Blooddrunk also debuted at #2 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart and at #3 on the Billboard Top Hard Rock chart. The Top 25 Billboard debut capped a string of exceptional worldwide charting positions for the band, highlighted by a #1 debut in its native Finland. Blooddrunk also debuted at #7 in Canada, #10 in Germany, #12 in Japan, #19 in Austria, #28 in Sweden and #44 in the UK, solidifying CHILDREN OF BODOM’s place as one of the most revered metal bands in the world.
The follow up to the band's acclaimed 2005 release, Are You Dead Yet?, Blooddrunk is being called the band's "strongest and most advanced recording to date", featuring a "heavier, darker" take on CHILDREN OF BODOM's enthralling mix of modern thrash metal, melodic hooks and the guitar acrobatics of front man and metal guitar hero Alexi Laiho. Blooddrunk was recorded and produced by Mikko Karmila at Petrax and Finnvox studios in Finland. The album's vocals were recorded by Peter Tägtren and keyboards were recorded by Janne Wirman at Finland's Petrax studios.
In addition to CHILDREN OF BODOM’s singular songwriting skills and tireless road efforts, innovative marketing in conjunction with the ESP Guitar Company – who have long partnered with, and endorsed the band – helped to push them to an even larger audience. An extensive marketing campaign promoting both the Blooddrunk album release and the ESP Alexi Laiho LTD AL-600 “Signature Series” guitar reached millions through a creative combination of television, print and internet marketing, live appearances and contests. Laiho is widely recognized as a modern day guitar hero and is one of the premier shredders in metal / hard rock today, drawing praise from both peers and respected guitar publications the world over.
In support of Blooddrunk, CHILDREN OF BODOM are touring North America as one of the featured acts of "Gigantour 2008." COB was handpicked by Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine to be a part of the 29 city trek, and its preeminent live show has been drawing rave reviews since the start of the tour, particularly after two recent shows at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom and a herculean performance as one of the headlining acts of the 2008 New England Metal & Hardcore festival on April 25. A full listing of upcoming CHILDREN OF BODOM tour dates follows this message.
In addition to Laiho, CHILDREN OF BODOM features Roope Latvala (guitar), Janne Warman (keyboard), Henkka Seppälä (bass) and drummer Jaska Raatikainen.
CHILDREN OF BODOM is available to speak with interested media now. To chat with the band / request an advance copy of Blooddrunk / attend a live performance, simply contact ACTION! PR via any of the means listed below.
Updated CHILDREN OF BODOM news and tour information will be made available via the COB online domains: www.cobhc.com / www.myspace.com/childrenofbodom and the ACTION! PR site: www.action-pr.com.
** Check out CHILDREN OF BODOM’s “Blooddrunk” video now at this location <http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=28673465>!
“if all you notice about Blooddrunk is how fast and furious it sounds, you’re missing the point. Because the coolest thing about CHILDREN OF BODOM isn’t that their average song features more notes than the whole of Black Sabbath’s Paranoid; it’s that each tune also boasts as many hooks as Paranoid. CHILDREN OF BODOM’s well-camouflaged pop will get you disgustingly drunk” – REVOLVER (5 star review)
“Going into their 15th year as a band, CHILDREN OF BODOM have risen through the ranks of their assigned Euro-metal contemporaries wielding a carefully-honed palette that fuses two well-established and already overlapping subgenres (melodic death metal and what we like to call “Scandi-thrash”) with blazing neo-classical chops." - DECIBEL
"nitro-boosted melodic death metal…strength, virtuosity and over-the-top spectacle." – GUITAR WORLD
"technically dazzling" - THE NEW YORK TIMES
“lightning-fast, ultra-disciplined metal…better synths than any metal since Dio's "Rainbow In The Dark." Every song has a keyboard solo, barreling out of the speakers like Rick Wakeman composing soundtrack music for Atari 2600 game cartridges in 1982. CHILDREN OF BODOM make black metal that knows how to party hard. you'll bounce off your apartment walls all night, but you'll be smiling beneath your corpse paint.” – VILLAGE VOICE
“CHILDREN OF BODOM boasts the requisite elements to please any Scandinavian metal enthusiast…plenty of darkness and dread” – THE ONION
“Sharp weapons cut deeper, don’t ya know, which is why these Finns get bigger all the time…they will rock any crowd” – LA WEEKLY
“One of the most talented metal bands of our time” – VICE
“slick staccato synth-thrash that has captured the hearts and iPods of technically minded metalheads the world over…bombastic” – ALTERNATIVE PRESS
“Kings of Metal” – KERRANG!
CHILDREN OF BODOM tour dates:
** As part of North American 'Gigantour 2008' (w/ Megadeth, In Flames, Job For A Cowboy and High on Fire) **
April 29 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
April 30 Toronto, ON Arrow Hall
May 1 London, ON John Labatt Centre
May 3 Detroit, MI DTE Music Center
May 4 Cleveland, OH Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
May 6 Chicago, IL Aragon
May 7 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom
May 9 Minneapolis, MN Myth
May 10 Winnipeg, MB Convention Center
May 11 Saskatoon, SK Prairieland Exhibition Hall
May 12 Edmonton, AB Shaw Conference Center
May 14 Calgary, AB The Corral
May 16 Vancouver, BC Pacific Coliseum
May 17 Salem, OR Salem Armory
May 19 San Jose, CA Event Center @ San Jose State
May 20 San Diego, CA Cox Arena
May 21 Los Angeles, CA Long Beach Arena
May 22 Phoenix, AZ Mesa Amphitheatre
