Children of Bodom are releasing their ninth studio album I Worship Chaos on October 2. Like most Bodom albums, it’s full of masterful riffery, memorable keyboard melodies, and a subtle sense of humor amid all that, well, chaos. Unlike most previous Bodom albums, I Worship Chaos was recorded in a converted warehouse, as opposed to a traditional studio.
Perhaps the location is why this latest album feels like a rebirth for the Finnish band, as it contains some of their most invigorated material in years.
Keyboardist Janne Wirman spoke to ARTISTdirect’s Amy Sciarretto about some of the writing challenges the band tackled (and dismantled), the sounds of silence, and what he would be doing if he wasn’t worshipping chaos in one of the genre’s most beloved European bands.
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Amy Sciarretto: What was it like working on music in what was once a warehouse, as opposed to a commercial studio? Did it make a huge difference to sound or the process?
Janne Wirman: The unique thing was that we did the drums in the main hall of the warehouse. It gave us a huge ambient sound, yet the close mics stayed as clean as [if they were] in a studio. For the rest of the instruments, it really was no different that working in a studio.
AS: Even though the band has been at this for years, was there a song on I Worship Chaos that stands out as one of the most challenging to write or complete? Is there a song where the end result was totally worth the time and energy expended on it?
JW: Yes, ‘My Bodom (I Am the Only One).’ It was most difficult to arrange. We recorded demos, took riffs out and then put riffs back in and tried different parts. It was the most difficult to finish and we struggled. We went through periods where we were not working on it and then periods where we were working on it. Then, in the end, we were all happy with how it came out.
AS: What was the chief problem with it?
JW: It had riffs that didn’t fit the song and it never felt right. When we got it right, we all realized, ‘This is how it is supposed to sound.’ It took some work. Usually, we start arranging and we find solutions quick. That song just took some time.
AS: Did you consider ditching the song and just moving on since it provided some stress during the writing and recording process?
JW: No. We knew we just had to change many parts around so that it would become something totally different.
AS: I Worship Chaos feels like a rebirth for the band. Can you share the meaning behind the title track?
JW: The title comes from a track on an album that is brutal and heavy and aggressive. It is about life, where someone can’t stand the silence, so he must have noise and chaos around him all the time.
AS: That’s how heavy metal fans like it. Personally, do you prefer silence or the chaos?
JW: I don’t prefer the silence. But really, it does make a killer title. But I am not that chaotic as a person.
AS: What is your main source of motivation to keep making music that is this aggressive and physically taxing? What keeps you in this game at this point?
JW: It’s the touring and playing new songs live. There is something about the reaction with the crowd that gets me. It still inspires me. Touring can be hard… with all the annoying stuff that you have to deal with. But in the end, after you get home and are there for a few days, you want to go right back out on tour. When you get that interaction with the fans, you love it. It can be an annoying, the ‘hurrying up and waiting’ lifestyle, dealing with all of the grind at airports and with traveling. But it is still fun and something that I still want to do.
AS: Is there one specific thing that you want fans to know about I Worship Chaos?
JW: We’ve been getting great feedback from fans and we think it’s the best in years.
AS: Children of Bodom are known for their interesting cover song choices. You have offered up your interpretations of Britney Spears’ ‘Oops… I Did It Again’ and Andrew WK’s ‘She Is Beautiful.’ What is one cover song you haven’t done but want to?
JW: I would like to do something by Prince. That would be awesome. I like Prince. I don’t know which song… the vocals would be difficult to turn into death metal, so it would be a challenge.
AS: Well, Prince does sing in quite a high falsetto at times. I can’t imagine translating that into a death metal track.
JW: Perhaps we can come up with a great arrangement of ‘Let’s Go Crazy.’
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AS: What would you be doing if you were not the keyboardist of Children of Bodom?
JW: When I joined the band, I was dreaming of being an architect. I love drawing and buildings. To get my mind off the music business, I like to draw buildings and boats. It is not artsy. I don’t paint with watercolors. Just technical drawing and stuff like that fascinates me.
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