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Acclaimed guitarist and frontman of Finnish metal band Children of Bodom, Alexi Laiho, died last week at his home in Helsinki, Finland, according to a statement from his management team. He was 41 years old.
A cause of death was not given. The statement said Laiho “had suffered from long-term health problems during his later years.
Laiho’s surviving groupmates at Bodom After Midnight – a group he formed with Daniel Freyberg, Mitja Toivonen and Waltteri Väyrynen after Children of Bodom disbanded in 2019 – said: “We are crushed by the sudden passing of our dear friend and band member. Words cannot describe this shock and the deep sadness we feel.
Laiho was born in Espoo, Finland, in 1979 and grew up in a very musical family, recounting Metal hammer in an interview in 2008 that her father played the piano and organ, while her mother played the flute and sang in a choir. Laiho’s first instrument was the violin, but he eventually turned to the guitar, and he credits his sister with introducing him to heavy metal.
“When I was seven, she played me her Guns N ‘Roses, Twisted Sister, Mötley Crüe and Skid Row tapes,” he said. Metal hammer. “Everything was so attractive: how they played, the sound of the guitar, the looks of the guys. They were dangerous. I was so drawn to it. And I still am.
In 1993 Laiho and drummer Jaska Raatikainen formed the band Inearthed, who spent several years recording demos rooted in death metal and heavy metal, but didn’t shy away from melodic touches and incorporated keyboards and synthesizers. Inearthed struggled to make any real progress, but in 1997 they enlisted jazz pianist Janne Wirman, who helped them solidify their sound as they started recording their debut album, Something wild. The LP was finally released the same year via Finnish label Spinefarm Records under the band’s new name, Children of Bodom.
The profile of Bodom’s children grew in the years that followed releasing a steady stream of albums and touring Europe. In 2003 Hate Crew Death Roll, they had also firmly established a dedicated following in the United States, and in 2008 they released arguably their most successful album, Blooddrunk. In a show of their versatility, Children of Bodom followed up with an album of covers, Skeletons in the closet, which featured interpretations of songs by Slayer, Scorpions and The Ramones, as well as Britney Spears, Kenny Rogers and Pat Benatar.
Children of Bodom would release four more studio albums, ending their series in 2019 with Hexed and perform their last show together in December of the same year. Alongside Children of Bodom, Laiho has performed in Sinergy, Warmen, Kylähullut and the Local Band. Before his death, Laiho and Bodom After Midnight recorded three songs and shot a music video, which will be released posthumously.
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