#VAGABONDZREVIEW: Paint The Sky With Blood - The Last Record of Alexi Laiho

The self-titled track from upcoming 'Bodom After Midnight' EP is out now and available for listening at all streaming platforms. The band's also released the music video, which has become the last one where the guitar legend Alexi Laiho appeared.

Bodom After Midnight - Paint The Sky With Blood (2021)

After the final concert of Children Of Bodom named 'A Chapter Called Children of Bodom' was held in Helsinki Ice Hall in 2019, the era of the most successful Finnish melodic death metal band came to end. Children Of Bodom's vocalist, songwriter and guitar player Alexi Laiho who also was the founding member of the band, didn't mean to stop. Before the end of the chapter, it was confirmed that he continues his music journey together with Daniel Freyberg (guitar - Children Of Bodom) under another band name, that will anyway have 'Bodom' there.

In 2020 the new Alexi Laiho and Daniel Freyberg's band was announced. It was called 'Bodom After Midnight' that had two more members in line-up excepting them: Mitja Toivonen - bass (ex-Santa Cruz) and Waltteri Väyrynen - drums (Paradise Lost). Due to COVID-19 pandemic, their debut festival shows got cancelled, but the band played 4 headline concerts in October and December 2020 in Seinäjoki, Helsinki and Oulu, Finland.

BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT (2020)

In January 2021, the music world was shocked by the news of Alexi Laiho passing. The band was working on the full-length album and had already recorded 3 songs and one music video. Month after, the band announced the debut EP 'Paint The Sky With Blood' out on April 23. The EP includes two original songs and Dissection cover. Yesterday on March 30, 'Bodom After Midnight' released 'Paint The Sky With Blood' song and music video.

'Paint The Sky With Blood' is another proof of the pure talent, attention to details and hard work of Alexi Laiho. The song structure and sound is similar to Children Of Bodom ones. This song is pretty gripping and technically complex. During the listening we hear many of classic Bodom vibes, especially when it comes to the long guitar bridge before shred solos, perfectly performed by Alexi and Daniel.

Although 'Paint The Sky With Blood' sounds like a logical extension of Children Of Bodom music we used to listen to, some differences can be heard while you listen to the song for the second or third time. The first that comes to mind is that it seems to be less aggressive in comparison even to 'Hexed' album. Lighter degree of aggression can be heard in keyboard lead part and shred guitar solos - the both instruments add up to melodies for sure. The entering part of chorus is really heavy and I heard much bitterness and shades of sorrow both in lyrics and music when listen to that and powerful guitar riff adds up to those feelings. The second part is much speedier, thrashy and wild and those elements are typical for Bodom-style music. The chorus is pretty catchy and memorable, and it's easy to remember even after the first listen.

I paid special attention to after-chorus part, that had risen the song to even higher level for me. When listening to some music I try to imagine how would it sound live and are there any parts to sing aloud and just enjoy (not in the current situation with the band of course). That's why I found choir-like backing-vocals in 'Paint The Sky With Blood' really epic. It adds up to the song atmosphere and makes it really powerful. That 'FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT' would be really great to sing aloud…

I always thought highly of Children Of Bodom music and Alexi Laiho, who's been one on my main influences as for guitar player. Since my fourteens I dreamt to meet my guitar hero and say thank you in person. Unfortunately, I didn't manage that, but anyway I had a chance to see Alexi performing with The Local Band live and that gig was pure adrenaline.

Now, it's time to wait for two more songs to be released on April 23.

P.S. You can watch 'Paint The Sky With Blood' music video on YouTube.