Since forming in 1993, Finland's Children of Bodom fused multiple strands of heavy and extreme metal with melodic hooks, a theatrical visual style, an irreverent and sometimes over-the-top comedic outlook, and the virtuoso guitar work of lead guitarist Alexi Laiho, forging a signature sound that felt simultaneously broad and resistant to easy categorization. Their independently released 1997 debut Something Wild on Spinefarm (reissued by Nuclear Blast the following year) combined with a high-octane, high-energy live show documented during early support runs alongside acts such as Dimmu Borgir to generate grassroots buzz that quickly expanded their following from regional cult status to international draw. Multiple albums entered the pop-chart Top 100, while six others reached the Hard Rock Albums Top 20 along with additional chart placements. Hate Crew Deathroll from 2003 epitomized their signature approach, pairing grisly, dramatic lyrics with Laiho's densely layered, shred-oriented riffs and motifs that highlighted both the band's technical command and a consistently self-aware, almost parodic stance toward heavy-metal conventions. The 2004 release Are You Dead Yet? and the 2006 audiovisual set Chaos Ridden Years: Stockholm Knockout Live proved instrumental in securing Laiho the Metal Hammer World's Best Guitarist award that year. Blooddrunk from 2008 peaked at number 25, marking their highest chart position and strongest commercial performance to date; its rendition of "Ghost Riders in the Sky" later gained significant streaming traction. Halo of Blood in 2013 stood out both for its chart entry and for critical assessments in multiple outlets that positioned it as a potential breakthrough bringing European death metal into wider mainstream awareness. Two years afterward, a deluxe edition of I Worship Chaos included four covers—Bananarama's "Cruel Summer," the Plasmatics' "Mistress of Taboo," Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone," and Amorphis' "Black Winter Day"—helping propel the album to number one in Finland, into the upper half of the Billboard 200 in the United States, and inside the Top 40 throughout the rest of Europe. The band disbanded at the close of 2019. In 2023 they released the archival live document A Chapter Called Children of Bodom, capturing their final performance in Helsinki.
Lifelong friends Alexi Laiho (guitar/vocals) and Jaska Raatikainen (drums) originally launched the project under the name Inearthed. With bassist Samuli Miettinen they drew primary inspiration from classic death metal, incorporating the intensity of groups such as Entombed and Obituary. Although Miettinen served as the principal songwriter, his tenure ended abruptly when his family relocated to the United States. The remaining members continued, enlisting Henkka Seppälä on bass, adding second guitarist Alexander Kuoppala, and bringing in keyboardist Janne Wirman.
After years of pitching demo recordings without success, the band attracted the interest of Belgian label Shiver in 1997, which offered a contract for their debut album Something Wild. Shortly after that agreement, Spinefarm Records expressed strong interest, prompting the group to switch to the larger Finnish label, adopt the name Children of Bodom (drawn from the Lake Bodom murders near their hometown of Espoo), and finalize a new contract that enabled the album's release later the same year.
Momentum built rapidly as Children of Bodom embarked on an intensive cycle of European touring and recording that produced their second album Hatebreeder in 1999 and their third album Follow the Reaper the next year. The year 2003 proved especially significant: after issuing Hate Crew Deathroll they received the Finnish Band of the Year honor at the Finnish Music Awards and embarked on their first world tour, though Kuoppala departed unexpectedly during the trek, citing exhaustion from constant road life. Guitarist Roope Latvala, a founding member of Stone, joined as his replacement, and the band resumed touring.
Their next album, Are You Dead Yet?, appeared in 2005; touring was later curtailed when Laiho suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined the group while he recovered. They nonetheless continued writing, resulting in the sixth album Blooddrunk in 2008, followed by Relentless Reckless Forever in 2011 and Halo of Blood in 2013. The latter release was supported by a slot on that year's Mayhem Festival alongside Rob Zombie, Amon Amarth, and Mastodon.
In April 2015 Children of Bodom announced a new album. One month later their Facebook page disclosed that Latvala, a member since 2003, had exited. Recording took place in an empty warehouse rather than a conventional studio so the remaining quartet—Laiho performing all guitar parts—could approximate the atmosphere of their live performances. The single "Morrigan" was issued on video and for digital download in September, with the full album I Worship Chaos following in early October and the title track released as a second single. Daniel Freyberg, formerly of Norther, joined in time for touring. Three-and-a-half years passed before the next album, their longest interval between releases up to that point.
Hexed arrived in March 2019, preceded by the single "Under Grass and Clover." More melodic yet more technically intricate than prior efforts, it incorporated progressive elements and occasional jazz inflections. Children of Bodom played what was announced as their final concert in Helsinki in November 2019, after which Laiho formed the new project Bodom After Midnight. In early January 2021 the band confirmed that Alexi Laiho had died in late December 2020 from ongoing health complications at age 41. At the end of 2023 the live recording A Chapter Called Children of Bodom [Final Show in Helsinki Ice Hall, 2019] was released, serving as the group's final document and Laiho's last recorded performances.
