Jaska, Janne and Henkka are leaving the band!!!!!

You never know, it might be that the new lineup is the best thing that could happen to Alexi, to get new energy from some younger and more inspired musicians. However, I think he should ditch the Bodom thing and do something completely different and not related to this band, and maybe only perform some old songs he didn't in a long time? But I doubt he'll do that, and this we have to wait and see.

Just because he is the main songwriter and lyrics writer doesn't make him better and more important than others, CoB was always a band and not just one individual. Obviously, on last two albums you could hear that bass and keyboards and drums were not used to it's full potential, maybe now it is obvious why, so the new members have to rise up to the challenge.

And my opinion is that Alexi is the weakest link of the band when it comes to live shows, he seems the most spent one and has no energy on stage and his playing is going downhill, he needs some new inspiration. But I see his arrogance in the fact that he wants to stay Bodom while all the other guys obviously did what they did while they still sounded semi-professional. Honestly I think he should use this chance to turn on a new leaf and try to do something new, because there certainly is some good music in him still. But now comes the part where money is involved, and then he'll keep playing In Your Face and Hate Me.

So I'd really be happier if he wouldn't do that, but I can't count on it.
 
^Agree with you. Bodom is amazing and it was great when it happened but the thought of Alexi carrying on with the Bodom feels wrong. I mean playing Hate Me and In Your Face for another 20 years are not gonna get you more audience. It would be cool if it was more of a completely new and different thing and then some COB classics would be there to spice up the setlist? It would be such a fuckin treat if it was like "you guys remember this one?"
Time will tell. Maybe the new lineup works well and I'm gonna be really excited? I also agree with the fact that keyboards weren't used to their full potential in a very long time. Maybe Hexed was a bit of a "so you wanna quit? ok let's squeeze all that's left here and end this with style?" I don't know. Have a lot if mixed feelings about the future but I'm curious and optimistic. And I don't believe Alexi would "disrespect" his own career by just trying to milk whatever money he can get out if the few radio hit songs lol.
 
Pretty sure once Alexi nears 50 he'll feel too old to sing the fast, tongue-in-cheek lyrics of songs like Hate Me, Needled, and instead choose songs like SNBN, ETID which are slower and more mature somehow.
 
There's some new statements from Laiho about the split.

https://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/art-200...EGvAmQNheMGk8fUx48_tgs5xZtnVBWqtHKj3WAg9G2ANo

Not much new, except they were supposed to continue until the end of next year, but he caused some argument at Russia this year which nearly made them stop, but they decided to cool down and do the Finnish tour still. He claims there's no bad blood. But still the guys might keep the band name so he'd need to change it. And he says the new line-up will be a more fresh version of today. It's kind of contradicting, and it's not clear whether the schism was musical reasons or personal reasons.

My best guess is the guys were frustrated with their lack of power over the music... but I can imagine Alexi getting infuriated if the guys informed they'll keep the band name (with its financial rights) when they leave, it's a sensitive thing and part of an artist's self-esteem, so whatever made them think it's cool to steal that, it's no wonder if the band chemistry was inflamed.

Many positives: the guys get to live happily, the band will have fresh blood and Alexi hopefully got stirred up to write an epic album again.
 
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Let's cross fingers and pray the new guys wake up Alexi to return to the Hatebreeder style. I can't express with grammatical terms how inhumanly wicked these songs like Warheart, SNBN, Hatebreeder sound to my ears, such sense of twisted beauty is really hard to come by. Maybe they see Bodom's music from a distance and can thus talk together what should be desired from this music. Every instrument and the vocals serve the song's purpose and atmosphere with one common plot, knowing exactly where they're going, they're stories that carry the songs from a bitter start to a bitter finish, kind of like northern lights casting their eerie, beautiful light to the night, just enough so you can see into the darkness. I think this venomous atmosphere and sense of purpose in the songs would be good to come back, and make the songs a bit faster and focus more on overall atmosphere than momentary rhythms.
 
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Okay so maybe Alexi quit the company and let them keep the name because he didn't want to ruin their friendship. If the guys stay home and he's on tour they don't see eachother much so if there's any bad blood it can build up and soon they'd be in court or something lol.
The last verse sounds a bit salty lol "I'm sorry, but I wrote the songs so I can keep playing them." It must be what the arguments were about... And then there's the "You can keep the name if you want it I don't care" statement from earlier. Pretty sure it was nothing personal, just about the band arrangements. But really I think it's understandable if he's pissed off.

