HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Children Of Bodom
Alexi Laiho was undoubtedly one of the best metal frontmen and guitarists of all time, and the pain of his loss still lingers since his passing three years ago. This December marks the 30th anniversary of CHILDREN OF BODOM, who formed in 1993 under the name INEARTHED and had a tumultuous career spanning decades. At the time of his passing, they were a band divided, with Laiho touring under BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT due to issues following the break-up of the band. With the 30th anniversary now here, the band have released a new live album titled A Chapter Called Children Of Bodom – the recording of their final show. While the legal reasons behind their final show and Laiho’s death make this anniversary a difficult one to celebrate, CHILDREN OF BODOM’s legacy is undeniable and worthy of the respect paid to it.
INEARTHED was a project of both Laiho and drummer Jaska Raatikainen, a childhood friend of Laiho’s with whom he shared mutual musical tastes. The initial line-up was completed with Samuli Miettinen on bass, and his song writing is what originally brought the signature keyboards into the fold. Some line-up changes took place during the INEARTHED years, and after failing to impress labels with their demo recordings, the band got to work on their debut album, expecting to self-release it. The album caught the attention of Spinefarm Records, who agreed to distribute it if they were willing to change their name – and thus CHILDREN OF BODOM came to be. For Something Wild (1997), the line-up expanded with Henkka Seppälä on bass, Alexander Kuoppala on rhythm guitar, and Janne Wirman on keyboards – a line-up that would mostly remain intact until their split more than two decades later. Something Wild allowed the band to receive early acclaim for their blend of melody and synth into blackened death metal. They were part of the second wave of melodic death metal, which had been developed in the few years preceding its release thanks to bands like CARCASS, AT THE GATES, IN FLAMES, and DARK TRANQUILLITY. While CHILDREN OF BODOM share key similarities with these bands, their style was still unique, which may be partly explained by their fast keyboards and influence from the work of IRON MAIDEN, OZZY OSBOURNE, and YNGWIE MALMSTEEN.
If Something Wild put the band on the map, then the Finnish chart-topping album Hatebreeder (1999) helped them take off. This faster-paced album featured several tracks that would become mainstays of their live shows, including Bed Of Razors, Downfall, and Silent Night, Bodom Night. While touring Japan with IN FLAMES and SINERGY (Laiho’s power metal band with future spouse Kimberly Goss) on this album cycle, the band recorded the Tokyo Warhearts, which showcased their ability to perform these intricate, fast-paced songs in a live environment. However, their third album Follow The Reaper (2001) is what really made them take flight. The success came from the blend of their raw, energetic sound with the expert production from Peter Tägtgren – a multi-instrumentalist in bands like HYPOCRISY, PAIN, and LINDEMANN, and a producer with an extensive list of credits. This album featured all the ferocity they had become known for – but it was also their most melodic effort thus far, swirling together heavy metal tropes and rapid extreme metal in a hurricane of hooks and lightning-fast guitar and percussion.
Hate Crew Deathroll (2003) caps their original run of four albums before the pace changes. At this point, they were successful worldwide, having signed to Century Media for global distribution. They toured extensively to promote the album, and during this time Kuoppala departed the band half-way through their tour, citing personal reasons. Roope Latvala, Laiho’s bandmate from SINERGY, was brought on as a temporary replacement, but was eventually asked to join the band. With Latvala on board, they began working on their fifth album Are You Dead Yet? (2005). Interestingly, the power metal elements that had always been present in CHILDREN OF BODOM and SINERGY were stripped back, and the album is considerably slower and lower-tuned than their previous work. This stylistic change divided the fanbase – many fans and critics consider this departure to be the divide between the ‘core’ sound of the band and what would come afterwards. While this may be the case, many welcomed the change and still consider it to be among their best material. They doubled down on the goofy, clichéd lyrics that had become a trademark of theirs, but maintained the wizardry of their musicianship. Even with stylistic changes – or potentially because of them – the album would go on to be their biggest, making album charts across the world. Tracks from it still top their Spotify to this day, and the title track was featured in the video game Rock Band 2.
The title Are You Dead Yet? has dark connotations, referring to feelings Laiho experienced after suffering an alcohol-related injury. Laiho’s alcohol abuse is well documented, and he was strongly aware of his ‘addictive personality’. Substance abuse issues were persistent throughout his career, and the surviving band members told Finnish publication Helsingin Sanomat in 2022 that during their tour for Blooddrunk (2008) supporting SLIPKNOT in 2008, the band became aware of how much his relationship with alcohol was harming him, during which Laiho had “promised to stop drinking on tour”. While there are moments preceding his death where Laiho attempts to abstain from alcohol, this habit was something that he was never able to truly kick to the curb.
Fans and critics are mixed on the period in between Are You Dead Yet? and Halo Of Blood (2013), but the latter is considered by many as a return to form. While many bands experiencing a ‘return to form’ hail some form of internal catalyst as the reason behind an upturn in quality, for CHILDREN OF BODOM, little had changed. Tensions were still high in the band, with this album being the last with Latvala, who was fired from the band in May 2015. Latvala gives his own reasons for his firing, telling Blabbermouth in 2017 that he felt he had been “stabbed in the back”. Others told Helsingin Sanomat that Laiho had instead been quite straightforward and by the books, issuing “verbal warnings, formal warnings and finally termination.” In hindsight, Latvala’s departure may have signalled the beginning of the end for the band, who would perform their final show four years later. In the time between however, the band released two solid metal albums, including their technical and hard-hitting final album Hexed (2019). Until the end, the reinvigoration of CHILDREN OF BODOM that happened post-Halo Of Blood stayed strong in regards to their work together, and the recording of that final show is proof of that.
Throughout their career, the band pushed themselves to their limits in terms of their musicianship, their live performances, and their personal lives. The break-up of the band and the tragic passing of Alexi Laiho was a sour note to end such a long and impressive metal career, but this final release is a tremendous send-off for the titans of melodeath. Their musical chemistry on-stage and off was unique, and this 30th anniversary release is a perfect full-stop at the end of the chapter called CHILDREN OF BODOM. RIP Alexi Laiho.
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