Children of Bodom’s Alexi Laiho and Daniel Freyberg Announce New Band, Bodom After Midnight
This past November, Children of Bodom announced the impending departure of drummer Jaska Raatikainen, bassist Henkka T. Blacksmith (né Henri Seppälä), and keyboardist Janne Wirman — all three are original members who have played on every Bodom release to date. This iteration of the group, which of course also features frontman Alexi Laiho along with new-ish guitarist Daniel Freyberg, played its final show in Helsinki on December 15.
That news was certainly surprising… but more surprising still was the revelation that the Bodom brand is owned by a company called AA & Sewira Consulting Oy… and that company is, in turn, owned by Wirman, Raatikainen, and Blacksmith. Meaning Laiho and Freyberg wouldn’t be able to continue Children of Bodom with new musicians without the trio of departing members’ permission.
This being the case, Laiho and Freyberg have now announced the launch of a new band, Bodom After Midnight. This group, of course, takes its name from a track on Follow the Reaper, Children of Bodom’s 2000 release, thereby allowing them to maintain some of the COB brand value without having the actual COB brand. (Bodom After Midnight’s logo also includes the Children of Bodom font for the word “Bodom,” although I wouldn’t be shocked if they were legally forced to change that at some point as well.)
In addition to Laiho and Freyberg, Bodom After Midnight is rounded out by drumer Waltteri Väyrynen — who is also currently a member of Paradise Lost — and bassist Mitja Toivonen. They’re scheduled to make their live debut at the Tuska Open Air Metal Festival in Helsinki, Finland on June 27, although who the heck knows whether or not that festival will actually take place at this point. They also have scheduled appearances at the John Smith Rock Festival in Laukaa, Finland on July 18 and the Summer Breeze Festival in Dinkelsbühl, Germany on August 15.
While we wait for more info, you can check out a teaser video introducing the band below:
