We Could Use This One
I’m not going to pretend I’m objective about Children of Bodom. So when I say their reunion becoming a real, ongoing thing is the best news I’ve read this week, take it with that bias baked in. This is the band that shaped how I listen to metal.
The surviving members just confirmed a co-headlining set at Tuska in Helsinki, the festival that runs July 2 through 4, 2027. It’s the same lineup that came back together earlier this year: keyboardist Janne Wirman, bassist Henkka Seppälä, drummer Jaska Raatikainen, and guitarist Alexander Kuoppala, with Lost Society’s Samy Elbanna handling the vocals and leads that belonged to Alexi Laiho, who died in late 2020. February’s first two shows were billed as a tribute to Laiho and to the band’s whole legacy, and the footage that came out of Finland was incredible.
“Sixpounder” at Tavastia Club, Helsinki, February 2026. (Fan footage.)
Here’s what makes this work instead of feeling like a cash-in: Elbanna isn’t doing a karaoke impression of Laiho. He plays it with real respect but puts his own spin on it, and that’s the only way a thing like this should ever happen. Hate Crew Deathroll and Follow the Reaper are still in my regular rotation, and even the last two records the band made before the end were a return to form I didn’t see coming. The catalog earned this.
I saw Laiho in 2017 or 2018 and he didn’t look great. I remember hoping he’d get the help he needed. He didn’t get the time, and that one still stings. But watching this music get played live again, with people who clearly love it, is the closest thing to a good outcome we were going to get.
Now do the rest of it. A proper run of dates celebrating the music and Alexi’s life is what I want most. We could use some good news right now. Let’s hope this keeps coming.
Source: Children of Bodom (official)