It was a sad day for heavy metal when Finland’s Children Of Bodom played their final show. After almost 25 years, 10 albums and thousands of gigs, they livened our world with a unique blend of melodic death and power metal. While their studio releases were always a treat, it was in the live environment where they really shone and a Children Of Bodom show was always more than a gig, it was a gathering of kindred spirits and generated a quasi-religious vibe. Thankfully, the band’s final ever gig at Helsinki Ice Hall was caught on tape and, rather fittingly, gets released on what would have been the band’s thirtieth anniversary (having formed as Inearthed in 1993) as A Chapter Called Children Of Bodom: Live In Finland

A good live album should be more than just an audio document; it should capture the anticipation and excitement of a rock show, and recreate the sounds, sights and smells of a rowdy gig. It’s an intangible magic that few live albums posses; Purple’s Made In Japan has it, as does Maiden’s Live After Death, and now you can add A Chapter Called Children Of Bodom: Live In Helsinki to that list. Recorded at the Jäähalli on 15th December 2019, the band knew this was going to be their final show, so the pressure was really on for them to deliver. They could easily have buckled under the strain, but as the opening chords to ‘Under Grass And Clover’ ring out there’s no sign of nerves and the band proceed to dish out a lesson in brutality like the masters they always were. Vocalist (and lead guitarist) Alexi Laiho proves himself in fine fettle and his trademark sandpapered vocals are particularly gruff tonight, yet the whole band lock in tightly like a well-oiled machine and deliver their trademark sound with bite and venom.

Unlike many albums which purport to be “live” but have in fact been heavily doctored in the studio, you get the impression that A Chapter Called Children Of Bodom is the real deal. There’s been very little tinkering here (aside from the usual mastering) and that’s what makes this release so satisfying. It’s the small mistakes and slight variations that make live albums so appealing, the tracks shouldn’t be mere facsimiles (we have the studio albums for that) but rather transfer the magic (outlined above) to vinyl and tracks such as ‘Shovel Knockout’ and ‘Halo Of Blood’ certainly do that. You can almost see the horns-held-high and feet-on-the-monitors as the band riff, shred and bludgeon their way through a high-octane, crowd-pleasing set.

With a set list containing at least one song from each of the band’s 10 studio albums, this record does a good job of touching all points along the band’s discography. Of course, someone is always going to miss a certain song, but with a selection that includes ‘Deadnight Warrior’ (from 1997 debut Something Wild) and ‘Platitudes And Barren Words’ (culled from their last album, 2019’s Hexed) there aren’t too many who can complain. There’s an air of celebration to this album, but also a feeling of sadness as the band come towards the end of the road. Yet, a Children Of Bodom show is no place to mope, and this album evidences why Children Of Bodom were (and still are) so highly regarded. A fitting tribute to Children Of Bodom and the deceased Alexi Laiho, memorials don’t come finer than this.

• A Chapter Called Children Of Bodom: Live In Helsinki is released via Spinefarm Records on 15th December 2023.
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Track List:

1. Under The Grass And Clover
2. Platitudes And Barren Words
3. In Your Face
4. Shovel Knockout
5. Bodom Beach Terror
6. Everytime I Die
7. Halo Of Blood
8. Are You Dead Yet?
9. Blooddrunk
10. Worship Chaos
11. Angels Don’t Kill
12. Follow The Reaper
13. Deadnight Warrior
14. Needled 24/7
15. Hate Me
16. Hate Crew Deathroll
17. Lake Bodom
18. Downfall