Children of Bodom Guitarists Was Surprised by Alexi Laiho’s Death, Says There’s No Leftover Bodom After Midnight Recordings

Guitarist Daniel Freyberg has given what I believe is his first interview since the death of Alexi Laiho died in December at the age of 41 as the result of “alcohol-induced degeneration of the liver and pancreas connective tissue” (he also “had a cocktail of painkillers, opioids and insomnia medication in his system”).

Freyberg, of course, played with Laiho in Children of Bodom from 2016 to 2019, after which he followed the singer/guitarist to his new project, Bodom After Midnight.

The latter band was in the studio not long before Laiho passed away. Asked by Revolver how the most beloved Child of Bodom seemed during those recording sessions, Freyberg says:

“He seemed as normal as ever. Yeah, I definitely didn’t see this coming.”

He also confirms that, unfortunately, Bodom After Midnight’s upcoming 14-minute, 3-song EP, Paint the Sky with Blood, represents the totality of songs completed before Laiho died — there’s nothing in the vaults:

“[T]hat was 100 percent everything. Nothing was left over.”

You can read the entire interview with Freyberg here.

Bodom After Midnight’s Paint the Sky with Blood will be released on April 23 via Napalm Records. It will consist of two original songs — a title track and “Payback’s a Bitch” — along with a cover of Dissection’s 1995 song “Where Dead Angels Lie.” In addition to Laiho and Freyberg, the band features Waltteri Väyrynen (drums, Paradise Lost), and Mitja Toivonen (bass).

Yesterday, we learned that Laiho’s immediate family — including his widow, Kelli Wright-Laiho — are distressed over the decision of Laiho’s ex-wife and former Sinergy bandmate, Kimberly Goss, to publicly share the results of the late musician’s toxicology report. They say Laiho’s cause of death was released “against our family’s will and without our consent,” citing Laiho’s desire to keep his illness private in the final days (and years) of his life. Calling Goss “mentally unstable,” Laiho’s family stated that recent reports indicating she and Laiho remained on good terms following their split in 2004 were untrue, describing the relationship “totally unilateral.” Furthermore, they claim that Goss and Laiho never officially got divorced for financial reasons, and that Goss is currently holding up the burial process. Goss called the allegations against her “unthinkable lies.”