After years of uncertainty, grief, and questions about whether the name Children Of Bodom would ever come alive on a concert stage again, the moment many melodic death metal fans have waited more than half a decade for has finally arrived. The organizers of the Tolminator festival have confirmed that the Finnish legends will play in Slovenia next year.
After the band split in 2019, it seemed the Children Of Bodom story was closed for good. Soon after, guitarist, vocalist, main songwriter, and driving force Alexi Laiho started a project called Bodom After Midnight to keep his musical journey going. But fate was cruel – at the end of 2020, Laiho died at just 41 after long-running health problems, and the metal world lost one of the most recognizable and influential guitarists of his generation.
Alexi Laiho was Children Of Bodom. His unbelievable technical mastery, his unmistakable neoclassical playing style, his incredible feel for melody, and that mix of brutality and virtuosity launched the band into the ranks of Europe’s biggest metal names. Albums like Something Wild, Hatebreeder, Follow The Reaper, Hate Crew Deathroll, and Are You Dead Yet? are still considered genre classics today and influenced countless younger musicians around the world.
In 2026, the remaining members got back together for the first time at two special shows in Helsinki, dedicated to the memory of Alexi Laiho. Many believed back then that it would be a one-off tribute to a friend and a musical legacy. But the incredible response from the crowd apparently convinced the band that the story isn’t over yet. In March this year, they announced a more permanent comeback, which will also mark 30 years since the start of their recording career.
That’s exactly why the news about playing Tolminator 2027 is such a big deal. This isn’t just another festival gig, but one of the first European shows from the revived lineup, who will step in front of their fans again after many long years. For Slovenian metalheads this is especially huge news, since one of the most influential Finnish metal bands of all time can now be seen practically on our doorstep.
Even though nobody can replace Alexi Laiho, the band stresses that this comeback is above all a tribute to his music and legacy. Longtime members Jaska Raatikainen, Henkka T. Blacksmith, Janne Wirman, and Alexander Kuoppala will take the stage together again, while Samy Elbanna (Lost Society) steps in as guitarist and vocalist.
For Tolminator, this is without a doubt one of the biggest confirmed bands so far, and for festivalgoers a rare chance to hear classics like Downfall, Everytime I Die, Needled 24/7, Hate Me!, or Lake Bodom live again after all these years.
