CHILDREN OF BODOM Bassist Says Frontman's Broken Rib Is Still Hurting When Singing

CHILDREN OF BODOM was forced to cancel several shows on the No Fear Energy Tour with LAMB OF GOD due to injuries sustained by guitarist and frontman Alexi Laiho. Laiho, 30, broke his shoulder in April when he was ejected from his tour bus bunk after the vehicle took a sharp turn. Laiho and the rest of CHILDREN OF BODOM were touring North America in support of the band's critically acclaimed album "Blooddrunk".

Against recommendation, Laiho had decided to "bite the bullet" and remain on tour, wearing the arm in a sling to restrict movement at all times when he was not on stage. But after performing ten live dates with both the broken shoulder and internal bleeding, the toll became too much for the guitar hero to endure and CHILDREN OF BODOM made the decision to cut its tour short, placing Laiho's longterm health as its first priority.

CHILDREN OF BODOM bassist Henkka Seppälä (a.k.a. Henkka T. Blacksmith) has issued the following recap of the past few weeks' events:

"New York show was a disaster. Something that we have been always afraid of. And during the last two weeks of the No Fear Tour we were really afraid during every show, we had no idea if Alexi's ribs and shoulder would make it through the set.

"Last hit in 'Hellhounds On My Trail' and I saw a guitar flying into the Jaska's (Raatikainen) drum riser. Alexi was gone. I knew that now it was too much, and then back of the stage I saw him and crew said he can't go on. It's a horrible feeling when there's a couple of thousand fans in New York City waiting for next song. There was nothing we could do though... It sucks.

"Two weeks of rest and we rehearsed again, and it seemed better. The shoulder is fully healed, but a broken rib is still hurting when singing. First show since 'NYC disaster' was to be [on May 30] in Gelsenkirchen, Germany [at the] Rock Hard festival. Before the show we just had to hope for the best, that everything would go OK. During the show I saw that he was gonna make it, even though still not able to move normally, but the look in Alexi's face was totally different than during the last days of the tour. We pulled it off, and German crowd was good, as it always is in Rock Hard. Thanks everybody who was there! Next week, we go to Pohjanmaa, Seinäjoki where Provinssirock is held. Looking forward, crazy drunken Finns and almost nightless nights."

CHILDREN OF BODOM will embark on a tour of South America and Mexico in September. Support on the trek will come from AMORPHIS.

CHILDREN OF BODOM performing on May 30, 2009 at Rock Hard festival in Gelsenkirchen, Germany: