Scythes Of Bodom Blog

The boys are back in town

2011-06-27T06:57:00.000-07:00

New tour, new tour bus

Photo credit: K-Man

The North American leg of the Ugly World Tour kicked off on 24th June with a sold-out show at the House Of Blues, on west Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles.

With a bill that also included Septic Flesh, Obscura and Devin Townsend, Children Of Bodom's stage-time wasn't until 10:15, which gave the band plenty of time for an afternoon signing session at SoundCheck Hollywood, also located on Sunset.

"It's always nice to personally meet the people who actually like our music", commented Henkka about the session, in an interview with Metal Assault. Check out the whole interview here.

Photo credit: Metal Assault

A packed House Of Blues witnessed a killer show from the Finns and the night was topped off with the unannounced arrival onstage during set-closer Hate Crew Deathroll of one of Alexi's childhood idols, the voice of Skid Row, Sebastian Bach.

There goes my hero

Photo credit: Metal Assault

Bach later commented on a photograph of himself and Alexi on his facebook page, "Great time last night with Children Of Bodom at House Of Blues in Hollywood. Here's me & Alexi! He is incredible, the whole band is. Thanks Yanne for getting me onstage, although Alexi was surprised for sure".

Photo credit: Sebastian Bach

A selection of great shots of the show, from Metal Assault. Check out the complete gallery here and their review of the show here

Not forgetting the setlist

Photo credit: K-Man

And for those who can't get enough of the Bodom-style melodic death metal sound, check out Finnish band 2nd Suicide here, and give them a listen here

COB @ Download 2011

2011-06-10T14:26:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: Terrorizer

Children Of Bodom's appearance on the first day of a rather wet and chilly Download Festival drew a large and enthusiastic crowd. Despite some technical problems with Alexi's guitar rig, the 40-minute set went well, and marked the start of the next round of country-hopping for the Ugly World tour. The band are now en route to Japan, and a 5-date tour, ahead of their North American headlining trek with Devin Townsend, beginning on June 24 at the House of Blues in Los Angeles.

Photo credit and setlist: K-Man

Check the Kerrang! Download Podcast interview with Alexi, right after the band's appearance, here

Get ready for a Roundtrip to Hell ...

2011-06-06T00:11:00.000-07:00

If you're one of the many COB fans eagerly awaiting the release, via Spinefarm, of a third single from Children Of Bodom's latest, highly acclaimed Relentless Reckless Forever album, prepare to wait just a little longer than planned. The single in question, Shovel Knockout, was due to be released - both as a limited edition coloured vinyl 7” plus a digital download - to coincide with the band's appearance at this year's Download festival next weekend. However, Spinefarm tell us that the single will now be released in a couple of months time. But there's good news, too, as a new video, for Roundtrip to Hell and Back, will be available to view very soon - stay tuned!

The Ugly World Tour is go!

2011-04-14T15:19:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: K-Man

Jäähalli, Helsinki, 22nd March
It's 9 am on a sunny but bitterly cold Tuesday morning in snow-covered Helsinki. Outside the appropriately named Icehall, people are already queueing for Children Of Bodom's third show of the Ugly World Tour, which kicked off three nights previously in the northern Finnish city of Oulu. Some of the waiting fans have slept here overnight to secure a front-row position when the doors finally open, still many hours from now, and others have travelled long distances, including one diehard, who has come all the way from earthquake- and tsunami-ravaged Japan to attend all three Finnish shows - respect!

Unlike when previous album Blooddrunk was released and the band headed straight to America, this time the touring for the new album begins in Europe. "I'm really pleased that we're gonna start playing in Europe this time, because the last time I think we went to the US first and then it was too late to headline with that album in Europe. I'm really glad that we're starting in Europe first", Janne commented in a recent interview.

The first two shows, in Oulu and Tampere, are predictably well-attended. At the Tampere show, Alexi reveals that Roope broke his ankle a couple of months previously, but he's now able to stand and play live. Alexi asks the audience to give Roope a round of applause, and Roope responds by telling how he has "a shitload of iron" in his leg now!

But it's the 'hometown' Helsinki show that is the real focus of attention, and the guestlist is as packed as the Jäähalli. As the intro starts, eerie green lights reveal the atmospheric new stage design: a huge backdrop of the RRF album cover artwork, with fluttering, tattered rags suspended from the rig and scattered vari-lites raking the crowd with a blinding white light.

The set opens with a ferocious rendering of Not My Funeral, the title track from the new album, and one of five new songs showcased tonight, and it's clear from the get-go that Children Of Bodom are on blistering form, as the five Finns, who are not only technically accomplished but also a hugely entertaining live band, deliver a masterclass in melodic death metal. And the heat is literally turned up by the addition of flames and pyro on several songs.

The old favourites such as Children Of Bodom and Follow The Reaper are, of course, received rapturously, but the crowd are clearly already familiar with the new material, and songs such as Ugly, Roundtrip to Hell and Back and Shovel Knockout are greeted with equal enthusiasm.

Another innovation to the stage set is a second keyboard for Janne, allowing him some movement around the stage, although at times when Alexi goes to join him for one of their famous duels, it seems as though the frontman may have temporarily lost track of which keyboard to go to, tossing a quick backward look over his shoulder to discover Janne's whereabouts!

Relentless Reckless Forever was certified gold in Finland for first-day sales of over 10,000 copies, and just before the obligatory encore, a representative from Spinefarm comes onstage to announce this achievement, and presents each member of the band with a framed gold disc.

Golden oldies: previous gold discs for Children Of Bodom

Then, it's straight into the anthemic Was It Worth It?, and the crowd is more than ready to join in with the 'Hell yeahs', before Hate Crew Deathroll brings the night to an explosive climax.

Backstage after the show there are plenty of people enjoying the aftermath of a killer show, including the band members' parents. We catch a few quick words with Roope before the band heads off to Helsinki's Bar Bäkkäri for the afterparty and ESP guitar giveaway competition.

Photo credit: Amelie Lund

He's in relaxed mood and tells us he was really happy with the show, and to be back on the road. If the rest of the shows are even half as good as tonight's, it's gonna be one helluva tour!

Pakkahuone, Tampere

Photo credit: Karen Fader McBride

Check out more shots by Karen here

Big up to K-Man for organising our backstage passes

HMV Forum, London, 9th April
Children Of Bodom's popularity in the UK has grown exponentially, and the 5 dates they played here recently were pretty much sold out - the Manchester Academy, for instance, with a capacity of 2,300, had fewer than 100 tickets left unsold. The final show was at London's HMV Forum, and the long queues snaking back round the venue way before the doors were due to open were testament to just how in demand COB have become.

The day after this final show would be an off day for the band as they travelled back to Europe for their next gig, and at least one member of their crew, monitor engineer K-Man, was already dressed down (or should that be up!) for the occasion in the traditional 'hawaiian' shirt (he told us later that all the crew were supposed to have done the same, but somehow it ended up as just him).

Towards the end of main support Amon Amarth's set, Roope makes a surprise appearance onstage, to play the solo on Twilight of the Thunder Gods, much to the delight of the audience.

The Forum has rather unfortunate memories for COB's crew, as this was where, during the Blooddrunk tour a couple of years back, the show was brought to an abrupt end when a member of the audience on the balcony threw beer into the mixing desk below, with predictable results. No such drama this time round, just a killer show from a band that seems to have rediscovered it's appetite and enthusiasm for playing live - maybe they could add another epithet to that new album title: rejuvenated!

We spend some time chatting with K-Man and Neubi once the gig is over and load-out is done. Eventually, the band returns from another afterparty, and they seem pleased when we tell them how much we enjoyed tonight's show. Then it's time for their bus to depart for the ferry-trip to Germany, while we go on the hunt for a cab in Camden at 3am. It's been a great night.

Read Subba-Cultcha's pre-show interview with Jaska here and Blitzkrieg Metal Magazine's video interview with him here

Also check out Kristell Gathoye's photographs here and Mark Holmes' (Metal Discovery) review and photos from the Nottingham show here

Photo credit: Mark Holmes

Küçükçiftlik Park, Istanbul, 18th April
The band's show in Istanbul was played at an outside venue, in wet and chilly conditions - " ... it's fuckin raining and cold as shit out here, but we don't give fuck about that, right?", Alexi commented from the stage, and despite the inhospitable weather, the show went well, and the crowd went crazy. Amongst those enjoying the gig was US pro-skateboarder and co-owner of Zero Skateboards and Fallen Footwear, Jamie Thomas, who, along with Chris Cole and Tom Asta, was featured in the video for the first single from Relentless Reckless Forever, Was It Worth It?

A hatted and hoodied Alexi in chilly Istanbul

Photo credit: Jamie Thomas

On the set of the Was It Worth It? video shoot

North American Throwdown

2011-04-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

A Children Of Bodom North American headlining tour with Devin Townsend has just been officially announced, confirming an update on vocalist/guitarist/producer Townsend's twitter page last March. Starting from Los Angeles on June 24th, the month-long tour will continue through to July 24th in Montreal, with COB's previously announced appearance at the Heavy MTL festival.

The DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT will be direct support on the tour, while Obscura and Septic Flesh will alternate the opening slot each night.

“We are psyched to see all of our friends in North America and to play our new songs live for all of the Bodom maniacs,” commented COB guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho. “Get ready to throw it down!”

The full itinerary for the "Ugly North American Tour" is as follows:

June 24 - House of Blues, Los Angeles, CA
June 25 - Slim's, San Francisco, CA
June 26 - Roseland, Portland, OR
June 27 - Showbox at the Market, Seattle, WA
June 28 - Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
June 30 - MacEwan Ballroom, Calgary, AB
July 2 - Edmonton Events Center, Edmonton, AB
July 3 - Odeon, Saskatoon, SK
July 4 - Garrick Center, Winnipeg, MB
July 5 - Station Four, St. Paul, MN
July 6 - House of Blues, Chicago, IL
July 8 - Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
July 9 - BeachamTheater, Orlando, FL
July 10 - Revolution, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
July 12 - Mr. Smalls, Pittsburgh, PA
July 13 - The Norva, Norfolk, VA
July 14 - Jaxx, Springfield, VA
July 15 - Jaxx, Springfield, VA
July 16 - Best Buy Theatre, New York, NY
July 17 - Trocadero Theatre, Philadelphia, PA
July 19 - Palladium, Worcester, PA
July 21 - Multipurpose Centre, Halifax, NS (* no Devin Townsend)
July 23 - Downsview Park, Toronto, ONT (* as part of Heavy TO)
July 24 - Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal, QC (* as part of Heavy MTL)

Children Of Bodom boost Finnish exports

2011-04-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

In a newly published study by Music Export Finland, the value of domestic (i.e. Finnish) music exports around the world in 2009 was estimated at 32.1 million, which is 38 percent more than the previous year. The most important target areas for Finnish music are in Europe but the US also accounts for 10%. Children Of Bodom are, of course, a contributor to this success story. Their new album, Relentless Reckless Forever, which was released last month, has climbed into the sales charts in several countries.

"Finland is a world leader in music education and content production – in almost all genres and styles – and because our content is in good shape, there is now demand on international markets. I see that in my work all the time," Samu Haber, singer and songwriter for the group Sunrise Avenue, comments on the research. "In addition to HIM, Apocalyptica, Nightwish, Children of Bodom, The Rasmus, Sunrise Avenue and other trailblazers, dozens of Finnish artists and songwriters now enjoy great appreciation globally," adds Music Export Finland’s Executive Director Paulina Ahokas.

Stockholm Knockout Live part 2, anyone?

2011-04-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

Children Of Bodom's keyboard player, Janne Warmen, has revealed in an interview with the online TwistMagazine that a follow-up to the hugely popular Stockholm Knockout Live - Chaos Ridden Years dvd, released in 2006, could be in the offing: "We want to try to record a concert this year, for release 2012", he replied, when asked whether there were any plans for a new dvd.

7 inches of hell

2011-04-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

A few hours before their show at Nottingham's Rock City on April 7th, the band took part in a one-off signing session at the local Fopp record store, where fans were given an exclusive opportunity to purchase copies of the new single, Round Trip to Hell and Back, in 7" vinyl form, only on this day and from this shop. The event was well-attended and, though looking a little tired, the five COB members were happy to spend an hour signing the latest single (plus other items such as gig tickets, cd booklets and even guitars) and meeting some of their UK fans.

Hard at it

Photo credit: Fezaan

Children Of Bodom - coming to a festival near you

2011-04-14T14:23:00.000-07:00

Summer festival season is fast approaching, and Children Of Bodom's festival diary is filling up. Appearances have been confirmed so far at gatherings in the UK, Canada, Finland and Germany.

Download Festival, Donnington Park, UK

The UK's premier rock music festival, held over 3 days in June. COB will make their appearance on Friday 10th. They will be supporting this one-off UK festival showing with a brand new single, the third to be drawn from their new, highly acclaimed Relentless Reckless Forever album (their seventh to date), which has already sold well in excess of 100,000 copies worldwide and has been certified gold in their home country of Finland.

The single in question is Shovel Knockout, and it will be available – via Spinefarm – both as a limited edition coloured vinyl 7” plus a digital download; the bonus material will be drawn from COB keyboard player Janne Warman’s solo recordings, some of which feature Alexi as special guest.

Heavy MTL

This Canadian festival takes place in Montréal, Québec. The first edition of the intense two-day celebration of heavy music was in June 2008 and included bands such as Iron Maiden, Mötley Crüe, Disturbed, Three Days Grace, Dethklok, Anthrax, Type O Negative, Mastodon, and many others. Heavy MTL 2011 will be held on July 23rd and 24th in the beautiful setting of Parc Jean-Drapeau at Île Saint-Hélène, located just off the island of Montréal.

Heavy TO

The success of HEAVY MTL has prompted the launch of a new event - HEAVY TO. This takes place on the same weekend as Heavy MTL, at Downsview Park, located on the north end of Toronto.

Children Of Bodom always get a very enthusiastic reception from their Canadian fans. In a recent interview with hellbound.ca Alexi commented that "It’s always great. And I’m just not saying it. It’s definitely always one of the highlights of playing the whole world, the Canadian dates. The crowds over there are just so fucking incredible, we’re always really looking forward to it." The band will be at Heavy TO on July 23, and Heavy MTL on July 24.

Qstock, Oulu, Finland

Established in 2006, Qstock is a rock music festival held in July in Kuusisaari, in the city of Oulu in Northern Finland. The two-day festival has a capacity of 22 000 visitors and has sold out consistently for the past five years. Its previous incarnation as the Kuusrock Festival in the '70s and '80 played host to bands such as Alice Cooper, Procol Harum, Scorpions, Death Angel and Iron Maiden. The dates for this year's festival are 29th-30th July, and this will be Children Of Bodom's only Finnish summer gig this year.

Wacken Open Air, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

First held in 1990 as a small event for local German bands, Wacken has achieved almost legendary status as a heavy metal music festival, and is a major event on the European metal festival calendar. Taking place this year on 5th-7th August, the festival is already sold out.

COB in Japan

2011-04-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

Following on from their extensive European tour, and their appearance at the UK's Download festival, Children Of Bodom will visit Japan in June, along with Amorphis, for a 5-date tour:

June 14 - Shibuya Ax, Tokyo

June 15 - Quattro, Nagoya

June 17 - Namba Hatch, Osaka

June 18 - Bay Hall, Yokohama

June 19 - Legacy, Taipei

After that, the Ugly World tour moves on and, as Janne revealed in an interview with Onslaught Radio prior to the band's sold-out final UK show at London's HMV Forum, they'll be heading off to the US and Canada, followed by an appearance at Wacken, and, after a break, towards the end of the year, possible tours of Australia and South America.

Simply the best

2011-04-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

Alexi is once again nominated, in the Best Shredder category, in the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards, to be held this year on June 13. Children Of Bodom are also nominated, for Best International Band. Go here to vote for Alexi and COB. Additionally, Alexi was also nominated for Best Guitarist in the US Revolver Golden Gods Awards, but on this occasion the award went to Avenged Sevenfold's guitarists, Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance, at the ceremony at Club Nokia, in Los Angeles on April 20.

And there's more! In an online poll to find the 20 Greatest Metal Guitarists Ever, readers of Total Guitar magazine have recently voted Alexi Laiho as No.1.

Relentless Reckless Forever - Hell Yeah!

2011-04-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

A much-anticipated event for Children Of Bodom fans took place in early March this year, when the band's 7th studio album, Relentless Reckless Forever, was released. In Finland the album went straight to the top of the official charts, with first-day sales in excess of 10,000, and its first-week chart positions elsewhere were impressive: US Billboard chart #42, with sales of over 11,000; UK rock albums list #3; Japan #3; Canada #21. Many amongst those who had been invited to the album's private listening party held at London's Metropolis Studios in December of 2010, felt that this album marked a significant return to form for the Finnish 5-piece.

Photo credit: Enda Madden

Metal Hammer
" ... Alexi Laiho has rediscovered his knack for mixing dazzling technicality with incisive tunes ... The hooks are sharp and vicious and the six-string pyrotechnics ... more wild, unhinged and fun ... Laiho and co have their collective foot to the floor once more "

Terrorizer
" ... Relentless Reckless Forever ... features some of (COB's) finest material for years, and will do their current status no harm at all"

Kerrang
" ... frantic riffing over powerhouse drumming, topped with Alexi Laiho's vitriolic vocals, hefty melodies and killer solos ... The monstrous riffs that drive opener Not My Funeral, and the thudding Shovel Knockout, certainly hit the mark ... snarling closer Northpole Throwdown is meaner than hell and viciously conveys a sense of a band out for blood"

Revolver
"The seventh studio album by Children of Bodom surpasses their previous work to reach new heights of metal epicness ... simply put, this album will rock your socks off ... The year has only just begun, but if there is one metal album to purchase in 2011 so far, this is it."

Powerplay
" ... there are enough duelling guitar and keyboard solos alongside the general speed, mayhem and agression to keep their ever-growing legion of fans more than happy ..."

dangerdog.com
"for pure, unadulterated, kickass, blistering Scandinavian metal, Relentless Reckless Forever is the real freakin deal ... Cry of the Nihilist, Ugly, Roundtrip to Hell and Back are representative of COB firing on all clylinders: furious and intense melodic metal songs ... with their seventh album, Children Of Bodom stays on course: defying category or definition, and delivering blistering and intense metal. Recommended."

OneMetal.com
"This album shows the band reaching a new level of maturity. It’s certainly different from anything they’ve done before but it stands up very well to repeated listens and is one of their most consistent albums to date."

thenewreview.net
"In a show of polished talents, re-solidified band image, and the standard nine kick-ass neo-Bodom anthems, Relentless Reckless Forever lets you know Children of Bodom are on the upswing. They’re BAAAA-AAAAACK!"

About.com
"Haters be damned, Relentless Reckless Forever once again spits in the face of the band’s detractors by its sheer existence as an honest—and honestly awesome—expression of Children Of Bodom as a worldwide metal entity."

So, the album is out and the band are back where they belong - on the road. And it's likely that Janne's tongue was only half in his cheek when he gave this response in an interview with Metal Shrine, when asked, "You've been doing this for a lot of years, is it still fun and does it still get you excited?" Janne replied: "It's still fun. Our music is such that we think of ourselves as a live band, so that's such an important part of our whole thing. We release an album just to go on tour for a couple of months."

Check here for the latest tour info.

www.endamadden.com

7th album on the way and COB on the road

2010-09-19T12:27:00.000-07:00

Ready to rock 'n' roll

This weekend, Children Of Bodom depart for Vancouver, and the start of their two-month tour of Canada and the US on the Black Label Society Berzerkus tour. Their next, 7th studio album, is now eagerly awaited, as are any details about the new recording. Understandably, the band is playing this one very close to its chest, though there have been a few insights.

A press release on COB's website in August, shortly after the band entered the studio to begin work on the album, announced that they were "very excited to let everyone hear what we’re creating with this new record ...Everything you love about Children Of Bodom has been magnified tenfold and we’re pushing ourselves harder than ever before. Expect nothing less than “the perfect storm!” Prior to this, Jaska had said, "Recordings for me went good and I'm super-excited about the new songs. They ARE killer. I'm sure you will love the new material. And yes, there's gonna be nine new tracks on the album."

During August, the band took time out from the studio to play some summer festivals in Europe and, interviewed by Finland's Radio Rock just before their appearance at Ankkarock, Janne was asked about the new songs. He said that all the material had been written (as usual) by Alexi, and that he thought it would be a great record; pressed for more detail (would they play faster? harder?) he replied, "I think we gonna play faster, maybe".

In an interview in last month's Guitar World, in answer to the question, "Where do you see your music going with this next record?", Alexi's reply was giving little away: "All I can say is, this is definitely gonna be heavy ... we're not wimping out."

Recently, K-Man has commented that "Mr Hyde (producer Matt Hyde) is F'n great! What I have heard so far is amazing! And the new songs ... well ... holy mother of Satan, this is going to be great! ... Everything went super good at the studio. So much that they finished with all the tracking they were planning on doing there, 2 days early. As you know we will be leaving for the States in a couple weeks to tour with BLS. The band guys are going a couple days earlier to track the last bits. Then we have a pre-production day and the next day after that we start the tour."

Some tantalising glimpses, then, but so much more still to be revealed: album title; song titles; cover art; which cover songs they've chosen this time around ... Guess we'll just have to be patient a while longer, and in the meantime, there's COBTV#3 to look forward to!

The Axemen Cometh!

2010-09-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

ESP Guitars Signature Artists Alexi Laiho, Roope Latvala and Henkka T. Blacksmith will be at Mother's Music, Edmonton, on 24 September for an exclusive in-store meet and greet and autograph signing session, before appearing later that evening at the Edmonton Expo Centre with Black Label Society.

New Bodom video will be all the Rage

2010-09-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

Award-winning music video director Dale Rage Resteghini, whose work ranges from hardcore and heavy metal, to hip hop and gangsta rap, with bands such as Cypress Hill, Guns N' Roses and Trivium, is to shoot an upcoming video for Children Of Bodom.

Dale Rage Resteghini

Alexi gets his ducks in a row at Ankkarock

2010-09-19T11:35:00.000-07:00

In between recording their forthcoming seventh studio album, Children Of Bodom found time to fit in appearances at 5 of this summer's festivals around Europe, and the Blog felt it was only right to check out one of the shows (yeah, it's a crap job, but someone ... etc, etc). We duly headed off to Finland for the home gig at Ankkarock, a few kilometres outside Helsinki.

Unlike our last Finnish foray in February to see Warmen's record release party show, when temperatures were hovering around a numbing -20, this time the mercury was at the other end of the scale entirely, and on one or two days the thermometer outside our apartment window was showing a reading of 40 degrees! Probably no real need, then, to pack that umbrella on the day of the festival, which turned out to be just as well ...

The Ankkarock festival site is located in Korso, near Vantaa, a short train ride from Helsinki. It's a beautiful setting, surrounded by the familiar pine trees and a small lake, and the weather is perfect: warm, dry and sunny. We join the queue for the bag-check. They're not interested in cameras, but when the existence of the umbrella is discovered we're firmly told that we can't take that in ...??? ( No, us either!) Well, fuck it, there's not a cloud in the sky, so no problem.

Plenty to see, hear, eat and drink while we wait for COB showtime, and even the much-villified festival toilets are, at this festival, clean, plentiful and user-friendly - Ankkarock is very well organised.

K-Man, Neubi and the rest of the crew are onstage, getting their backline on, the COB backdrop is hoisted. At 21:30 the band take to the stage with opener Follow the Reaper and the next hour is filled with a crowd-pleasing set of more fan favourites from the Bodom back catalogue, including Needled 24/7, Living Dead Beat, Hatecrew Death Roll, Blooddrunk and Hate Me. As usual, it seems, when they play on home territory, the band are relaxed and enjoying themselves.

At the end of an enthusiastically received Everytime I Die, someone throws three yellow rubber ducks onstage (well, this is Ankkarock), which Alexi duly retrieves and lines up carefully on the drum riser. Later, there is a shout-out for sound-man Kal from Alexi when he spots a group holding a "K-Man" sign down the front: "you have some fucking fans over here, man", he announces into the mic, trying to persuade K-Man out onto the stage. Finally, they turn up the heat (literally!) with face-melting pyrotechnics to rival Alexi's shredding during Angels Don't Kill and, of course, for evergreen set-closer Downfall - a fittingly explosive end to the show.

Children Of Bodom ... in flames

Afterwards, on our way back to the station through the warm Finnish summer night, we're accosted by a small group of bible bashers, handing out leaflets and obviously intent on saving our souls from the temptations of the devil's music. But it's way too late - the devil has all the best tunes and we sold ours long ago!

SETLIST

Meanwhile, at Brutal Assault ...

Before the band's appearance at the Brutal Assault festival in the Czech Republic, they took part in a signing session

Photo credit: Veronika Hesounová

Alexi at RockHouse - behind the scenes #2

2010-09-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

RockHouse have uploaded another video to YouTube featuring a "behind the scenes" look at the recording process for Alexi Laiho's upcoming new instructional dvd. According to RockHouse, the dvd is to be released next February, on the same day as Children Of Bodom's 7th studio album, which the band have just finished recording.

Check out the footage here

No pain, just gain for Warmen at Tuska

2010-09-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe, but Warmen's appearance at this year's Tuska festival was only the 4th live show of the band's 10-year career. In their interview with Janne, skullsnbones.com asked the founder member, whether it is difficult working in more than one band at the same time: "'Warmen is not that active. We would love to be more active. Tuska was our fourth show ever. We didn't expect this great of a response.' The response was indeed great; it was as if Warmen was a legendary act. You couldn't get under the giant canopy they had set up ... the main stage would have been a better option for them because everyone at Tuska wanted to see them."

A feature of the latest Warmen album (Japanese Hospitality) is, of course, the guest singers, and at the Tuska show these included Timo Kotipelto, Joona Gaegea, Passi Rantanen and Alexi Laiho. The heat and dust inside the tent (as well as the special effects smoke) made for somewhat challenging conditions for the vocalists at times, and Janne added to Timo's problems by fucking up the intro for Eye of the Storm so that Timo got the wrong note, but as Janne said, Mirka fucked up the ending so it really wasn't Timo's fault. Whatever, it was only their 4th gig and the band had a good laugh about it and were clearly enjoying the show. Alexi Laiho's "surprise" appearance as the final guest singer, dressed in Hawaian shirt and sunglasses, was, of course, enthusiastically received by the audience, even if he did seem to have some trouble at times remembering the lyrics for Somebody's Watching Me!

The interaction onstage between Janne and his brother Antti made for an entertaining ingredient which will undoubtedly continue in future Warmen performances. Hopefully, now that Warmen have signed a contract with King Foo entertainment, Finland's biggest booking agency, there will be more opportunities to catch them live (though maybe not anytime soon, with Children Of Bodom about to embark on the Black Label Society Berzerkus tour, and their 7th studio album due for release early next year).

But if we won't get to see Warmen again for a while, what about the hugely talented guitarist Antti? A former member of Craydawn and The Scourger (the latter split up last year), Antti was to have joined Finnish band Survivors Zero as supporting guitarist on their US tour earlier this year, but visa problems meant that the tour had to be cancelled. Word was that Antti and some members of The Scourger were planning a new joint project, so we asked Antti to fill us in: "We have a new band but we don't have any name for it yet. Same guys but different singer. We have recorded a 3-song demo for record companies and we are currently looking for a deal!" Chances are, they won't be looking for long!

SETLIST
Japanese Hospitality
Eye Of The Storm
Spark
They All Blame Me
Goodbye
My Fallen Angel
Lying Delilah
Separate Ways
Somebody's Watching Me

Many thanks to COB forum member Celeb for photos and gig report

If You Want Shred ... Prepare for Guitar Hero 6

2010-09-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

The upcoming new release of the music video game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, with a setlist featuring over 90 quintessential guitar shredding hits from bands such as Black Sabbath, Slipknot and Megadeth, will also include a contribution from Children Of Bodom - If You Want Peace ... Prepare for War. The game will focus on "shredding kind of rock" and will offer a Gene Simmons-narrated story mode. Accompanying the release of Warriors of Rock is a new wireless guitar that's "completely redesigned" and "rock-inspired".

Recording with Dinosaurs

2010-09-19T07:13:00.000-07:00

Janne Warmen is one of several well-known Finnish musicians who have made a guest appearance on the second and latest album from Hevisaurus - a heavy metal band aimed specifically at children, with the music performed by four dinosaurs and a dragon (obviously!). Described as "one of the hottest things in Finnish children's music", Hevisaurus's new album, Hirmuliskojen Yö, has just been released.

They are the real, motherfucking hatecrew #2

2010-06-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

A quickie with ... Karen Fader McBride

Another in our occasional series of quick-fire questions. In the spotlight this time, Karen Fader McBride, aka Kindred Photography

Anyone who's ever stood 'down the front' behind the barricade at their favourite band's gig, with a posse of photographers milling around the pit between them and the stage (and sometimes obscuring their view!), has probably thought, 'what a cool job', or even, 'fuck it, I could do that!' From the average punter's point of view, it certainly seems like a badass way to earn shitloads of money whilst mingling with metal's musical elite: just get yourself a camera and you're good to go - right? Well, probably not, but don't take our word for it; we asked top Canadian photographer Karen Fader McBride (whose portfolio includes, amongst many of metal's finest, some awesome shots of Children Of Bodom) for the inside track ...

Are good photographers born or made?
I think most photographers just catch "the bug" somewhere along their path through life. Some develop it further by taking courses and others are self taught, but each has their own individual eye and style.

How did you get started as a photographer? What (if any) qualifications do you need?
I began taking photos as a teenager back before digital was the norm and we had to spend a small fortune on film & developing. I fell out of it for a time but once the digital age began I quickly got sucked back in. As for qualifications, I have never taken any courses. Sometimes I think I should though, couldn't hurt.

Does taking photographs pay the rent?
It can but in my case, no. I've done promo work for local bands and other non-music related photography that has brought in a paycheck here and there but it is far from being my day job. Honestly, it is more of an escape and release for me... shooting gigs & getting closer to the music I love.

Are you freelance, or do you work for a magazine or agency?
Freelance but I have regular webzines that use or have used my work, most notably MUEN Magazine & Fazer Magazine.

What camera do you use?
Somehow I manage to get by with a Canon EOS 450 & Canon S5IS. I should upgrade but everytime I have some extra money I end up buying a new lens... I'm a lens junkie.

What's the one piece of equipment (apart from your camera) you
wouldn't leave home without?
Flashlight, I keep a small one latched to my gear bag. It comes in handy when changing lenses plus helps me get safely in and out of the pit.

How did you get into concert photography?
I blame HIM... the band. Their former TM is a friend of mine and one day he just tossed me a photo pass. I went into the trench with a crappy point & shoot but I did OK. He tossed me another the following show and I was hooked.

When you first started out, how did you get photo passes?
Once I had a taste for it I found the only legit way to get photo passes was to contribute to a music website or magazine. I knew someone who had just started their own music site and was thrilled when he said he'd take me on. That first year we were super busy covering festivals and underground metal gigs. I literally dove in head first.

How do you avoid problems with the security guys?
Security are looking out for me as much as the crowd and band, they have our backs. If they tap me on the shoulder I know to move, some poor soul is about to come over the barrier. I'd have a hard time doing what I do if not for them and I'm happy to call many of them my friends.

When and where was the first time you photographed COB?
That would have been Gigantour 2008; it was a big show, good length set and apeshit crowd.

The rule of three: does it fire you up because you only have the first 10 minutes or so of the gig to get some killer shots, or does it mean you maybe miss the best photo opportunities as bands are often at their most energetic (and therefore, photogenic) towards the end of their set?

I guess it depends on the band. Most often we shoot the first 3 songs. Yes the band is looking fresh, as is the crowd but it would be nice to dodge back in and shoot the last song or anything eventful that may take place after those first three. All we can hope is that the songs are long ones (thank gawd for Opeth). On occasion I have been able to shoot a band's entire set or the remainder of a set from side stage but most often we have to settle with the first 3.

