Bio Full Biography »

Combining elements of melodic death metal, power metal, neo-classical, and thrash, Children of Bodom have been one of the world's most expansive and hard to define bands since their formation in 2003. Founded by lifelong friends Alexi Laiho (guitar/vocals) and Jaska Raatikainen (drums), the band originally formed under the name Inearthed. Along with bassist Samuli Miettinen, Laiho and Raatikainen mined their love of classic death metal for inspiration, channeling the aggression of bands like Entombed and Obituary into their sound. Though he was Inearthed's primary songwriter, Miettinen's time in the band was cut short when his family moved to the United States. The band continued on, recruiting Henkka Seppälä as a replacement, as well as expanding the group's lineup with a second guitarist, Alexander Kuoppala, and a keyboardist, Janne Wirman. In 1997, after years of unsuccessfully courting labels with demo recordings, the band gained the attention of Belgian label Shiver, which signe...