CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho recently spoke with The Examiner. An excerpt from the interview is available below:

Photo by Miika Skaffari

Children of Bodom has been waiting to get back on the road after making the album. They have played few festival gigs in Europe and especially in Finland.

“We haven’t really been on hiatus," says Laiho, "but because of the album we haven’t had time to tour. It’s been really nice to get back in front of the audience. That’s really what we want to do eventually.”

The guys have been playing mostly old material on the gigs and they want to give the audience some time to get to know the new material before adding too much of it to the setlist.

“Creating setlists get’s harder with each album you make. The audience want’s to hear their old favorites but you want to introduce new material also. After eight albums it get’s really hard.”

It’s great to play even older material again and again when you see the crows really get into the music. “It never gets old to see the crowd go nuts over your music. It makes you feel that you are doing things right”

The next year is going to be filled with touring for Children of Bodom. First this tour and then more festivals in Europe. Laiho doesn’t want to make far reaching plans for himself.

“I don’t know what I’m going to be doing in five years. It’s similar than making music for me. You shouldn’t plan too much, but let things flow.”

The biggest goal for the band is to make the next album when the time is right. Otherwise the goal is to make music and continue enjoying it.

“The best thing in life is to be able to do what you love. For us it’s playing live and making music. We don’t have any loftier goals than that.”

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Children Of Bodom will launch their European tour at the end of September, running through the end of November.

The tour starts in Sweden and goes through Norway, Denmark, Germany, Benelux, UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, CzechRepublic and Poland. Before hitting Europe, Children Of Bodom tour through North America, Japan and Finland.

Tour dates:

September

25 - Stockholm, Sweden - Tyrol *
26 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Brewhouse *
27 - Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller *
28 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Amager Bio *
29 - Hamburg, Germany - Hamburg Metal Dayz *

October

1 - Cologne, Germany - Live Music Hall *
2 - Berlin, Germany - Postbahnhof *
3 - Osnabrück, Germany - Halle Gartlage *
4 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix *
5 - Leipzig, Germany - Werk 2 *
7 - Bourenmouth, England - Academy *
8 - Bristol, England - Academy *
10 - Dublin, Ireland - Vicar Street *
12 - Sheffield, England - Academy *
13 - Newcastle, England - Academy *
14 - Manchester, England - Academy *
15 - London, England - Shepherd's Bush Empire *
17 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage *
18 - Straubling, Germany - Metal Invasion *
19 - Alsfeld, Germany - Stadthalle *
20 - Tilburg, Netherlands - O13 *
21 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA Longhorn *
23 - Paris, France - Le Zenith **
24 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7 **
26 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 1 **
27 - Madrid, Spain - La Riviera **
29 - Sevilla, Spain - Sala Custom **
30 - Lisbon, Portugal - Paradise Garage **

November

1 - Porto, Portugal - Club Hard **
2 - Santiago de Compostella, Spain - Sala Capitol **
3 - Bilbao, Spain - Rock Star **
5 - Toulouse, France - Le Bikini **
6 - Istres, France - Usine **
7 - Lausanne, Switzerland - Les Docks **
8 - Milan, Italy - Live Club **
10 - Vienna, Austria - Arena **
12 - Bucharest, Romania - Turbohalle **
13 - Sofia, Bulgaria - Universiada Hall **
15 - Thessaloniki, Greece - Prinicpal Club **
16 - Athens, Greece - Gagarin 205 **
18 - Belgrade, Serbia - Dom Omladine **
19 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Kino Siska **
20 - Bratislava, Slovakia - Majestic Music Club **
22 - Budapest, Hungary - Petöfi Csarnok **
23 - Zlin, Czech Repbulic - Winter Masters Of Rock **
24 - Cracow, Poland - Klub Studio **
25 - Warsaw, Poland - Stodola **

* special guests: INSOMNIUM and MEDEIA

** special guests: DECAPITATED and Medeia