Children of Bodom are breaking up: Alexi Laiho may be banned from using band’s name

The three main members of the Finnish melodic death metal band Children of Bodom announced their desire to leave the band. At the same time, the only remaining as well as original member of COB, vocalist Alexi Laiho, probably will not be able to use the band’s names, Blabbermouth reports.

Earlier in November, drummer Jaska Raatikainen, bassist Henri "Henkka T. Blacksmith" Seppälä and keyboardist Janne Wirman issued a statement saying that they would play their final show with Children of Bodom in December.

"After almost 25 years with Bodom, thousands of shows and 10 albums, it is time for Henkka, Janne and Jaska to step back and change direction within their lives," the group stated.

However, according to Finnish music magazine Soundi, it has since been revealed that the rights to the Children of Bodom name are held by AA & Sewira Consulting Oy, the company owned by Raatikainen, Seppälä and Wirman. On June 28, the trio filed an application with the National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland, and their application was subsequently granted for a five-year period starting on October 1. As a result, Laiho, who is Children of Bodom's singer, guitarist and main songwriter, isn't authorized to use the band's name without permission from Wirman, Raatikainen and Seppälä.

Laiho admitted to Helsingin Sanomat that there have been tensions in the Bodom camp for quite some time.

"The original decision [to end the band in its current form] came when the other guys said they just couldn't do it anymore," he said. "There were family reasons for it. I respect their decision. I myself have a wife and stepdaughter in Australia, and my wife understands my lifestyle. I'm pretty much gone [most of the time], but always I come back and I give them my all. Nothing is more important to me."

According to Laiho, things went awry when Children of Bodom performed in Russia this October.

"We fought a lot within the band, and I can honestly admit that those fights were mainly my fault," he said. "They always started with some misunderstanding."

At the end of the tour in Russia, three members of the band decided that the upcoming performances in Finland would be their last. Laiho admitted to Soundi that "it might not be a good idea" legally to continue with the Children of Bodom name.

"It may be that the name of our new lineup needs to be tweaked a bit in some direction. Or maybe it could be just Bodom or the name of one of our songs. But it must be a name that suggests that it is the same [group]."

Laiho and rhythm guitarist Daniel Freiberg are reported to have already chosen a new drummer and bassist, whom Laiho described to Soundi as "incredibly talented young guys who look very good on stage." He also said that the new band will likely start gigging next spring. "The new lineup will be a fresher version of the current one," he told Helsingin Sanomat.

Children of Bodom's latest album, "Hexed", came out in March, 2019, via Nuclear Blast Records.