Alexi Laiho was at the beginning of his career with Bodom After Midnight , a band formed after the breakup of Children of Bodom , but his plans with the group were interrupted by the musician's tragic death.
The guitarist and vocalist died on December 29, 2020 , at the age of 41, a victim of alcohol-induced connective tissue degeneration of the liver and pancreas. Laiho's final project will be released this weekend as the EP Paint the Sky With Blood .
Daniel Freyberg , guitarist for Bodom After Midnight who also played with Children of Bodom in the band's final phase, told Louder Sound about the creative process behind this project. “When the decision [to split up] was made, I was told Alexi would be stopping too. I was relieved when he called me; he was like, 'I don't want to stop anything, I'll keep going until I die,'” he recalled.
The songs for the new project were composed by Laiho, from the melodies to the riffs. “It was meant to be a continuation [of Children of Bodom]. We wanted it to be as big as it could be, not just a solo project by Alexi, but a completely new band,” Freyberg continued. “Only time would tell what it could have been, but we’ll never know.”.
Featuring two original songs and a Dissection , the EP Paint the Sky With Blood will be released this Friday, April 23rd. “These three tracks are the only ones we rehearsed, let alone recorded. There’s nothing else left,” explained the guitarist. “But I’m very happy, it really shows Alexi at his best. There’s no proper way to end a music career, but he definitely did something to be proud of.”
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