Children of Bodom

In the last eight or so years, Children Of Bodom that darted to international fame with their debut, 1997's "Something Wild", has gone from being "this amazing band from Finland" to a household name in the metalscene. And that, of course, is obvious given the intensity, sheer quality of their material and the flawless execution.


Children of Bodom is a Finnish heavy metal band from Espoo, formed in 1993. The band consists of guitarist and vocalist Alexi Laiho , Roope latvala (guitar), Janne Wirman , Henkka Seppale, and Jaska Ratikainen . Since their inception, Children of Bodom has released six studio albums, two live albums, two EPs, and one DVD.

The self-titled debut single "Children Of Bodom" went straight to number 1 on the Finnish charts and sold platinum. The debut full-length album "Something Wild" was released in Finland in 1997. The Bodoms supported Dimmu Borgir at the band's Helsinki show in November and were hailed as the new kings of Finnish underground metal by the press. Licensing deal with Nuclear Blast for central Europe was inked quickly and soon after Middle Europe the album was also released in Japan and Thailand.

During the summer 99 Children Of Bodom toured Finland and Europe. In June they did three sold out gigs in Japan with Dark Tranquillity and Sinergy and recorded the live CD: "Tokyo Warhearts-Live in Japan". "Tokyo Warhearts" came out as a limited digibook-edition in Europe in October and all the 20.000 copies of it were almost immediately sold out. The buzz around the band was reaching new heights.

Children of Bodom have come a long way since their humble beginnings, and today stand tall in the all time extreme metal hall of fame, commanding the respect and awe of both fans and colleagues alike. Children of Bodom have been hugely influential, but still, eight years down the road east and west alike, remain the leaders of the genre. "Are You Dead Yet?" is all the proof you need.

Current members

• Alexi Laiho – lead vocals, lead guitar (since 1993)
• Roope Latvala – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (since 2003)
• Henkka Seppälä – bass, backing vocals (since 1996)
• Janne Wirman – keyboards (since 1997)
• Jaska Raatikainen – drums, percussion (since 1993)

Former members

• Alexander Kuoppala – rhythm guitar (1995–2003)
• Jani Pirisjoki – keyboards (1995–1997)
• Samuli Miettinen – bass guitar (1993–1995)

  
  

  
  

  Live musicians

• Erna Siikavirta – keyboards (1998)
• Kimberly Goss – keyboards (1998)