Last night (14th), bassist Henkka Seppälä and keyboardist Janne Wirman of Children of Bodom hosted a listening party for the band’s new live album, A Chapter Called… Children Of Bodom (Final Show In Helsinki Ice Hall 2019), at the Bodom Bar & Sauna in Espoo, Finland. The live album, recorded at the band’s last concert on December 15, 2019, in Helsinki, Finland, has arrived today (15th) via Spinefarm (order here). During the Q&A session, Wirman and Seppälä shared insights into the band’s mindset during their final concert, held a year before the passing of frontman Alexi Laiho. Laiho’s struggles with health, exacerbated by alcohol-induced degeneration, led to a cocktail of painkillers, opioids, and insomnia medication in his system. Wirman expressed relief at the last show, stating he was tired of Laiho’s problems and the changing dynamics within the band. He described Laiho’s transformation into someone unrecognizable, and the decision was made in 2019 that the situation couldn’t continue. Despite initial plans for a farewell tour spanning 2020-2022, the unforeseen pandemic disrupted those intentions.
Seppälä added that the band was fortunate to confront the issues early, leading to the decision to disband sooner than planned. He acknowledged that adhering to the original schedule would have been jeopardized by the pandemic, preventing the creation of the final recorded show. Wirman disclosed that their manager had inquired about the possibility of playing with Laiho again. However, Wirman’s condition was that Laiho would need to seek help and achieve sobriety—a condition that seemed unlikely given Laiho’s decision to succumb to his addictions. Reflecting on the band’s troubled dynamics, Seppälä emphasized that putting the band to rest was the only viable option at the time. Although the manager may have entertained hopes of a reunion show in the future, it wasn’t a consideration for the band members.
Released with the approval of Laiho’s estate, the concert album marks the end of Children of Bodom’s illustrious career, which began in 1993 as Inearthed in Espoo, Finland. Over the years, the band released ten studio albums, two live albums, two EPs, two compilation albums, and one DVD. The final lineup during their split in 2019 included Laiho, Jaska Raatikainen (drums), Seppälä, Wirman, and Daniel Freyberg (rhythm guitar).
