Children Of Bodom founding drummer Jaska Raatikainen, bassist Henri Seppälä, and keyboardist Janne Wirman announced on November 1 that 2019 would be their final year with the band. The trio played their last show with Children Of Bodom on December 15 at the Black Box in Helsinki. Remaining guitarist and vocalist Alexi Laiho and guitarist Daniel Freyberg went on to form a new band called Bodom After Midnight, which Laiho said would still perform Children of Bodom songs live.
"We will be playing Children of Bodom songs as that is what most of the audience want to hear. Those songs are written by me anyway, so I dont see any reason why not to play them. There will be so-called 'basic' songs, but there are also plans to play one or two songs live which Children of Bodom has never played so far and some songs which we haven't played live in ages, so the setlist will be a good mix. We try to play as diverse setlist as possible on each show."
"I am really looking forward getting up on this stage with this band. For me playing live is so big part of my life. Even though there hasn't been that many months from the last show, it still feels like ages, and I miss playing. If I dont get to play any shows soon, I will go to some bar and play a blues show."
You can check out Bodom After Midnight's first rehearsal footage below with Paradise Lost drummer Waltteri Väyrynen, bassist Mitja Toivonen, and touring keyboardist Lauri Salomaa.
Friday night rehearsal with the boyz! Anyone recognize the song? ? @bodomaftermidnightofficial @alexilaiho.official @danielfreyberg @mitjatoivonen #bodomaftermidnight #pearldrums #sabiancymbals #wincentdrumsticks #evansdrumheads #limeears #rolandtriggers @pearl_drums @pearldrumseurope @pearlfinland @sabiancymbals_official @evansdrumheads @wincentdrumsticks @limeears @rolandsuomi
Posted by Waltteri Väyrynen – drummer on Friday, May 8, 2020
