UPDATED: January 5th, at 11:14 AM.
Yesterday, the 4th, the music world mourned the sudden death of Children of Bodom Alexi Laiho , at the age of 41. Following the announcement, several big names in rock and metal expressed their condolences and tributes to the artist. Check out some of the messages shared on social media below:
Children of Bodom :
“One of the world’s most renowned guitarists, Alexi Laiho, has passed away. The musician, most notably known as the frontman of Children of Bodom, died at his home in Helsinki, Finland, last week. Laiho had been battling health problems for quite some time during his final years. Over 25 years of friendship. We have lost a brother. The world has lost a phenomenal composer and one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Memories and music of Alexi will live on forever. Our thoughts are with Alexi’s family during this difficult time. – Henkka, Janne and Jaska.”
Dave Mustaine:
"So sad to hear about the passing of Alexi Laiho. We toured together frequently, he was truly an incredible talent. My sincerest condolences to his family, friends, and fans."
Gary Holt:
“Rest in peace Alexi Laiho, this sucks so much. I only knew him a few times, but he was a super cool guy and a great guitarist and an amazing frontman , and when you have to be glued to a microphone, it’s hard to do everything. One of the best. Sad day. My condolences to his friends and family and all his Children of Bodom family.”
Alex Skolnick:
“Very sad to hear this news (and unfortunately the first post of 2021) Alexi Laiho is no longer with us. As a guitarist, he created new possibilities with extreme metal with technically sophisticated solos that set him apart alongside the best in one of the most popular metal genres. While I didn't know him well, we had a few public appearances together over the years and I always found him very humble, and with a good sense of humor. A cool guy and too young to be gone. Rest in peace.”
Mark Morton:
“Alexi Laiho was a monumental talent and a genuine, caring, and empathetic person. He will be greatly missed. Rest in peace, Alexi.”
Kiko Loureiro:
“Alexi Laiho, rest in peace. His compositions, the incredible riffs, the vocals – an incredibly influential musician. The metal world has lost a true talent.”
Trivium:
"We are saddened by the news of the passing of our dear friend, Alexi Laiho. His music was a great influence on Trivium; we toured with him and Amon Amarth in 2005. Alexi and the band were always gracious to us. A modern guitar hero, he certainly deserves all the tributes. Rest in peace, Alexi."
Matt Heafy:
“Rest in peace, another music hero. Without Something Wild, Hatebreeder , and Follow The Reaper , Trivium probably wouldn’t be here. We will miss you, Alexi.”
Marty Friedman:
"Absolutely saddened by the sudden passing of Alexi Laiho. He had so much more to say through his music."
Floor Jansen:
"A hero of my generation. What talent. We will miss him! Rest in peace, Alexi."
Sonata Arctica
“Rest in peace Alexi Laiho. We are saddened to hear of the passing of Alexi Laiho. You were a great musician and a true guitar hero. You will be remembered. Our thoughts are with you and your family.”
Nita Strauss:
“Such devastating news about the passing of Alexi Laiho. Alexi was one of my biggest inspirations when I started playing guitar seriously. I was so into [Steve] Vai , [Joe] Satriani and the masters… but I LOVED heavy music. So Children of Bodom was a bridge between the two for this young metal-hungry guitarist. His influence is still VERY apparent in my own compositions and in how I approach adding keyboard and guitar harmonies.”
Alexi's music, with Bodom and also Sinergy, another band of his that I loved, always sounded FUN. Heavy, brutal… fun. I always try to imitate that exact mix, but nobody did it better than him.
Rest in peace, legend. Sending lots of love to your family, bandmates, and to my dear @kyllacustomrockwear 🖤
Swipe right for little Nita, long before the Ibanez days, featuring two of my most prized possessions at the time: my signature AL-200 and Alexi Laiho 600.
What's your favorite Bodom song? I could go with the Hatecrew Deathroll , Follow the Reaper , or Are You Dead Yet – but if I had to choose one song that really stood out for me, it would be “Hate Me” 🤘🏻🤘🏻
