Lucem Fero has issued an interview with CHILDREN OF BODOM vocalist Alexi Laiho, conducted by Welsh interviewer Anthony Morgan. The following is an excerpt:

Q: In making Blooddrunk, how did the process begin?

A: "We started writing songs for Blooddrunk in roughly February, I think. We had a decent amount of time to write the music, which was nice. When we were recording the previous album, Are You Dead Yet?, it was somewhat hectic - we only had roughly two months to work on the material. This time around, the process was more laid back. Yeah, it was pretty nice. In terms of stress at least, it was pretty mellow. Blooddrunk was recorded at this studio (Petrax Studios), and that studio is located in the middle of the woods in Finland. There's this house which has a studio, and that's where we lived for six weeks. It was pretty cool."

Q: Could you discuss some of the other lyrical content which features on Blooddrunk?

A: "Usually, the lyrics are pretty much the same in each song. Having said that, there are a couple of songs which have different topics. For example, the last track is called 'Roadkill Morning'. The whole song is about the worst fucking hangover you could ever imagine, but just multiplied by ten. I actually like those lyrics somewhat; they're very graphic, and discuss how fucking bad you can feel when you have a hangover. As a whole concept, it's actually somewhat funny."

Q: You worked with Peter Tägtgren (PAIN, HYPOCRISY) on your vocals, and he also worked with Janne on his keyboard parts. How did Peter's approach help to get the best take out of you and Janne?

A: "He was there to record my vocals, and that's what I wanted him to do. It was definitely a good idea, and just made the whole process so much easier for me. Peter is a singer as well, so he knows how to work around the studio. He contributed a lot of good ideas, and things like that. It was most definitely a really good idea to do that; in future, I'm pretty sure we're going to do the same thing."

Q: How do you feel Blooddrunk surpasses 'Are You Dead Yet?'?

A: "I think it's just more catchy. On Are You Dead Yet?, there are a couple of tracks which are probably still my favourite Children Of Bodom songs ever. As a whole album though, it's not as good as Blooddrunk. Blooddrunk, as a whole album, is definitely better from my point of view at least. There are no weak songs, or anything like that. That's why, as a whole album, Blooddrunk is a pretty good one."

Q: You said that parts of Blooddrunk are more progressive, so can you tell me about that?

A: "You probably won't even notice Blooddrunk's more progressive aspects. Some timings in the guitar riffs, some hooks here and there, and things like that, are more progressive. Blooddrunk isn't progressive per se, but sometimes the album isn't as straightforward as it sounds, or appears to be."

Q: Blooddrunk's music video is set in a ghost town, so can you talk me through the video's concept?

A: "Yeah. Actually, that was an idea from the video company (Katapult Filmproduktion). They just looked that place up, and it was pretty cool. It's this abandoned town, and it's brilliant. Pretty much, they came up with the whole idea. We thought it sounded really cool, so we just went for it."

Q: You also recorded a music video for the track 'Hellhounds On My Trail', so can you reveal the concept for that video as well?

A: "When it comes to the lyrics, I guess the whole idea is the following; your past, and things which you have done in the past, just keep on chasing you. You just can't get away."

Q: Children of Bodom cut four cover tracks during recording sessions for Blooddrunk, so how did the group put its own individual stamp on the interpretations?

A: "When it comes to cover tracks, we always have to do a lot of them. We enjoy doing them. For us, it's just boring to do metal covers. Instead of that, we just pick a fucking BRITNEY SPEARS song or something. This time around, we covered acts like CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL, KENNY ROGERS, and music like that. That's what really makes it fun - that we can make the Bodom version of a good old Country song (laughs)."

Q: How did the concept for Blooddrunk's album cover come about, and what mood do you feel it evokes?

A: "Do you mean the GRIM REAPER concept? We just wanted to have a cover which would fit the album, and I think that it fits 'Blooddrunk' pretty well. The cover is a complete fucking punch in the face, and I think that the album is in that vein as well. They go together pretty well."

Q: Kimberly Goss (SINERGY) wrote the lyrics to a track called 'LoBodomy', so what do the lyrics of that song concern?

A: "I think the concept of that song concerns just being pissed off about these fucking idiots who surf the fucking internet, and just write shit about you."

Click here for the complete interview.