On July 4th, CHILDREN OF BODOM announced that vocalist/guitarist Alexi Laiho had been rushed to an Oslo hospital with extreme stomach pain. Laiho was hospitalized for an extended period of time, forcing the band to cancel several shows. He was released from hospital on July 12th.

Drummer Jaska Raatikainen has since checked in with the following update:

"Sorry everybody for being silent for so long. It didn't feel right to keep you updated on Alexi's condition on my own page even though he is my close friend. In the future this policy will remain the same. You will get all the necessary info from the official COB page. Anyway, I am excited for today. Alexi is feeling good.

P.S. I think I gained some weight during these days off. It was about a time to do some 'excercise'!"

The band will perform at the Ilosaarirock Festival today (July 15th) in Joensuu, Finland. They hit the stage at 6:00pm.

On May 22nd, Children Of Bodom released Holiday At Lake Bodom (15 Years Of Wasted Youth), a very special CD+DVD career retrospective in celebration of the band's 15th Anniversary. The album spotlights specially selected tracks from every one of the band's albums (1997's Something Wild, 1999's Hatebreeder, 2000's Follow The Reaper, 2003's Hate Crew Deathroll, 2005's Are You Dead Yet?, 2008's Blooddrunk and 2011's Relentless Reckless Forever), plus two newly-recorded, and undeniably fun, cover songs (‘I’m Shipping Up To Boston’ by DROPKICK MURPHYS and ‘Jessie’s Girl’ by RICK SPRINGFIELD), plus detailed liner notes penned by the members of COB themselves.

The CD track listing for Holiday at Lake Bodom (15 Years of Wasted Youth) is as follows:

'Hate Crew Deathroll'

'Shovel Knockout'

'Hate Me'

'Everytime I Die'

'Needled 24/7'

'I'm Shipping Up To Boston' (*previously unreleased)

'Sixpounder'

'Warheart'

'Roundtrip To Hell And Back'

'Trashed, Lost & Strungout'

'Living Dead Beat'

'Deadnight Warrior'

'Blooddrunk'

'Follow The Reaper'

'Are You Dead Yet?'

'Silent Night, Bodom Night'

'Jessie’s Girl' (*previously unreleased)

'In Your Face'

'Angels Don’t Kill'

'Downfall'

A cover of the Dropkick Murphys song 'I'm Shipping Up To Boston' is available below:

The DVD portion of the package will include "candid touring and backstage footage from around the world”, plus the never-before-seen music video for Relentless Reckless Forever's 'Shovel Knockout'.

"15 Years of Wasted Youth is the sound of Children Of Bodom working hard, partying hard, being relentless and stubborn," says the band's superstar guitarist / vocalist Alexi Laiho. “We went through many brick walls to get to where we are, and after seven studio albums, two live albums, non-stop touring, bleeding and breaking a lot of bones, I think we are justified in putting this album out. Let the music speak for itself. You have been warned."