I also like Soilwork. There's this paper in Finland and there are these two philosophers who answer random questions from the public and once someone asked why there were so many metal bands in Finland. They came up with a very good answer but I cant remember what it was! The conclusion somehow dealt with similarities with rally and formula one drivers.
What was it about the Lake Bodom Murders that inspired you to take the name?
When we were making a record deal we didn't have a name and then someone remembered the Bodom case that was very, very famous back in the day. Not for our generation but the one before. We studied it a little bit and it appeared to be quite interesting and quite a scary thing so we decided on it. The lake itself is situated in the town we're all from.
Do you feel that those murders now define the city?
No. Maybe for some people, but not for most.
Now it's you guys that define the city! Speaking of which, what one song do you think best sums you up as a band?
I would say Blooddrunk but then again it doesn't have any fast parts. So I'd say "Blooddrunk but with a bit more fast bits!"
If you could cover any song, what would it be?
That's funny because for the forthcoming covers album we want to do loads more, but we're still unsure as to what they will be, so you will have to keep a lookout.
Which bands would headline your dream festival?
Hmm, that's a good one... I will have all the budget in the world right? [FF: Yep!] I would try to get Faith No More, Slayer, then I would try to get Red Hot Chili Peppers, then I would have Pantera with their original line-up.
Woo! We'd buy a ticket! So, outside of Finland, where do you feel most at home?
Sydney and Amsterdam
And why Amsterdam? Because it's filled with sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll?
No! It's just a nice place and I feel like home there! It's beautiful.
I've never been, I'd imagine it to have daffodils though.
It has tulips not daffodils! It has lots of nice buildings, you should go, it's very nice.
Why do you think metal creates such a sense of unity?
I don't know, maybe it's that people who don't know about metal music look down to them and don't approve it. So then again the metal people, as diverse as they are within each other, somehow unite. I think it's a natural reaction to being ‘oppressed' by the mainstream.
What are three weaknesses of Children Of Bodom?
Well we should probably practice more as a band, we're a little bit too lazy when it comes to that.
We should also communicate with each other more, which is sometimes a little hard even though we are always together.
I think thirdly, it might be good to have more than nine songs on each album, we would like to have 12 songs on each album.
So if you could only listen to one CD for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I would probably pick a soundtrack so that it would be diverse. I would probably say the soundtrack of The Grindhouse horror movie by Quentin Tarantino.
And if you had the chance to join any other band, which would you join?
Well it can't be the Chili Peppers because then I would be replacing Flea.
Oh no we can't have that, you could be his assistant?
Yes, maybe I could be a bass technician for Flea.
Now we are going to ask you three random questions; firstly, if you won a box set of movies featuring just one actor and one actress, which actor and actress would you choose?
Cate Blanchett and then I would say Brad Pitt because he's been doing a lot of good movies lately.
If you had only nine minutes left to live, what would you do in those nine minutes?
I don't know, I would probably just go and find as many friends as I could and tell them ‘bye.'
And if you were on an aeroplane sat next to someone of average appearance who, after talking politely, offered you £10,000 for one night of sex, would you accept?
If I was single I would probably want to have sex with her anyway so yes.
And if you weren't single?
Then I probably wouldn't. and I wouldn't!
But you could share the money with your girlfriend and take her to Amsterdam! You'd be taking one for the team!
Yeah, but then I would phone and ask her for her opinion!
We ask everyone we interview to come up with a question for the next person we interview, and the band Chiodos want to know, do you prefer liquor or beer?
I prefer beer, but I think many of the other guys prefer liquor.
Okay, so can you come up with a question for the next person we interview please?
If you were stuck on a desert island, which one person would you take with you?
Oh, I love it... if you go to Amsterdam could you take me please, I need a holiday!
Read our review of what the boys got up to that night, here
FemaleFirst - Ruth Harrison
I must admit, I initially thought everyone in Children Of Bodom looked exactly the same, Finnish Metal Gods, but after speaking to bassist (and my new celebrity best mate) Henri Samuli Seppälä I realised that they in fact, do not.
I chatted to the super hot Red Hot Chili Pepper fan to find out super top secret information about their new album, who would headline their dream festival, and having sex with strange people on aeroplanes.
How are you enjoying being in the UK again?
Yeah, we love it; it's getting better all the time... when we stated coming here about four years ago it was only in very small places and now it's much bigger. I just came outside and saw the huge line; it's pretty amazing! It's a little grey outside though.
I know it's freezing! It's been snowing too, is it snowing where you've come from?
It's freezing there as well yeah, but it's been sunny there too.
Are you going to be releasing any new material this year?
Hum, I don't know. I don't know if it's supposed to be a secret... [FF: You can tell us, we won't tell anyone!] there's a plan to release a cover album because we've done a lot of covers in the past; it should be out this fall or next fall.
Why do you think that Scandinavian countries are such a hotbed for metal music?
That's a good question; I have heard it many times but I don't really have an explanation.
Who is your favourite Scandinavian metal band?
In Flames has been my favourite for a long time, I also like Soilwork. There's this paper in Finland and there are these two philosophers who answer random questions from the public and once someone asked why there were so many metal bands in Finland. They came up with a very good answer but I cant remember what it was! The conclusion somehow dealt with similarities with rally and formula one drivers.
What was it about the Lake Bodom Murders that inspired you to take the name?
When we were making a record deal we didn't have a name and then someone remembered the Bodom case that was very, very famous back in the day. Not for our generation but the one before. We studied it a little bit and it appeared to be quite interesting and quite a scary thing so we decided on it. The lake itself is situated in the town we're all from.
Do you feel that those murders now define the city?
No. Maybe for some people, but not for most.
Now it's you guys that define the city! Speaking of which, what one song do you think best sums you up as a band?
I would say Blooddrunk but then again it doesn't have any fast parts. So I'd say "Blooddrunk but with a bit more fast bits!"
If you could cover any song, what would it be?
That's funny because for the forthcoming covers album we want to do loads more, but we're still unsure as to what they will be, so you will have to keep a lookout.
Which bands would headline your dream festival?
Hmm, that's a good one... I will have all the budget in the world right? [FF: Yep!] I would try to get Faith No More, Slayer, then I would try to get Red Hot Chili Peppers, then I would have Pantera with their original line-up.
Woo! We'd buy a ticket! So, outside of Finland, where do you feel most at home?
Sydney and Amsterdam
And why Amsterdam? Because it's filled with sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll?
No! It's just a nice place and I feel like home there! It's beautiful.
I've never been, I'd imagine it to have daffodils though.
It has tulips not daffodils! It has lots of nice buildings, you should go, it's very nice.
Why do you think metal creates such a sense of unity?
I don't know, maybe it's that people who don't know about metal music look down to them and don't approve it. So then again the metal people, as diverse as they are within each other, somehow unite. I think it's a natural reaction to being ‘oppressed' by the mainstream.
What are three weaknesses of Children Of Bodom?
Well we should probably practice more as a band, we're a little bit too lazy when it comes to that.
We should also communicate with each other more, which is sometimes a little hard even though we are always together.
I think thirdly, it might be good to have more than nine songs on each album, we would like to have 12 songs on each album.
So if you could only listen to one CD for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I would probably pick a soundtrack so that it would be diverse. I would probably say the soundtrack of The Grindhouse horror movie by Quentin Tarantino.