Children of Bodom announce final album
Finnish melodic death metal band Children of Bodom will release the closing album of their career, “A Chapter Called... Children of Bodom (Final Show in Helsinki Ice Hall 2019)”, on 15th December via Spinefarm.
"It's great to have that final show transformed into a live album. For those who attended, it's a time travel back to that moment. And for those who didn't, it's an opportunity to experience how the chapter called Children of Bodomwas closed." — Daniel Freyberg
"Needless to say that this night was very special. When In Your Face started, the reality hit me and I had to turn away from the audience cos I actually started crying. But the beauty is that the memories and Alexi’s music will live forever!" — Henkka Seppälä
You can pre-order a copy of “A Chapter Called Children of Bodom” here.
Released with the blessing of Alexi Laiho's estate, the concert album completes the legendary band's career which began in Espoo, Finland in 1993 as Inearthed. Over their career, Children of Bodom released ten studio albums, two live albums, two EPs, two compilation albums and one DVD. The final line-up of the group upon their split in 2019 consisted of Alexi Laiho (lead guitar, lead vocals), Jaska Raatikainen (drums), Henkka Seppälä (bass), Janne Wirman (keyboard), and Daniel Freyberg (rhythm guitar).
"It felt surreal to be on that stage in Helsinki Ice Hall as I knew that I was probably not gonna play with the guys ever again nor get to perform for the amazing fans anymore. It felt sad but also somewhat relieving. It is great that the last show and its emotional rollercoaster can now be enjoyed by everyone who couldn’t make it to the show." — Janne Wirman
"When I got on the stage I felt calm, probably because I no longer felt the need to prove anything but to enjoy the music and the presence of all the fans. I was just so grateful to have been a part of all this, knowing that our music wouldn’t disappear even if we never ever played together again." — Jaska Raatikainen
Children of Bodom's third studio album, Follow the Reaper, was their first album to receive a gold certification in Finland, and subsequent studio albums acquired the same status with their next four albums debuting at number one on the Finnish album charts and charting on the United States Billboard 200. They remain one of Finland's best selling artists of all time with more than 250,000 records sold there alone.
In 2019, Children of Bodom held their last concert in Helsinki named, A Chapter Called Children of Bodom, before dissolving the band. In 2020, Laiho and Freybergcarried on as Bodom After Midnight but, sadly, Laiho, who was one of the founding members of Children of Bodom, as well as the only songwriter, died on 29th December, 2020.
