Alexi Laiho (1979–2020): A Spectacular Light Burns Out Too Fast -- In Remembrance of Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom) (April 8, 1979 – December 29, 2020)

People were confused!

Or, at least, some people were. It took a few minutes to properly hear what was going on. It was not avant-garde nor experimental, but somehow the particular configuration of elements had not been done quite like that—not from the perspective of the vast majority of metal audiences, anyway. That first Children of Bodom (Finland) album, titled Something Wild (1997), offered a curious and exciting type of sound: a mix of shred and neoclassical extreme power metal with black metal vocals. It certainly was not common to hear all those elements brought together under one umbrella. It sounded fun, skilled, and a bit weird, or if not weird, at least novel. The maverick responsible for such a vision was only 18 years old when that debut album came out: Alexi Laiho on guitars and vocals.

What was it about that debut album?!

Who knows! It sounded confident, new, and familiar at the same time. It wasn't reinventing the wheel; black metal was not new by then, and neoclassical shredding was well-known, too. Yet, it was a fun combination. The young Finnish band worked neoclassical shred into extreme metal, blending high-energy riffs with high-speed, classically inspired segments.

The keyboards! The interplay between Alexi’s guitar and Janne Wirman’s keyboards was cool. The keyboards weren't just providing background atmosphere; they engaged in fast, lead-heavy duels that became a hallmark of their sound.

What genre was it? It had the aesthetic and vocal rasp of black metal, the precision of thrash, and the melodic sensibilities of power metal. Could extreme music be catchy and melodic? Apparently so.

There was a sense of "rock star energy" brought back to a technical subgenre. Along with Gothenburg bands like In Flames, At the Gates, and Dark Tranquillity, all of which had, in certain forms, paved the way for melodic extreme metal, Children of Bodom helped make melodic death metal a popular sound. However, these Finns sounded faster, more keyboard-driven, and more technical, a bit more virtuoso, if you will.

Anyway, after the debut album, the band became much more successful, and subsequent albums cemented their place in metal history. I know some people really like 1999's Hatebreeder, and some feel that everything finally fit into place perfectly with 2003's Hate Crew Deathroll. Speaking for myself, in my own worthless opinion as Metal Bulletin Zine, I think I prefer the third album, Follow the Reaper (2000). Of course, they made a bunch of other albums after those, but I think those first four are the better musical output.

Alexi, to me, never seemed like a real man, a mature adult, but more like an immature man-child. Sometimes he seemed to be trying too hard to prove he was cool or rebellious. His nihilistic, atheistic, and pseudo-satanic views were clearly dangerous. His substance abuse, specifically his extreme alcoholism, and his depression accompanied him in the hedonistic, godless way of life that a rock star leads. This led him down dangerous paths and, eventually, to his death from tremendously excessive drinking. Many of these issues can be found in his lyrics, too. In terms of the music, the lyrics are some of the weakest elements of Children of Bodom. Frankly, a lot of the lyrics are mind-numbingly stupid.

However, overall, the music of Children of Bodom brought interesting combinations to the table, and much of that music still sounds fun to listen to today.

Children of Bodom - Deadnight Warrior

Children of Bodom - In The Shadows

Children of Bodom - Children Of Decadence