Is flash ever an option at concerts, and how do you deal with all that red light?
It is sometimes allowed but most often a big no-no. I prefer to not use flash as it washes out much of the stage lighting I want in the photos. Red light... ugh! Yeah, it's a bitch. Sometimes I can just flip a photo to B&W or post edit but sometimes it just blows! Don't even get me started on shooting Turisas.

Do you have favourite venues, where you know you'll get good shots? Or is it all down to instinct, 'feel' and maybe a little luck, on the night?
Yes, next to out door festivals my favourite venue is Toronto's Sound Academy. They have great lighting and the stage is a great size, lots of room in the pit as well and I know many of the staff & security. Unfortunately the venue I shoot at most often has fossil lighting (It's pretty fuckin old). It's too bad too because it is a great place to see shows and their staff are amazing. They get some great underground metal bands, but yeah, the lighting sucks hardcore. You do what you can with what you have.

What's the most challenging/shitty/awesome thing that's happened to you while photographing a COB show?
Challenging: I shot them in Detroit at this old theater with a tiny stage with 20 other photogs in the pit. We were almost on top of each other, ridiculous!
Shitty: I was shooting the band in Rochester back in 08 and the security guy at pit entry decided the three photogs each got only one song each, one after the other.
Awesome: The Detroit gig in May 09 when Jere Lehtinen of the Dallas Stars showed up, a good friend of the guys. He hung out with us on the bus and watched the show with me from the sound board. What can I say, I love hockey as much as music.

How do you get the 'perfect' shot, and do you know when you've got something really special, or do you only find out later when you look at what you've got?
Most of the time you know right away; when an artist decides to play it up for the camera or you catch the lighting just right... you know it. Sometimes you find little surprises you didn't know you got after as well.

Which of your COB shots is your favourite, and why?
That would be a backstage shot in Toronto Canada. COB were direct support for Lamb Of God who were just finishing up their set. Roope, Henkka and Jaska were in the dressing room relaxing when suddenly the fire alarm was set off. The venue was a large arena so it was some time before it could be deactivated. In the meanwhile the guys just plugged their ears. I love that snap.

Complete this sentence: "If I wasn't a photographer I'd be ..."
...an amputee, my camera is like an appendage, lol.

Many thanks to Karen! Below is a selection of our favourite Kindred Photography COB shots. Check out more of Karen's work here

Gallery

2010-06-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

And the producer is ...

2010-06-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

It seems that Children Of Bodom's 7th studio album will be produced by Matt Hyde, who has worked with bands such as Slayer, Hatebreed, Monster Magnet and The 69 Eyes. As a studio musician, Grammy Award winning engineer, arranger, producer and songwriter, his career has spanned many different genres of music over the past twenty years.

In recent entries in his blog, Hyde notes, "We finished mixing Monster Magnet this weekend! It's on to the next thing, which will be Children Of Bodom in a few weeks. I'm super stoked to have the opportunity to work with one of the best metal guitar players ever. I happen to love Finland and have made some great friends during my work with The 69 Eyes and now Children Of Bodom, who are some of the coolest people and best musicians I've ever had the pleasure of hanging with."

Bodom go Berzerk-us

2010-06-24T06:59:00.000-07:00

When the writing and recording of their new album is done, Children Of Bodom will waste no time before getting back on the road again. Just announced is their participation in Black Label Society's two-month-long North American trek, The Black Label Berzerkus, which, according to its creator, Zakk Wylde, will deliver to fans "a rock n' roll night of excess and unique madness". Children Of Bodom will share the main support slot with Clutch in a lineup that boasts big guitar player profiles in Zakk Wylde and Alexi Laiho.

Children Of Bodom commented, "COB is more than ready to head out on Berzerkus and see all of our great fans. Expect nothing but a good time, Bodom style!" And maybe we'll get to see Laiho and Wylde onstage together?

The tour gets underway on September 21st at Roseland in Portland, OR, and will make stops across the US and Canada.

Helping hand

2010-06-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

At a friend's private birthday party held at Helsinki's Tavastia club last month, Alexi joined his COB bandmate Roope onstage with Stone. He sang a couple of songs, including No Commands, but apparently he needed a bit of hand with the lyrics!

Photo credit: K-Man

And now decades later ...

2010-06-24T06:23:00.001-07:00

" ... the waters of Bodom
turn a blood shade of red
As the Children Of Bodom
take their last breath"

June 5th marked the 50th anniversary of Finland's most notorious, and still unsolved, crime: the murder of three young campers on the shores of Bodom Lake in 1960 - the location of the incident which would lend its name to one of Finland's most successful heavy metal bands.

Despite the grim happening, the area around Bodom Lake is beautiful and remains a popular place to visit for walkers and those who like to fish. Even fifty years after the event, Bodom murder tourists still show up each summer, to take pictures and to search through the muddy lake bottom with metal-detectors for the elusive murder weapon.

The murders have remained unsolved despite the fact that a few years ago the police were nearly positive that Nils Gustafsson, the only survivor of the gruesome attack, had committed the killings of his friends. He was finally brought to trial in 2005, but was found not guilty on all counts ...

Suffering for his art

2010-06-24T06:05:00.000-07:00

Alexi Laiho is often seen in a wide variety of metal magazines, but for their interview with him in the May edition of Finnish magazine Image, a strikingly different portrait of the COB frontman graced the front cover. In the interview, Alexi revealed the frustrations (and resultant injuries!) of writing new songs for the band's forthcoming 7th studio album.

"Alexi Laiho lifts his bandana from his forehead. From under is revealed a long, bloody wound and a big bump. What has happened? The rock-star sits at home on his couch in Vuosaari, Helsinki and speaks:

'Sometimes I’m such a fucking idiot, seriously. Last night I was working on this one riff and thought I’d just invented the best and coolest thing ever.'

Laiho was sincerely happy and thought that this was going to be something very cool for the next Children of Bodom album. Then he started to hesitate. The riff sounded vaguely familiar. He began to go through his cd-collection.

'It turned out that it was some riff from Pantera, it was somewhere in my subconscious. I got so pissed off that I drank every drop of alcohol I could find from here. And after that I smashed one of our gold records into my head.'

And that wasn’t the end of it.

'Then I was so fucking drunk and I became anguished by the shards of glass. I started to vacuum and stumbled over the vacuum cleaner pipe and fell against the wall.'

Laiho shakes his head and sighs. 'I don’t take anything in this life as seriously as making an album and sometimes I take it a little bit too seriously. I guess I would need some kind of therapy. There’s no sense in this whole thing.'

No. There is no sense in smashing a gold record to your forehead, but exactly because of that passionate attitude, 31-year-old Alexi Laiho is one of the best guitarists in the world."

Thanks to COB forum member Celeb for translation

Horns up, Finland!

2010-04-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

After an 18-month world tour, Children Of Bodom took a well-earned break at the end of last year, before beginning work on their seventh studio album. As Henkka reported recently, the band now has a new rehearsal space, which allows them to rehearse whenever and for as long as they wish, and they're currently enjoying getting together and jamming Alexi's latest ideas. The studio is booked for early summer, but before then, there was a treat in store for COB's Finnish fans, when, to prove they were not forgotten in all the recent globetrotting, the Hate Crew took to the road in April for a 3-date Finnish mini tour.

Kicking off, fittingly perhaps, on Alexi's birthday (the crowd, of course, sang Happy Birthday to him while he sipped a celebratory drink!) the first stop on the tour was at Pakkahuone, Tampere. The band were relaxed and enjoying the occasion: "they were all in a good mood; Janne was telling jokes about the Tampere dialect ... he put on a granny-style bra and commented that he was worried that some grandmother somewhere would be shocked to discover her undies had been stolen".

Happy Birthday to me! Alexi toasts himself onstage

Janne gets in touch with his feminine side

At one point, Alexi managed to confuse the band by introducing a song in the wrong order: "Blooddrunk and One Day You Will Cry were played in a different order ... I was standing next to the FOH table and had seen the setlist. The next song was supposed to be Blooddrunk, so when Alexi began introducing 'a song that has never been played in Tampere before' I was confused. There was a tiny, silent moment on stage ... then Janne told Chiddy to play the intro to the next song, One Day You Will Cry, because 'suprisingly, Alexi messed up the setlist'!

Of course, not having played live for a while, the band may not have been quite as tight as usual, but in Jaska's case at least there were additional mitigating circumstances: "Jaska told the audience that he was really nervous before the gig because his back was operated on 5 months previously, and he feels that his legs are not yet functioning as well as they should".

Some felt that it wasn't the band's finest performance ever: "I must say the gig wasn't COB's best ... they didn't play that well, but in Jaska's case I understand", while for others "the gig in Tampere was freaking awesome ... it really was one of the best I've seen. The band looked like they were enjoying it and so did the crowd." And certainly the setlist found universal favour:

"They played Kissing the Shadows, which they'd never played at Tampere, and also Chokehold (Cocked N' Loaded) which isn't played much anymore. I was very pleased when they played Everytime I Die. I hadn't heard it live in years. It was a nice surprise, too."

"Nice setlist ... good to see Silent Night Bodom Night back in"

"The setlist was great ... I was quite surprised about some of them, but in a good way"

"I loved the setlist: Kissing the Shadows, Downfall, Silent Night Bodom Night, Hate Me, Angels Don't Kill ... all my favourites were there"

As K-Man commented, "the show went exceptionally well and the guys really had a blast". The general concensus certainly seems to have been that it was "an awesome show".

Onwards then to Oulu and Vuokatti, the latter being virgin territory for the band. Here the response from the audience was somewhat underwhelmed - "kinda lame crowd, and not just for us, but all the bands, but the boys had a good time", and for K-Man the Oulu show, as far as the crowd went was "the best (wow!)" - respect, Oulu!

So, mini tour over, the band boarded their orange Nightliner bus back to Helsinki, and now we wait ... summer's coming and that means the new album gets a little bit closer. Henkka has promised some studio diary updates and in the meantime there'll be those summer festival appearances to look forward to ... good times!

Gallery

Photo credit: Celeb

Photo credit: Sergey

Special thanks to K-Man, and to valkokukka and Celeb (COB Forum) and Ronja for their on-the-spot reports and info

Intro: Studio Julmahuvi's Roudasta Rospuuttoon
Outro: Mötley Crue: Girls, Girls, Girls

Musikmesse 2010

2010-04-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

Alexi took time out from writing COB's forthcoming new album and travelled to Germany last month, to take part in a signing session for ESP Guitars, along with Gus G from Firewind and Michael Paget from Bullet For My Valentine, at the annual Musikmesse trade fair, held in Frankfurt.

Photo credit: ESP Guitars

Unlike its US counterpart, NAMM, Musikmesse is open to the public on the final Saturday, and there were plenty of fans waiting in line to get the frontman's signature and photo. And after the session, a little partying at Champs Sports Bar was in order for Alexi and friends, as our pictures show.

