Children Of Bodom, the acclaimed melodic death metal band from Finland, is releasing its official book in August. Published by Rocket 88 in the UK, the self-titled book recounts the band’s 30-plus-year history through the voices of guitarist Alexander Kuoppala, bassist Henkka Seppälä, drummer Jaska Raatikainen, and keyboardist Janne Wirman, along with other former members, friends, and colleagues.
The surviving core members stated: “Since we stopped making music and suffered the tragic loss of our brother Alexi, we’ve been remembering so many great times that we had together, and you can now read about those times in this book. It tells the full history of Children of Bodom in our own words.”
Written as an oral history with new interviews by Finnish author Timo Isoaho, a longtime friend of the band, the book details the band’s formation in 1993 by Alexi Laiho and Jaska Raatikainen (originally as Inearthed), their struggles, adventures, and triumphs.
The book is available in two deluxe editions, including a Signature Edition personally signed by Henkka, Janne, Jaska, and Alexander. Pre-orders are open at childrenofbodombook.com, offering a chance to have a name printed in the book.
Children Of Bodom disbanded after their final show on December 15, 2019, at the Helsinki Ice Hall in Finland. This concert was later released as the live album A Chapter Called… Children Of Bodom (Final Show In Helsinki Ice Hall 2019).
Frontman Alexi Laiho tragically passed away on December 29, 2020, due to fatty liver disease and pancreatic fibrosis, according to Finnish news reports. His ashes were buried in Helsinki in December 2021.
Over their career, Children Of Bodom released ten studio albums, two live albums, two EPs, two compilation albums, and one DVD. After the band’s split, Laiho formed Bodom After Midnight, which released three songs and one music video posthumously. The final lineup of Children Of Bodom included Laiho, Raatikainen, Seppälä, Wirman, and Daniel Freyberg.
