Review by Greg Maki
Even in a pandemic, 2021 was shaping up to be a big year for Bodom After Midnight. Formed by guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho and guitarist Daniel Freyberg from the ashes of Children of Bodom when that long-running Finnish act dissolved in late 2019—and named after a song from the band’s third album—Bodom After Midnight played its initial live shows and made its first recordings in 2020. The plan was to release an EP in early 2021, followed by a full-length later in the year, and with the world gradually starting to reopen, there’s no doubt extensive touring was in the cards, as well.
Those plans, of course, went out the window when Laiho died at the age of 41 in December 2020, after years of declining health. All that remains are three songs (and a music video) recorded last year, which are coming to us now as the “Paint the Sky with Blood” EP. Just as Laiho left this world far too early, the EP is painfully short as his final musical statement, but it’s essential listening for his longtime fans and supporters of heavy music in general.
Also featuring drummer Waltteri Väyrynen (Paradise Lost) and bassist Mitja Toivonen (ex-Santa Cruz), with Vili Itäpelto as the live keyboardist, Bodom After Midnight was shaping up to be a formidable force right from the get-go—which comes as no surprise from a band led by one of Laiho’s prowess. It’s a tragedy that we never will get to see just how deadly a unit this would’ve become in time.
The title track opens the recording, and it’s classic Bodom through and through—a little melodeath, a little thrash, a little groove, all spiced up with keyboards and performed with technical virtuosity. I’d say it hearkens back most closely to “Follow the Reaper” (2000)/“Hate Crew Death Roll” (2003)-era Bodom. Track two, “Payback’s a Bitch,” is more of a straight-ahead thrasher—think “Are You Dead Yet?” (2005)/“Blooddrunk” (2008)—highlighted by a vintage Bodom guitar/keyboard duel in the instrumental break. A cover, “Where Dead Angels Lie,” originally by Swedish band Dissection, wraps things up in demonic fashion, faithful to its forebear and showing what a strong influence it must have been on Laiho.
And then, less than 15 minutes after pressing play, that’s a wrap on this EP and Laiho’s career. Fans forever will be left wanting more, even though he left behind an impressive and extensive body of work. Bittersweet though it is, “Paint the Sky with Blood” is a fitting capstone to the life and legacy of one of the true giants of extreme metal.
Rating: 9/10
Napalm Records – April 23, 2021
LINKS:
Buy “Paint the Sky with Blood”
www.facebook.com/bodomaftermidnightofficial
www.instagram.com/bodomaftermidnightofficial
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