Children Of Bodom boost Finnish exports

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?

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

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

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

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

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!

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.

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