The Gauntlet: How is the tour going? Good crowds?

Roope Latvala: It’s going real well.

The Gauntlet: Are you getting along with the Black Dahlia Murder guys?

Roope: Yea, those guys I really like. They’re just normal dudes like us. They’re nice guys, we get along good.

The Gauntlet: The last time I saw you guys was in Long Beach on Gigantour, and you seemed a little pissed off, do you remember anything about that?

Roope: Hmm… I don’t remember. I have nothing bad to say about that tour with Megadeth. Their crew was really polite and we got to be friends in the end.

The Gauntlet: Did you get to hang out with Dave Mustaine?

Roope: We hung out a few nights, but I didn’t get to know him that much. He kept a little distance. He always said “Hi” and sometimes would have a couple of beers with us after the show, but that was it.

The Gauntlet: After this tour you’re going to Europe with Slipknot. Are you a Slipknot fan at all?

Roope: I’m not really familiar with that whole thing. It all seems a little odd to me, but maybe I’ll get used to it (laughs). What I’ve heard sounds good. The cool part is that the tour starts in Helsinki in November. It’s a nice place to start the thing, in our hometown. It’s a nice release for us. We’re looking forward to it. Big places, big crowds.

The Gauntlet: There are rumors that your old band, Stone, are going to be reuniting for a few shows or maybe even a new album this year. How much of that is true?

Roope: There’s no talk about a new album, but we do have a couple of gigs coming up in Helsinki. It starts the 25th of next month or something like that. We’ve got one month off from Bodom before the Slipknot thing. We’ve got three sold out shows now in one week. It’s gonna be a hectic week (laughs). We’ll probably play some pretty long sets.

The Gauntlet: What’s the status of the next Sinergy album, “Sins of the Past”? Will it be out this year?

Roope: I haven’t actually talked to (vocalist) Kimberly Goss in a couple of years. When the whole Bodom thing got going, we sort of buried the whole thing. It’s kind of sad, we laid down all the riffs and guitars and bass and drum tracks already. It’s just the singing and soloing, and of course the mixing that is missing.

The Gauntlet: How easy is it working with Alexi Laiho in the studio?

Roope: Very easy. We arrange all the stuff beforehand, and then just go in and record. We find a sound and just start bashing.

The Gauntlet: Did you have any songwriting input on “Blooddrunk”?

Roope: No, I just threw in a couple of riffs now and then. I busted some solos. The raw stuff is usually Laiho’s, but then we all sort of arrange stuff together and figure out what we can and can’t do. Pretty much everyone is involved, but it all comes from Alexi in the first place. I don’t want to get involved too much, because it is Alexi’s baby.

The Gauntlet: How do you think Alexi ranks among current metal guitarists?

Roope: There is definitely a unique feel in his playing. He’s got a very personal style. Lots of little details here and there. There are so many good songwriters out there. The world is so fucking huge, and there could be a million better players out there for all we know. We just try to be as original as possible, and thank God we are where we are.

The Gauntlet: Have you heard the new Metallica album?

Roope: Yea! It’s way better than the last one. I heard some of the old stuff in there. I think it’s a good album. I think it’s better than “Load” and “Reload.” It’s the first good album after the Black Album.

The Gauntlet: Do you have a favorite album of 2008?

Roope: There are a few goodies out there. One of my favorites is the new Testament. The Cavalera Conspiracy I really dig. What else is there?

The Gauntlet: There’s the new Opeth.

Roope: I haven’t heard that actually. They believe that they are some kind of genius and they’re not afraid to tell that, I think that’s kind of funny. Great fucking professors of metal. I might try it though.

The Gauntlet: Thanks for the interview!

Roope: No problem. We are going to go swimming in the Salt Lake right now. It’s very warm up here and the water looks really clean. Take care!