Photo credit: ESP Guitars

Thanks to Kristen Mulderig for permission to use these photos

Hungary for more

2010-04-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

Children Of Bodom have been confirmed to appear at one of the largest-scale events in Europe, the Sziget Festival, which takes place between August 11-16 on Budapest, Hungary's Hajógyár Kikötö (Shipyard) on the Danube River's Óbudai Island.

And it seems that Hungary just can't get enough of the band: an exhibition entitled From the Land of Metal Music has just opened at the Budapest Museum of Ethnography, presenting one of Finland's best-known cultural exports - heavy metal. The event focuses primarily on the bands Amorphis, Nightwish and Children Of Bodom, who, as the Museum's curator comments, create new musical styles from their own traditions and adapt international music trends in a Finnish way. The exhibition includes band t-shirts, branded accessories, CD artwork and products related to concert tours. The exhibition is connected to another held last year, entitled "What are Finns like?", and runs until 9 May.

Warmen @ Dante's Highlight

2010-02-24T09:04:00.000-08:00

The Scythes Of Bodom Blog packed its thermal underwear and travelled to a face-shreddingly cold Helsinki last week, to attend Warmen's 10th Anniversary show at Dante's Highlight.

Inside the downtown venue there is an air of anticipation for this event, only the third live show of the band's career. But showtime is still a couple of hours away and right now, the only sign that Warmen are in the house is a large banner bearing their name, draped across the front of the stage (apparently it was too big to be used as a backdrop on the small stage and will be lowered when the show starts). Hanging beneath it is a second banner, proclaiming the merits of a well-known Finnish beer. Take a quick glance and you could be forgiven for thinking that the two banners are one and that "Warmen ... sounds like Koff"!

On our way to the bar, we discover that there's some Warmen merch available - well, t-shirts, anyway. Design courtesy of Antti Wirman, the text on the back reveals the band's sense of humour:

Nice to know they don't take themselves too seriously!

Just past midnight, the banner falls and the show gets under way, and it's clear from the get-go that Warmen mean to enjoy themselves tonight, launching straight into the instrumental opening track from the new album, Japanese Hospitality and following up with the first of the evening's guest artists, Timo Kotipelto, who joins the band for Eye of the Storm and Spark. The mood onstage is festive; there's plenty of banter between band members, guest

singers and friends in the audience, and the party atmosphere is heightened when, after another Warmen favourite, Beyond Abilities, Jonna Kosonen appears, clutching a bottle of wine and a glass, to perform three songs ... and so it continues, with instrumental classics from the back catalogue interweaved with more songs from the new album, delivered this time by Pasi Rantanen. And then, from the keyboard, Janne introduces the final guest singer: Alexi Laiho, who, as a finale, reprises his 2008 Spinefeast appearance with Warmen, singing Somebody's Watching Me. The audience loves it, and Alexi looks like he's enjoying himself, too.

The crowd wants an encore, but when the band and guests return to the stage it's to stand in line and take a smiling and somewhat ragged bow. Warmen gigs don't come round very often, but when they do, they're well worth the wait. The band's 10th Anniversary has been duly celebrated; it's been a fun night and we're more than happy to applaud them!

Check out footage of Alexi and Warmen performing Somebody's Watching Me here

Alexi @ FME

2010-02-24T08:08:00.000-08:00

It's just a short walk from the metro station to the Cable Factory in Helsinki, the venue for the 2010 Finnish Metal Expo, but in a snowstorm and with the temperature around -20, plus windchill making it feel closer to -30, the distance seems to take on rather more epic proportions. Happily, the temperature inside the cavernous Cable Factory is a great deal more user-friendly. We wander around, checking out the various stands, including Spinefarm Records, ESP Guitars (where we spot two of Alexi Laiho's signature models on display), Levykauppa Äx and the Hellsinki Rock Shop.

On the live stage, the day's performances include sets by Sonata Arctica and Apocalyptica. Later, after sampling a plate of stir fry in the food area, it's time to head over to the Musamaailma stage, where the focus of attention tonight is an interview with Alexi Laiho. The event is eagerly awaited and the room is packed, all the way from the stage to the back ...

After an introduction from Jone Nikula, Alexi appears, stumbling a little as he climbs the stairs leading onto the stage. Hunched on a stool, head down, his trademark peaked cap (this time worn the right way round) casting a shadow over his face, he looks at times a little shy, and even vulnerable as he sits listening to the often protracted and rambling questions being put to him; indeed, at one point he smilingly requests that Nikula repeat the question, and make it shorter, as by the time it had been delivered, Alexi wasn't even sure what he was being asked!

As it is, the themes are fairly familiar, including the band's various cover songs: Alexi humorously describes the reaction of some fans who were mightily pissed off by the choice of a Britney song, and he also mentions the Creedence cover; he reveals too that, even after all these years, he loves touring more and more.

Nikula cites how Bodom's success has meant that, in their home country, they have become a band that cannot be ignored by the media, even though their music can hardly be considered mainstream; to underline the point, he refers to an article in Finland's largest-circulation newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat, which reported on one of Bodom's shows on the band's North American tour last year.

Of course, everyone's focus is now very much on the next Bodom album, which the band is currently working on, and Alexi reveals that it's 95% certain that they will again record in Petrax Studios, in Hollola, Finland (their current bestselling album, Blooddrunk, was also recorded there), and that there will be a producer - just who, he's not telling yet!

Many thanks to COB Forum member Celeb for her invaluable help with translation of the questions and answers

FMA hat trick for Alexi

2010-02-24T07:42:00.000-08:00

Photo reproduced by kind permission of COB Forum member Celeb, with many thanks

The annual Finnish Metal Awards give the public the chance to vote for the best of Finnish metal. The FMA 2009 gala was held at the Cable Factory on 20th February, as part of the Helsinki Metal Meeting, and for the third time, Alexi Laiho won the "Musician of the Year" category (he previously received the award in 2005 and 2008).

Accepting the award, Alexi commented that he wanted to thank the fans who had voted for him.

Local hero

2010-01-24T04:52:00.000-08:00

It must be every hardworking local band's dream that, midway through their set they're joined by a famous guitarist, who steps up from the audience, borrows a guitar from one of the band members and proceeds to jam with them ...yeah, only in the movies, right? Well, wrong, actually, because for West Haven, Connecticut covers band Liplok, this is exactly what happened during their gig at Z's Corner Cafe last month, when none other than Children Of Bodom's Alexi Laiho took to the stage (well, more accurately the floor - it's a tiny venue) to join them in a couple of songs.

Alexi was at Z's with Rock House Method instructor and co-owner, John McCarthy, who also happens to be a long-time friend and former guitar teacher of Liplok's lead singer/guitarist Kevin Lawless. We asked Kevin to fill us in ...

"We were about to go on for our first set at Z's Corner Cafe in West Haven, a small bar that only fits about 45-50 people ... John and Alexi (who I'd previously met a couple of years ago when he was in town filming his first Rock House DVD) walked in to the bar and I said to them that, if you feel like playing anything, just come on up ... We played the first set and the bar got pretty crowded and then right before we started the second set, John and Alexi asked if I knew "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns 'n' Roses, which I did ... my bass player, Glenn Celentano, had only just joined the lineup and didn't know the song but in the audience, my friend and sometimes fill-in bass player, Mike Winters, knew it and came up to play. Alexi grabbed my black Les Paul - the first thing he said was, 'Wow! These are heavy!' The three guitarists fiddled for a minute to make sure they were all playing it right, then ... off we went. Song went great and at the end, Alexi turned to me and said, 'Cool dude! You hit that hard note!' and gave me a fist pump ... that was cool for me, and the people there loved it and went nuts!"

The guest musicians started taking off their borrowed guitars but the crowd, not surprisingly, wanted more, so Kevin handed the set list to Alexi and asked him if he wanted to play another song ...

"He saw Metallica's "Enter Sandman" and said, 'I know that!'. Our bass player Glenn grabbed his bass and, with drummer Geoff Permison, we started the song ... it went really great, too and again the crowd went nuts ... It was truly very cool of Alexi to just get up with a local cover band, with no practice at all and just jam and have a good time, which he did, as you can see him smiling in the pictures."

John and Alexi left shortly after because they had an early morning video shoot, but what a night to remember for Liplok and Z's lucky audience. A final word from Kevin:

"It was a great time for me, my band and the people in the bar. It was an honour to play with Alexi, and I thank him and John McCarthy for understanding the fun side of music and just playing to have a good time ... to have someone of his stature and unbelievable musicianship get up with local musicians in a tiny bar shows what a great person he is. Plus, he bought me a shot of Jameson's Irish Whiskey!"

Check out video footage of Alexi and Liplok here

Rock House DVD #3 for Alexi

2010-01-24T04:07:00.000-08:00

Since their release, Alexi Laiho's Metal Guitar: Melodic Speed, Shred & Heavy Riffs, Levels 1 and 2, which won the prestigious Music & Sound Retailer Award for Best Instructional DVD of 2008, have been bestsellers, and now Rock House, the world renowned musical instruction site, has revealed that Alexi is currently working on a third guitar instructional DVD, which will further explore his inspirational techniques, delving into how he thinks, what he uses that makes him unique and how aspiring guitarists can use these insights in their own playing.

Rock House posted behind the scenes photos and a video of the recording process, which can be seen here. The dvd is due to be released in summer 2010.

Alexi talks shop at Finnish Metal Expo

2010-01-09T12:03:00.000-08:00

The main event of the Helsinki Metal Meeting, the annual Finnish Metal Expo, takes place at the Cable Factory, Helsinki on 19th and 20th February. Fifty operators in the metal music industry showcase their latest offerings in the exhibition area, and the hottest metal acts take to the stage. As part of Helsinki music shop Musamaailma's instrument clinics, Alexi Laiho will be featured this year in a special interview, on Saturday 20th February.

Alexi goes to Hollywood (well, Anaheim, actually)

2010-01-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

The Winter 2010 National Association of Music Merchants Show (NAMM) takes place from January 14th-17th in the Anaheim Convention Centre, California, and Alexi Laiho will be in attendance at 2pm on Saturday 16th in Room 213D to take part in the artist signing session on behalf of ESP guitars. He will also be signing at EMG Pickups, from 4:30 to 5:30.

Dantelicious!

2010-01-09T11:42:00.000-08:00

Warmen live shows are almost as rare as rocking horse shit, but, in celebration of the band's 10 years in the making, and as a belated release party for their latest album, "Japanese Hospitality", Janne Warman's significant-other band takes to the stage for only the third time in its career, on 18th February at Dante’s Highlight, Helsinki. With a line-up of special guests that includes Jonna Kosonen (Nylon Beat), Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom), Timo Kotipelto (Stratovarius), Pasi Rantanen (ex-Thunderstone) joining them on stage, this is sure to be a divine occasion indeed!

