(CelebrityAccess) — Alexi Laiho, the Finnish guitarist, composer, and songwriter, best known as the frontman of the melodic death metal band Children of Bodom, has died. He was 41.
According to a statement from his label Napalm Records, Bodom died at his home in Helsinki, Finland last week after suffering from long-term health issues in recent years. Additional details about the nature of his afflictions were not disclosed.
“Alexi was the most loving and magnificent husband and father. Our hearts are eternally broken”, his sister Kelli Wright-Laiho said in a press statement.
Laiho began to learn the guitar at age 11 and by the time he was 15, he teamed up with drummer Jaska Raatikainen to form Children of Bodom (initially called Inearthed).
The group, which drew influences from precursors such as Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Black Sabbath, rose to international acclaim and became one of the best selling metal bands in Finnish history with all of their albums in the last 18 years hitting #1 on the Finnish charts save for 2013’s Halo of Blood, which only reached #2.
Children of Bodom announced their retirement in 2019 following a final performance at Helsinki Ice Hall in Finland on December 15th, 2019.
In addition to Children of Bodom, Laiho also performed with a number of local groups and side projects, including Warmen, Sinergy, Kylähullut, and Bodom After Midnight.
“We are crushed by the sudden passing of our dear friend and band member. Words cannot describe this shock and the profound sadness that we feel”, Daniel Freyberg, Mitja Toivonen and Waltteri Väyrynen from Bodom After Midnight state.