But well a big change like this is looking to be healthy for all of the band and Alexi gets more shit to write about so alright. I'm really excited what Alexi and Daniel get done. Hexed was fuckin great and you could hear the new fresh excitement in there. So what will it be now? I just hope the band name isn't weird or too much of a "knockoff" from COB lol

He said he will start doing shows with the new band maybe next spring and now I'm wondering are they just gonna play COB songs with a new lineup like that? Uhh in my opinion they shoukd record something new first?
 
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I haven't read the new article in full, since translation sites are so awful and Alexi isn't particularly articulate to begin with, not sure how he comes across in Finnish, but it's a pain to listen or read him in English.

For some disagreement to come up during touring is kinda weird. I mean yeah they spend all this time together so any pent up bad blood may show, but what is there to argue about during touring? I could see them complaining that their input during songwriting is neglected or some such thing, while they are in the studio, not now. They've been touring for years, they've got their routine. The only thing that is different is that Alexi is like a zombie...and that he's married. And I have no doubt that Alexi has been a dick for a while. But that the three of them are leaving at the same time shows that this isn't just a matter of them wanting to move on. Something else is up, but as with the whole Roope affair we may never find out.

It would be shocking if they don't get the name thing resolved either through conversation or money. If the other three aren't going to do music or tour and Alexi is, he sure should fight to keep/recover the name.

In any case, one thing is for sure, the next album isn't going to be Hatebreeder II or FTR II (thankfully). And I don't think whoever replaces them is going to make any difference for the next album in terms of them having much of a say. But if there was some bad energy in the past and that is now lifted, then sure maybe Alexi will feel more free and more creative and more himself. Here's hoping for AYDY II.
 
im going to plan to arrive on Friday 12th, want to check out helsinki with my girlfriend saterday, surely want to go out saterday night to some clubs or bars ? we could plan to hang out or something ? sunday during the day some more helsinki exploring and well sunday night the gig, heading back to holland on monday... thats my idea !

Please keep your expectations in check. Helsinki has much worse museums, architecture and beer prices than a city like Amsterdam.
Let's cross fingers and pray the new guys wake up Alexi to return to the Hatebreeder style.

That will definitely not happen. It's certainly possible that some core aspects of their current sound will change with a new keyboardist, but an album with similiar quality as Hexed is the best I could hope for.
 
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Anyone here going to the Ice hall in Helskini ? on 15/12 ? im going from Holland, i for myself need to see this last gig to close this chapter for my self, who else will be going to this funeral ?

Yeah, coming all the way from vancouver island. Just had to make an account to reply haha.

Really hoping they play more than just the same old setlist.
 
You can say what you want about him, but without Joonas this forum would have been dead 5 years ago.
Even more dead than it already is at least.


I do hope that the new guys have the guts to speak up against Alexi when necessary. We really don't need guys that just say yes and amen, not thinking for themselves.
 
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There are some "new" infos from German Metal Hammer:
https://www.metal-hammer.de/children-of-bodom-alexi-laiho-braucht-neuen-bandnamen-1388111/

Sayin that the 3 Band Mates need time now for Familiy, which Alexi totaly understand. He says that he is also maried and have a stepchild (?) in Australia.
"We fought a lot within the band - and I can honestly admit that those fights were mainly my mistake. They always started with a misunderstanding"

And it could happen that Alexi and Daniel cant use "Children of Bodom" anymore. Maybe they would call it only "Bodom" or something else.
 
There are some "new" infos from German Metal Hammer:
https://www.metal-hammer.de/children-of-bodom-alexi-laiho-braucht-neuen-bandnamen-1388111/

Sayin that the 3 Band Mates need time now for Familiy, which Alexi totaly understand. He says that he is also maried and have a stepchild (?) in Australia.
"We fought a lot within the band - and I can honestly admit that those fights were mainly my mistake. They always started with a misunderstanding"

And it could happen that Alexi and Daniel cant use "Children of Bodom" anymore. Maybe they would call it only "Bodom" or something else.
Seems like the same points from the Finnish interviews some pages back. Odd that they've been translated to German but not English.