Evil Warmen

2010-01-09T11:36:00.000-08:00

Spinefarm Records will release a Warmen compilation album entitled “The Evil That Warmen Do” in early 2010. The tracklisting is as follows:

01 Beyond Abilities
02 Spark (Timo Kotipelto)
03 Singer’s Chance (Timo Kotipelto)
04 The Evil That Warmen Do
05 Lying Delilah (Marko Vaara)
06 Hidden (Kimberly Goss)
07 Dawn (Pasi Nykänen)
08 Alone (Kimberly Goss – Heart cover)
09 Invisible Power (Timo Kotipelto)
10 Devil’s Mistress (Kimberly Goss)
11 They All Blame Me (Jonna Kosonen)
12 Somebody’s Watching Me (Alexi Laiho – Rockwell cover)
13 Separate Ways (Pasi Rantanen – Journey cover)

Summer's coming!

2010-01-09T11:22:00.000-08:00

Further dates have been confirmed for Children Of Bodom's 2010 summer festivals' calendar. The band are one of three headliners at the Summer Breeze festival in Dinkelsbühl, 19th-20th August - their only German open-air concert this year.

A week before, they co-headline with LA industrialists, Fear Factory, at Bloodstock Open Air, Catton Hall, Derby (August 13th-15th), and it seems the band are already psyched for the event: "I'm really glad we're playing Bloodstock - it's the only UK show for us in 2010 and the crowd over there has been awesome for us lately!" commented Alexi.

COB live in 2010

2009-12-15T14:18:00.000-08:00

Although they've only recently completed 18 months of gruelling globe-trotting for Blooddrunk, and are soon to begin writing and recording a new album, Children Of Bodom (currently enjoying some well-earned downtime) already have some show dates in the diary for 2010 ...

April in Finland
They've spent a lot of time abroad recently, but to show their Finnish fans they're not forgotten, the band will play three dates in their home country in April, starting in Tampere on the 8th (enjoy your birthday, Alexi!) and continuing with Oulu and Vuokatti on the 9th and 10th. Tickets on sale now; check cobhc.com for details.

Grim and tr00 ... or just br00tal!
COB are also confirmed amongst the headliners for the 2010 Brutal Assault Festival, held on 12th-14th August in the Czech Republic.

The follow-up to the hugely successful Blooddrunk album will be the band's seventh studio recording. At the beginning of 2010 they'll start working on the new material in their rehearsal place, with the studio booked for early summer.

LA Chi Cheng benefit

2009-12-15T13:51:00.000-08:00

As one door closes ... Alexi should have been in Houston with Hypocrisy on November 20th but even though the Swedish death metallers had been forced to drop off the Ensiferum tour due to visa problems, the COB frontman was not left kicking his heels. Instead, he took the opportunity to help raise funds for Deftones' Chi Cheng's medical bills, after a horrific car crash last year left the bassist in a coma for several months.

The Chi Cheng Benefit Show was held over two nights at the Avalon Theater in Los Angeles, and on the second night Alexi took to the stage as part of a veritable supergroup that included, as well as the Deftones themselves, musicians from metal's elite such as Shavo Odajian and Daron Malakian from System of a Down, Dillinger Escape Plan's Greg Puciato, Dave Lombardo from Slayer and no less than Metallica's Robert Trujillo, for a blistering performance of the opening track "Battery" from the seminal "Master of Puppets" album.

The two-night event was a huge success, and, together with the proceeds from an online auction, the goal of raising a six-figure sum for Chi Cheng is likely to have been reached.

The devil's in the detail ...

2009-12-15T13:48:00.000-08:00

The much anticipated/abhorred (delete as appropriate, depending upon which fan-camp you happen to be in) Hypocrisy/Alexi Laiho collaboration due to roll across North America with Ensiferum from November to early December failed to materialise.

Just days before the tour was due to start, on November 6th, Hypocrisy issued a statement informing fans that their departure for the US was being held up due to problems with the US Immigration Service processing their work visas, but that they hoped to join the tour as soon as possible. As tour dates came and went without Hypocrisy, there were suggestions that two band members, the drummer and bassist, plus Alexi Laiho, were already in the US. Peter Tägtgren, however, remained marooned in Sweden. It seems that a small error in the spelling of his name on the visa application may have been the cause of his problems, and the band was eventually forced to drop off all the remaining dates and officially cancel the tour.

And the winner isn't ...

2009-12-15T13:31:00.000-08:00

As the Scythes Of Bodom blog reported previously, Metal injection.net held a competition recently, in which entrants had the chance to win an ESP Alexi Laiho Signature Series Ltd AL-600, by impersonating Alexi in a video. We wondered whether Alexi would be one of the judges, and, sure enough, when the winner was announced at the beginning of December, it was revealed that Alexi had, indeed, sifted through all the entries and picked his favourite (who, incidentally, bore more than a passing resemblance to the shred-meister himself). Only problem was, the winner was not from the US, and was therefore ineligible (an alternative was hastily found) - doh!

Slave to the grind

2009-12-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

Alexi Laiho is not the only COB member who, from time to time, lends his not-inconsiderable talents on other bands' albums. Roope Latvala has also been indulging in a little musical moonlighting, on the upcoming new release from Finnish Gothic/Black Metal outfit, Soulgrind. A former Soulgrind guest musician, Roope has helped out with a couple of leads on the band's ninth album, "The Tuoni Pathway". Commented Soulgrind's founding guitarist, Lord Heikkinen, "it took two months to complete ... nine tracks of beauty, heaviness and darkness ... it is one helluva album."

"The Tunoni Pathway" is expected to be released in early 2010.

... And the Circus Leaves Town

2009-10-17T05:15:00.000-07:00

By now, if they're Not Dead Yet, they must be Living Dead Beat. They've spent the best part of the last two years touring Blooddrunk and there surely have been times when they've been Trashed, Lost and Strungout and Needled 24/7, but soon Children Of Bodom will start the long trek home, Towards some Northern Comfort, before they disappear In The Shadows, to write the new album and return with ... Something Wild?

But right now, the tour goes on ... how has it been so far?

With a gap of five years since Children Of Bodom last appeared in South America, there was plenty of pent-up anticipation amongst the band's loyal followers there, and it was given full expression at the shows in Buenos Aires, Santiago and Sao Paulo - a great start to the tour, even with some technical problems, "old, bad gear and a semi brain dead crew", and occasional random looneys like the one outside the venue in Buenos Aires demanding tobacco from K-Man and Franky: when his request was denied he responded with a not-so-polite, 5-minute "fuck you" rant, repeated over and over again in some weird-sounding voice, much to the guys' amusement!

Next stop Mexico City, and after a 16-hour commute the band performed shows over 2 nights to a total of 4500 people. On both nights (the second of which happened to coincide with Mexico's 200th Independence Day celebrations) the crowd were going ape, "when they jumped, the whole stage bounced", said K-Man. After a problem-free appearance the following day at a festival in Monterrey, the band headed off for the North American leg of the tour ...

The Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, New Jersey is located ... well, pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but it's packed with around 2,000 commited and eager fans - well, all except the one who felt the need to spit on Alexi's guitar - not a good move ("my guitar gets more pussy than your fucking 86 Camero", Alexi berated him). It is in just such venues that Children Of Bodom have worked tirelessly around the US over the years, and their efforts have been rewarded, with Blooddrunk storming in at No.22 in the US Top 40 in the first week of its release, a major achievement in such a huge market and for a band that can hardly be described as mainstream.

On to Canada, and at the Montreal show (which seems to have been universally acclaimed by those who attended as "fucking awesome"!) much to the fans' delight, the surprise inclusion of Kissing The Shadows as encore - who could ask for more? The Toronto show was just as well received, Winnipeg another sold-out event. The show in Edmonton, according to K-Man "was off the hook, best this whole tour", (although a fan coming over the barricade and splitting his head open on the sound-man's rack perhaps not a highlight) and Vancouver the day after also sold-out. The Seattle date was a home-town show for K-Man, who got to hang out with his Mom and some friends - good times.

So far this tour has, thankfully, been free of any major injuries. In May on the No Fear tour, the somewhat accident-prone Alexi fell from his top bunk on the tour bus, breaking his shoulder and a rib, and suffering internal bleeding, which eventually forced the band to cancel the remaining five dates (he has been sleeping in the bottom bunk this time around). Roope has been targeted again by the mysterious finger-fairy (but Crazy Glue is his friend!) and Jaska suffered a problem with a trapped nerve that delayed the start of the performance at the San Francisco show, but, according to the band's latest twitter update, all seems to be well now.

And so to Hawaii - sun, sand, snorkelling, surfing ... oh yes, and there's a show to do! COB are Pipeline Cafe virgins but it's not every day that a band of this calibre puts in an appearance and when they hit the stage at 11:30 it's to an appropriately enthusiastic reception from the appreciative audience, who would have been quite happy for the performance to continue well past the 1:30 finish time. There are a few technical issues sound-wise but the show goes well: "in-fucking-sane", "they fucking rule live" and "the mosh pit was crazy" are just some of the comments from the well-satisfied crowd.

Ahead are dates in Japan, China and finally, Russia, before it's all over, the touring for Blooddrunk is done and the band returns to "sweet home Helsinki". In recent interviews, Alexi has said they will start writing songs for the new album early next year and enter the studio in May. As always, he has "a bunch of ideas and riffs, and shit like that in my head" and, according to Jaska, "Alexi has already composed one or two songs which sound really great". So, 2011 - expect the new Children Of Bodom opus. And then, of course, the touring starts all over again ...

He just can't get enough ...

2009-10-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

Seems like Alexi still has an appetite for life on the road, even after having spent most of the last two years taking the COBHC show to fans around the world. Just a couple of weeks after the final date of touring for Blooddrunk, the COB frontman gets back on the bus again, but this time as guest second guitarist for Swedish death metallers, Hypocrisy on their upcoming North American outing.

Alexi and Hypocrisy-mainman Peter Tägtgren are old friends and collaborators: on their first tour in 1998, at the Nuclear Blast festival, COB played as support for Hypocrisy. Tägtgren helped out with vocals' production and recording on Blooddrunk, while Alexi has contributed a guitar solo on one of Tägtgren's albums with his other band, Pain. And although Alexi will be without his COB bandmates, there's one thing he won't have to miss: "There will be no shortage of alcohol on this tour, that's for sure", commented Tägtgren.

Some Hypocrisy fans are less than thrilled with the announcement, questioning whether Alexi is an appropriate choice, and apparently fearing he will steal the show. Whatever, it sure won't hurt ticket sales.

The tour, which also includes headliners Ensiferum, kicks off on November 6th in Springfield, Virginia.

One for the road?

