mt: Give me some background on how it was working with Matt Hyde? How did it come about?

Bazie: There was actually another producer we were thinking about using, I won't say the name, but he cancelled the whole thing about a year ago last summer. We had wanted to go into the studio by October last year and get the album out early like in April, but then we started thinking who else we wanna work with and Matt's name came up from Crow's sound track and of course we know him from Slayer and some other albums he had done so he was one option. There were also one Canadian producer and a German producer, and one Finnish guy and one English guy. Anyway, so I talked to them all and he seemed like most like into what were doing and the scene and what we wanted to do and how we wanted to improve the sound. So he felt most natural to us. So we chose him from that point. It actually started very well with the pre-production in January. We were there for a month.

Archzie: In earlier albums we do everything in the same place, but not with him.

Bazie: We did a bit of rehearsing and arranging, it was much faster, we didn't have that much time to do it...

Archzie: It was old style...

Bazie: Everyone in the same room and he sat in the middle while we played....

Archzie: Bullshit...this is good. (laughs) It was nice...

Bazie: That is what we actually were looking for...

mt: So you were really happy?

Archzie: Yes! Really happy! Really happy! Yes!

Bazie: Yes, different kind of sound and different kind of working.

mt: Definitely my new favorite.

Archzie: Ok.

mt: You think you will work with him again?

Archzie: Hopefully yes.

Bazie: Yea, hopefully. We saw him at the LA show and we started talking about doing the next album, so...but now we know how people are and how they work and how they prefer to do things and it went very smoothly, but we should have a little more time, one week more, because it was quite stressful in the end. We had to work 14-16 hours a day and it was more stressful for him, no day off, so that is what we want...a little more time for that. Start a little earlier. There were some other songs that did not end up on the album. Actually we recorded two more, but even before that and he decided to bring other songs in. We were thinking about bringing him in much earlier to get it more like...

Archzie: He gave a lot of attention to lyrics I think. Because that is the most different thing than before because he is American and plays American music. What is this guy saying...he says sing this like that...

Bazie: That was the main difference than before. There wasn't much attention to lyrics and actually another way around. We keep the vocal melodies and lyrics and then change the music, but now it was the music stayed, of course we changed, but not that much. Many songs lyrics and vocal melodies changed.

mt: I think as a fan, for me personally you all shined on this album. Everything was great.

Archzie: Did you hear any difference in the lyrics?

mt: Oh yea, I noticed a big difference. I really did..

Bazie: With the lyrics, it was more...He didn't change the subject, but he said as an American "I understand that you are singing English, but what does this mean?"

mt: I am going to ask Jyrki about the stronger lyrics when I interview him.

Archzie: Yea, ask Jyrki.

Bazie: Of course, we paid more attention to the band. Guitars, bass and drums and gave it more time. Johnny Lee Michaels is a keyboard player and Matt is a guitar player.

mt: So it was natural. I think it was good timing.

Bazie: That is actually what we wanted. That was one of the reasons to bring him in. He has a lot of background from Hip Hop, to Pop and Rock.

Archzie: Of course we could do the album in America in LA, that was a fuckin big dream to do the album in America.

Bazie: It actually was more concentration to just do the album. That was also different, since we did it in short periods before rather than everything as a whole. Everyday was a lot of work and there were arguments and tension, but everyone is happy in the end.

Archzie: It was really hard work.

mt: And you guys have been together for such a long time. Not too many bands are together that long.

Archzie: We know each other so well, good way and bad way.

mt: That's awesome. Yea you accept each other for everything, that is great. After 20 years together, what is next?

Archzie: It's a way of life so, how can you change how you live it?

Bazie: Playing music is what we want to do. Think of it this way, we just starting touring with the new album...it is like really new for us. I dunno, we haven't actually thought about it. There is a lot of touring coming...

mt: I would hope that you would continue to play as long as people want to see you.

Bazie: Yea! We are actually going to be playing some acoustic shows.

mt: People are really excited about that.

Archzie: For us it is very good to play a different way.

mt: It is funny. People associate me with you guys so every day of the tour I have been getting a lot of feedback via text or messages. Same thing with the acoustic sets, I knew before I even saw it online.

Bazie: We were asked to do that one promotion thing in Sweden and then we were going to do a couple of private ones. But then we were asked to Helldone Festival. Then we were thinking of Semifinal is a smaller room so it is better to do it down scaled.

mt: A friend of mine taped the acoustic set for me in Sweden, I loved it.

Bazie: It was quite fun and different. After that we decided to do it, until then we had put it on hold and then Helldone came up and we said "let's do it."

mt: Well people are really excited about it.

Archzie: We are excited about it.

Bazie: It will be different songs, but it is not a headline set, we are warming up for HIM.

mt: That is still awesome. If I were to go, I am not coming, but I would go to see you guys, I have no interest in any of the other band's so there will be people like that.

mt: Not sure if I have asked you this before, but do you have any nicknames for each other?

Bazie: Yea, but I don't know how to translate, but I think the most nicknames are for Timo. (all laugh)

Archzie: Yea!

Bazie: Actually he has many of them. Timo has multiple characters in him and he changes every day. That is where he gets his name, whatever he is on that day.

mt: How would you describe your relationship with each member in the band in a few words? Short and sweet.

Archzie: I can start. Bazie is peaceful.

Bazie: Uhhhh....(laughs)

mt: I always have weird questions. How about Jussi?

Bazie: Describe how he is? Uhh....you can tell her.

Archzie: Jussi is so laid back, but he does his work perfect. He is like "ok, no problem", but is always his 100% best at work. That's nice.

Bazie: Archzie is an observer but keeps the whole thing together. Says something when needed. An observer.

mt: How about Jyrki?

Arczhie: He is like a motor, hyperactive and....

Bazie: and ah...restless. Artistic and hyperactive.

Archzie: But there is always a reason why he is hyper-active. He knows what to do and he knows what he is doing.

Bazie: Visionary for the whole thing and how we do it. Timo....Jussi yea, Jussi is wild and laid back. He is like a kid with his energy. He is the motor that keeps it running.

Archzie: In a show...but otherwise he can be so relaxed.

Bazie: Timo is the funniest guy in the band, but really serious. He thinks a lot. He is a thinker, but funny.  How would I say? He has a lot of opinions and we don't necessarily agree, but he likes to bring stuff up that he thinks we didn't know.

mt: Not that I hear bad things all that much, but I always hear the nicest comments about you two. ALWAYS....

Archzie: Great, thank you. Thanks to everybody.

mt: I understand that you are around people 24/7 and you have to act, you know what I mean? But never do I hear anything but nice things.

Bazie: But that is true as a group...we have different personalities.

Archzie: That is why we are what we are...if we were all the same, it wouldn't work.

mt: You balance each other out.

Bazie: When we did the acoustic set with just the three of us, we are going to do the whole band at Helldone, but you could tell it was different. The two guys were missing and it was really different.

Archzie: We missed them.

mt: Whether you are on the road, on vacation or home what do you always do before you go to bed and when you wake up? Any routines?

Bazie: Uh...I go to the toilet before I go to sleep, then I get up and drink water then back to the toilet. (laughs)

Archzie: While on tour if there isn't a party, I read something or watch a movie. You can't go to sleep right away. So you must do something alone in your bunk to get you tired.

mt: That brings up a good question, what is the most enjoyable part? Meaning when you are on tour can you actually relax?

Archzie: It is very nice in a new town to go out and just walk around and see what there is to see.

Bazie: I think once the tour going, the music works the band works, the crew works and you don't have to worry about anything, you enjoy it most. Is this going to work, fuck this guitar, whatever, everything is working , the venues are good, then it is enjoyable. Meeting people and fans and everything. Then you can enjoy it and relax. Read a book, watch a movie, or have a party. Relaxing...sometimes you have to read, sometimes you have to drink a couple of beers.

mt: If you could change your set list without any negative feedback is there a song you would never play live again?

Bazie: There are many that we don't play anymore, but our set is always...(laughs)

Archzie: I dunno. You will always find the songs again. Sometimes you say "never this song again" but then one year, two years go and you say "hey". You get tired, but sometimes it comes back. Like The Chair...how many years have we been playing it?

Bazie: Actually we are not playing it tonight...

Archzie: Yea, not tonight. We are tired...

mt: My favorite songs never get played. I love "Stigmata" and I have never heard it and the new album "Some Kind of Magic", I love that song. (Can't hurt to try right?)

Bazie: We are going to rehearse that soon and Stigmata we actually played that song in Australia and Europe the entire tour. We do bring songs back and we have new songs we want to do too. That is true that you stick to the same songs and we have been talking about trying to change that.

mt: Yea I know. (pouts)

Archzie: Some songs we have never played live. There are a few songs.

Bazie: But sometimes you know when you do the album there are songs that we won't play. On the new album they have been done differently.

Archzie: I think on the new album we can play everything live.

Bazie: Yea.

mt: I would love to hear "Eternal" and I don't typically like ballads.

Bazie: That is the most obvious song to play acoustic.

Archzie: Yea of course we do it.

mt: deep sigh

Bazie: But that is something we have been thinking of, but we are five guys and if we all did the set list it would be different I would say.

Arczhie: A few songs we would play every night.

mt: Do you personally have a favorite?

Archzie: Lost Boys, we would always play. Perfect Skin...

Bazie: Those are songs that we all have to play and we want to play. I would say that is the only song we have to play...Lost Boys. You can't say that for the new songs, that is why we want to try out so many songs as possible to see what songs people like. We tend to play the singles.

mt: How does it feel to hear your music playing randomly in public?

Arczhie: Of course it is nice, in the beginning we were jumping and yelling "YEA YEA!" now it is here, but I don't know...

Bazie: When a new album comes out and I hear it on the radio the first time. Of course when you go to a bar to have a drink and you say "Oh fuck..." you know it is good.

mt: I get excited when I hear your music playing from another car in my small town!

Bazie: Actually I have told this story before, but I was excited. In Helsinki I was walking in the street by some bar and I they have speakers outside and I thought this sounds good...nice guitar solo. Fuck that's me...but that was a good sign. (all laughs)