When it was announced on January 4 that Alexi Laiho had passed away the previous week, it left the metal world in a particular state of shock. On one level, his leaving us with no warning, at the age of 41 seemed cruel and unfair. On another, though, it felt like the Finnish wildchild – who had formed his first band at the age of 13 and had recorded 10 Children Of Bodom albums as frontman, alongside dozens of guest spots and other releases – had woven himself so integrally into the fabric of modern metal that he could never truly go away. It was particularly agonising as fans had been promised a reinvigorated fresh start with Bodom After Midnight. Although, with the project’s very name referring to a classic COB track, there was an eye on the past, COB/BAM guitarist Dan...