2009-10-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

Janne Warman's other band, Warmen, recently released their fourth studio album, Japanese Hospitality and the album has entered the Finnish charts at No. 36. Replete with songs this time, rather than the more usual keyboard-led instrumentals, this album finally seems to position the band firmly as a band, rather than just the COB-keyboardist's side project. In a recent interview with BW&BK, Janne commented: "Everybody’s been saying that Warmen finally sounds like a band with this one and I agree. Warmen has found it’s path, I guess you could say.” Not only that, but, with Children Of Bodom due to spend a large part of next year working on the follow-up to the hugely successful Blooddrunk album, he also mooted the tantalising prospect of some live Warmen action: "The line-up is constant and some of the singers are open to doing shows. I could see it happening, but the thing is that Warmen isn’t a known band at all so we’d have to do a mini-tour of some kind. I’d love to do it, and now that Bodom is going to have a break to write new material I’m going to see if there’s any possibilities for us to do a short tour.” Bring it, Janne!

Warmen performing at SpineFeast at Sea, 2008

So you think you could be Alexi ...

2009-10-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

US fans have the chance to win an ESP Alexi Laiho Signature Series LTD AL-600 Scythe guitar by impersonating Alexi, in a competition just announced by Metal Injection.net. The winning video (entries must be submitted by 31st October) will be the one that, in the judges' opinion, captures the quintessential moves, gestures, mannerisms and even make-up of the COB frontman in the most amusing/creative/original way. Will it be pain or pleasure watching the entries - and will Alexi be one of the judges? You have nothing to lose but your dignity!

The lighter side of heavy metal

2009-10-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

To coincide with the September release of their much-anticipated covers album, Skeletons In The Closet, COB released a promo video for the Creedence Clearwater Revival track, Lookin' Out My Back Door. With tongue firmly in cheek, and a touch of the humour that flavours many of their cover choices, the video itself is a cover of the Creedence original. It has a real 'feel-good' factor - they seem to be having a lot of fun, and it's impossible to watch without a smile on your face - who says metal has to be serious all the time!

In a recent Soundshock interview, Alexi explained the thinking behind the album's release: "There's two reasons why we did the covers album. First of all, loads of people kept asking where they could find the covers, some of them seemed hard to find and weren’t ALL on previous albums. We decided to bring out a covers album so that the fans could have all the covers in one place. Also, the timing is right. We aren't writing anything new just yet and it just seemed a good time to do this; I think its pretty good".

Sadly, there seem to be no plans to do a tour in support of the album - "I can not see that happening somehow", Alexi laughs, although he did float the possibility of some UK dates next year: "Nothing’s been confirmed...nothing is definite. But we love playing in the UK and hope to be back soon, it would be pretty cool."

'Skeletons' managed to crack the top ten in Finland and hit the charts at #9, while in the US it entered the Billboard 200 chart at #81, with sales of 5,600 copies in the first week of its release!

On the road again ... and COB hit the ground running

2009-09-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

In the run-up to the band's departure from Helsinki to Buenos Aires, there had been an exhausting round of preparations that included numerous trips to various embassies to get the necessary visas; innoculations (and their after-effects) to be suffered; shipping documents for the backline to be obtained. It all got done, of course, and on departure day itself, after a very early morning start to the airport to get all their gear checked in, there was just the monotony of a 13-hour flight to be got through. But, as sound tech K-Man describes in his latest blog entry, things livened up maybe just a bit too much towards the end of the journey, with some hardcore tubulence that sent food, drinks and even the stewardess flying.

September 8th, and 7806 Av Rivadavia was the place to be when the final countdown of Children Of Bodom's tour for their best-selling latest album, Blooddrunk, kicked off at Teatro Flores. A rather chilly evening in Buenos Aires but the heat was turned up to eleven inside the venue as the assembled crowd left no-one in any doubt about how much they welcomed the band's return to South America after five long years.

The headlining show included songs from all of the band's six studio albums (see pic of setlist, with thanks to K-Man), with Bed Of Razors and Hate Crew Deathroll enthusiastically-received encores.

This was the first date of the tour that will keep the band on the road until October 24, with shows in South America, North America, the Far East and Russia, and it seems they have set the bar pretty high from the get-go: K-Man: "the crowd in Buenos Aires was off the hook - great fucking show".

OBITUARY - The R.A.P.E. of SOB

2009-09-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

For whatever reason, on August 27th, the Children Of Bodom fan site, Scythes Of Bodom, was taken down.

In the absence of any other explanation, this appears to have been a Random Act of Petulant Extirpation that took COB fans completely by surprise, and even the SOB 'slaves'/volunteers who contributed to the site were totally unaware of its impending demise (although the fact that no news or updates had been added to the site for several months ought to have aroused concerns).

The site, which was originally conceived back in 2002, was held in high esteem, and rightly so, by COB fans, for the veracity, depth and breadth of its content. The various sections of the main site included latest news and news archives, band members' biographies, discography, tour archives, interviews, guitar specifications, photographs, messageboard, and more, while the regularly updated Murder Archives catalogued, in an easily accessible A-Z format, all kinds of essential information for the hardcore COB follower, including a diary-style synopsis of each year's important events.

Quite simply, if it wasn't on SOB, it didn't happen, wasn't true or wasn't worth knowing.

But now, it's gone. We can only hope that all of the effort that went into building, developing and maintaining this much-loved resource and its content over the years has been preserved somewhere, and that maybe one day it will be resurrected, to return as enigmatically as it disappeared.

R.I.P. SOB

They are the real, motherfucking hate crew

2009-08-24T03:53:00.000-07:00

A quickie with ... K-Man

In an occasional series of quick-fire questions, the Scythes Of Bodom blog
goes backstage to get the inside track on the well-oiled machine that is
the real Children Of Bodom hatecrew. We start with the band's affable (and
indispensable) monitor engineer, Kal (K-Man) Kaercher.

Live sound mixing involves combining and processing a number of audio
signals to create a "mix" that the audience or performers at a live show hear; having the sound manipulated, or mixed, in real time is necessary, as constant minor adjustments are needed.

The monitor engineer mixes the sound that the performers hear on stage,
from a console typically placed at the side of the stage, enabling them to
hear themselves and any other parts of the performance as needed. Usually, each performer has their own individual mix that is custom tailored by the monitor engineer. Many bands opt to use In Ear Monitor (IEM) systems, which are a pair of headphones custom moulded for each musician's ears, which allows them to hear their individual mix more clearly.

Additionally, the live sound engineer is responsible for the set up and
tear down of the sound system. This will involve unloading the equipment,
moving it all into the venue, setting up the systems and then
sound-checking, when all instruments and mics are line checked to insure a
clean signal to the board. After the show is done, the live sound
engineers and techs must tear down and load out the sound system for the
next show on the tour.

And as if all that wasn't enough, sound engineering is as much an art as a
science, as there are a number of different ways that the mix can be done,
and different ways that the mix can sound ... an understanding of music is
also a requirement.

So, it's not all beer and bus parties on the road with COB, then ...

How did you get started as a sound-man?/what qualifications do you need?
For me, the first concert I went to at age 11, which was the Doobie Brothers in Seattle. While going to the seats with my parents we walked past the FOH mixing board and told my Mom right then "That's what I want to do!" After getting out of school my plan was to go to the Art Institute of Seattle for audio classes. Fortunate for me I got hooked up with a guy named Buddah who told me "Well you can do the school thing and I will still have to re-teach you later the real and right way of doing things, or just come learn from me now and get paid for it". So I went to work with Buddah. As far as qualifications... Hmm. I would say 60% or more of my job is getting along with the band and co-workers, then also really knowing your shit of course, oh and have a liver made of titanium!

How long have you worked with COB?
I have been with the guys since September of 2005. Never missed a show ;)

Do you have technical rehearsals (audio and lighting) with the band before a tour?
Very fucking rarely. In the time I have worked for them we have done that about 5 times, maybe less.

How long does it take to set up for a show (OK, reality check: how long do you actually get?!)
If we do our normal pace, 2 - 2 1/2 hours. Have done it in 45 including full line check.

Analogue or digital mixer - what floats your boat?
Now days, due to how much stuff I have going on with the guys, DIGITAL!!! But I do love the sound of a good analogue desk.

How many different types of digital mixing desk do you have to be familiar with?
In reality all of them but currently about 15.

How much of your own time do you spend in preparation for a show, for example, computer presets?
Depending on the software, anywhere from 5 to 7 hours to have a relatively show ready file. That only needs to be done once per mixing desk. After that everything is stored on USB or other types of cards.

Which of the band members use IEMs and do you mix all of them?
Henkka, Jaska, and Janne all use in-ears. Also two of the backline tech's and myself. Janne has always used them, Henkka and Jaska just started this year on them. Alexi and Roope use only stage wedges and side fills. 8 stage mixes minimum just for those 2 guys. With bigger stages and different stage set layouts it can go up to 10. And yup, I mix it all.

Do they have any problems with latency/propagation delay?
None at all. Well, not to the human ear anyway.

Do the venue acoustics change appreciably after the soundcheck, once it's filled with the audience?
80% of the venues, yes. Standard rule of acoustics... People suck... up the room noise ;)

What's the most challenging problem you've had to sort out during a show?
The biggest ones have always come down to one thing. Power. Goes out, starts buzzes, too low and makes gear freak out, blah blah blah. It can cause more problems then I can count.

How do you spend your time when COB are off-road?
I work with a couple other Finn bands, have done some side work with Megadeth, but mostly try to sit on my couch in my undies. Not a good visual BTW. Well unless you're into lazy, married American dudes.

What makes a great bus party?
What you want to hear - Sex, drugs, rock and roll, and the occasional farm animal sex show. Reality - Some drinks, no randoms hanging out, and getting to be our naked idiot selves. Oh and the occasional farm animal sex show ;)

What's your favourite COB cover?
Can't say just yet. It may be that it has never been released. I don't want to get spanked. But of the currently known songs... Hell Is For Children.

Complete this sentence: "if I wasn't a sound tech I'd be ..."
Fucking homeless and half as gay.

Huge thanks to K-Man!

Promised Land of Heavy Metal

2009-08-02T13:01:00.001-07:00

If you call yourself a Children Of Bodom fan then you must also, by default, be a fan of Finnish heavy metal ... In which case, you have to check out the "Promised Land of Heavy Metal" dvd.

A feature-length (90 mins) documentary, created and narrated by Kimmo Kuusniemi, a filmmaker, Sarcofagus guitarist and a forefather of Finnish Metal, "Promised Land of Heavy Metal" charts the history and philosophy behind the staggering rise and rise of heavy metal music in Finland, through interviews with musicians such as Marco Hietala, Ville Valo, Lauri Porra and Mr Lordi, as well as industry experts, journalists and broadcasters, and even the President of Finland! Why is metal a virtual religion for many? What are the links to satanism, and how has metal become mainstream in Finland? Plus, included in the many dvd extras, and of special interest to Children Of Bodom fans, an exclusive interview with Roope Latvala (a hugely important link in Finnish metal history in his own right), filmed just before COB took the stage at London's Kentish Town Forum last February.

An essential insight for all metal fans. Order your copy here: http://www.promisedlandofmetal.com/

Appearing in a country near you ...

2009-08-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

Children Of Bodom played their final show of the summer festival season at Ilosaarirock, Joensuu, on 18th July, and according to sound tech K-Man, "the show went great, in fact the guys said it was the most fun as far as the summer gigs went". The band are currently on a well-earned break before embarking on a new round of touring on September 8th with an impressive list of countries that includes South America, Canada, North America, Hawaii, Japan, Hong Kong and China, and concluding on October 24th at the B1 Maximum club in Moscow. Global domination starts here!

No rest for the guitar hero

2009-08-02T12:36:00.000-07:00

Alexi Laiho found time between summer festival shows with Children Of Bodom to make a guest appearance on fellow Finnish band Saattue's new album. Alexi recorded his solo for the track "Vapahtaja" ("Saviour") on the doom metal band's upcoming release, "Vuoroveri" ("Tide of Blood") on 17th June. In their studio diary, the band thanked Alexi for agreeing to do something "slightly" different than usual. Helming the recording session was Alexi's co 'village idiot' from his punk side project Kylähullet, Tonmi Lillman. The album's release date is scheduled for 21st October.

Sinergy reloaded

2009-08-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

Metal Mind Productions have announced the re-release of Sinergy's complete discography. "Beware the Heavens", "To Hell and Back" and "Suicide By My Side", all digitally remastered, will be re-issued in new digipack editions, each limited to 2000 copies. The release dates are scheduled for 24th August in Europe and 6th October in the USA. Each album will include bonus tracks as follows:

"Beware the Heavens" - "Beware the Heavens" (demo version)

"To Hell and Back" - "Venomous Vixens"; "The Warrior Princess"; "Razor Blade Salvation"

"Suicide By My Side" - "Rock You Like a Hurricane"; "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme"; "Invincible"

Skeletons out of the closet

2009-07-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

Children Of Bodom have revealed the two new cover songs recorded at Janne Warman's Beyond Abilities studios earlier this summer for their upcoming covers compilation album, "Skeletons In The Closet". The tracks are "Hell Is For Children" (Pat Benatar) and "Antisocial" (Trust/Anthrax). In his summer blog, Henkka commented that "the songs turned out really good". The album is due for a worldwide release this fall. The full tracklists for the different regions are as follows:

Europe

01 "Lookin' Out My Back Door" (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
02 "Hell Is For Children" (Pat Benatar)*
03 "Somebody Put Something In My Drink" (Ramones)
04 "Mass Hypnosis" (Sepultura)
05 "Don´t Stop At The Top" (Scorpions)
06 "Silent Scream" (Slayer)
07 "She Is Beautiful" (Andrew W.K.)
08 "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" (Kenny Rogers)
09 "Bed Of Nails" (Alice Cooper)
10 "Hellion" (W.A.S.P.)
11 "Aces High" (Iron Maiden)
12 "Rebel Yell" (Billy Idol)
13 "No Commands" (Stone)
14 "Antisocial" (Trust/Anthrax)*
15 "Talk Dirty To Me" (Poison)
16 "War Inside My Head" (Suicidal Tendencies)**
17 "Ooops!… I Did It Again" (Britney Spears)

USA

01 "Lookin' Out My Back Door" (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
02 "Hell Is For Children" (Pat Benatar)*
03 "Somebody Put Something In My Drink" (Ramones)
04 "Mass Hypnosis" (Sepultura)
05 "Don´t Stop At The Top" (Scorpions)
06 "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" (Kenny Rogers)
07 "Hellion" (W.A.S.P.)
08 "Aces High" (Iron Maiden)
09 "Rebel Yell" (Billy Idol)
10 "No Commands" (Stone)
11 "Antisocial" (Trust/Anthrax)
12 "Talk Dirty To Me" (Poison)
13 "Ghost Riders In The Sky" (Stan Jones)
14 "War Inside My Head" (Suicidal Tendencies)**
15 "Ooops!… I Did It Again" (Britney Spears)

Japan

01 "Lookin' Out My Back Door" (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
02 "Hell Is For Children" (Pat Benatar)*
03 "Somebody Put Something In My Drink" (Ramones)
04 "Don´t Stop At The Top" (Scorpions)
05 "Silent Scream" (Slayer)
06 "She Is Beautiful" (Andrew W.K.)
07 "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" (Kenny Rogers)
08 "Bed Of Nails" (Alice Cooper)
09 "Aces High" (Iron Maiden)
10 "Antisocial" (Trust/Anthrax)*
11 "Talk Dirty To Me" (Poison)
12 "Ghost Riders In The Sky" (Stan Jones)
13 "War Inside My Head" (Suicidal Tendencies)**
14 "Ooops!… I Did It Again" (Britney Spears)

*previously unreleased track recorded at Beyond Abilities studios, summer 2009
**previously unreleased track recorded at Petrax studios, fall 2007

Needled 24/7

2009-07-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

Children Of Bodom's summer festival season continues, with the band turning in their expected crowd-pleasing performances. But even for the well-oiled machine that is the Hate Crew, not everything always goes to plan.

At Metalway in Spain a very late slot, coupled with the forces of nature, conspired to make things difficult: an extremely strong wind meant that just staying upright and not being blown offstage was a challenge throughout the band's set; at the Metaltown festival in Sweden, technical problems gave COB's sound tech, Kal (K-Man) Kaercher, plenty of pro-level headaches, and at Graspop last weekend glitches in Janne's keyboard rack caused more grief for the band's crew. But the show must go on, and it did: in K-Man's words, "I haven't seen a crowd that crazy in a long time". Check out Kal's blog at http://web.me.com/kmancobhc/Site/Blathering/Blathering.html for all the details.

Horns up for Ruisrock!

Henkka checks in from Metaltown

2009-06-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

Henkka has posted the following blog, fresh from Children Of Bodom's appearance today at the Metaltown festival in Gothenburg, Sweden.

"The best festival experience of the summer! Easily!

So far we did some festivals, in Spain, Finland and Germany, but I have to admit that Sweden was amazing. Last headlining tour we did only one show in Sweden, which was weird, but now in Gothenburg, it feels that we should have done more.

What can I say..? Lot of people, very nice weather, lovely city and many many friends. So Gothenburg is treating us well today. And yesterday too.

That wraps up the whole experience we had in Göteborg this summer! Mycket bra!"

Next stop on the band's summer festival schedule is Graspop, Belgium on Sunday 28th June.

Scythes Of Bodom's blog opens

2009-06-17T16:08:00.000-07:00

Hey all you faithful Scythes followers out there!

We launched Scythes Of Bodom back in 2002 with a mission - we wanted to share our fellow hardcore fans all the info we lunatics had got our hands on after this punk band from Espoo started to put out CDs and perform live shows of the quality that totally blew our minds. Just like all of you, we really wanted to get to the bottom of the whole phenomenom that these five dudes had created.

The success of Scythes Of Bodom came to us out of the blue. We never really imagined that so many of you would be just as nuts about to learn the smallest detail or piece of trivia from the band's history. It's been amazing to see that THOUSANDS of you share our passion for the COBHC and come to read Scythes Of Bodom every day.

This is the very reason we are opening this blog: we all have felt for a long time that we haven't been able to provide you with the quality news feed on COB you deserve, and that there's really no one keeping the fans up to date on what's latest with the band and in which media they appear in. We have had some issues with updating the site as often as we have wanted to, and this is where this blog - and the new blood we have in our team - come in very handy.

Expect nearly bi-daily updates on this blog and don't hesitate to take advantage of the comment feature, too!

See you in the pit!

Rock Hard Festival 2009 coverage

2009-06-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

Children Of Bodom started their 2009's summer festival run in
Gelsenkirchen, Germany last weekend. Gelsenkirchen's neat Amphitheater is a really cool setting for the annual Rock Hard Festival, named after German's leading metal magazine and organized by Continental Concerts, who also book and offer management services for Children Of Bodom in Europe.

As we all know, COB had to drop off from their recent US tour with Lamb Of God due to Alexi's broken shoulder, rib and internal bleeding.

Rock Hard took place just a little over three weeks after Alexi had to give in during the band's NYC show and head back home to rest, after having played ten shows against doctor's recommendation in great pain from all the injuries he suffered after coming crashing down on his bunk in the band's tour bus.

A representative of the festival announced the band on the stage telling everyone about Alexi's condition making the point clear that he is not 100%. However, if you hadn't seen Children Of Bodom live before, there was no way of telling that something was wrong and that his rib was still hurting while he was singing.

For those who were familiar with his usual stage antics, it was quite clear that he wasn't moving and jumping around as much as usual, but still playing with the accuracy he always does.

I was rather sceptical and thought that the band probably hadn't got the chance to rehearse any songs they haven't played in a while to add to their set due to Alexi's injury, but to my surprise they had really mixed up their whole setlist from their recent shows.

After the Big Lebowski intro the band introduced already on the Lamb Of God tour, they launched their set straight into Needled 24/7 which they haven't played in a long while.

It was closely followed up by Bodom Beach Terror, a song that has never been played in the first quarter of the set before. Other positive surprises included Smile Pretty For The Devil - a fantastic live song COB has been playing from time to time but been a little uncertain about due to mixed crowd reactions -, Are You Dead Yet?, yet another song they haven't played in two years, and most importantly Kissing The Shadows, a very welcome return for many fans who enjoy the lightning fast solo sections in the song.

Roope's new ENGL Amplification endorsement was also showing, as he played the show in front of a wall of 9 ENGL Amps.

Children Of Bodom's setlist @ Rock Hard Festival 2009

Intro: The Big Lebowski - The Fucking Short Version (YouTube)

(Photo: K-Man)

Needled 24/7
Bodom Beach Terror
Smile Pretty For The Devil
Living Dead Beat
Are You Dead Yet?
Banned From Heaven
Hate Me!
Kissing The Shadows
Bodom After Midnight
Blooddrunk
Angels Don't Kill
In Your Face
---
Bed Of Razors
Downfall

(Outro: Wild Side (Mötley Crüe)

The German Hate Crew at the Amphitheater seemed to be loving every minute of the show. Although the record of 2000 crowdsurfers over the fence from COB's Wacken 2008 appearance
wasn't broken, there was a lot of action going on and I even got to witness the first Wall of Death, totally improvised by the crowd and not called for by the band, I've seen at a Children Of Bodom show in the beginning of Blooddrunk!

The band seemed to be on a good mood and Alexi and Janne were trading off their trademark remarks throughout the set. Before Downfall, Janne started to play Van Halen's Jump and as Roope and Jaska joined the jam, Alexi told them to stop because "I'm sure they like that shit more than our own songs" to which Janne wittily replied "well, who fucking doesn't?".

All photos by A Lund
All in all, it was a relief to see that the band could deliver a solid show despite Alexi's condition and that they have taken the time to mix their setlist up which is something they haven't always been so good at. Be sure to catch COB this summer on one of their upcoming festival dates! Whether you're a new fan or an old school hardcore fan, rest assured - you're in a for a treat!