Alexi Laiho, guitarist and frontman for the award-winning Finnish metal band CHILDREN OF BODOM has been named ‘Best Metal Guitarist’ in the 15th annual Guitar World Reader's Poll.

Laiho trounces the competition to win the coveted award, according to the above-mentioned publication, besting well known players such as Kirk Hammett of METALLICA, Alex Skolnick of TESTAMENT, Ihsahn of EMPEROR and more. Laiho has been called ‘a guitar hero for the new millennium’ by the magazine, and his playing on Children Of Bodom’s 2003 release Hate Crew Deathroll earned the album a place in Guitar World’s ‘50 Greatest Guitar Albums’ alongside records by JIMI HENDRIX, VAN HALEN and Metallica.

Guitar World recently published a special Children Of Bodom Blooddrunk guitar lesson featuring Laiho and fellow guitarist Roope Latvala explaining how to play the title track from the band’s new album. The lesson has also been posted on line and features video instruction. See it now at this location. The video lesson is also available now via Comcast Digital Cable On Demand.

Additionally, Alexi Laiho will be featured alongside fellow guitar hero GEORGE LYNCH on the cover of Guitar Center’s June Guitar Buyers Guide. In the publication, Laiho discusses his ESP signature series guitar, as well as Children Of Bodom. Over 1.3 million copies of the buyers guide are set to hit homes beginning June 1st with additional Laiho-related content scheduled for Guitar Center’s website

here.

Children Of Bodom just kicked off a North American tour alongside LAMB OF GOD. The massive, six week jaunt is slated to run through to May 15th. The band continues to tour in support of Blooddrunk, which skyrocketed to #22 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart this past April, shifting nearly 20,000 units in its first week of sales. 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.

The tour dates:

April

16 - Toronto, ON - Ricoh Coliseum
17 - Montreal, QC - Cepsum
18 - Worcester, MA - Palladium (As part of the 2009 New England Metal and Hardcore Festival)
19 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
21 - Columbus, OH - LC Pavillion
22 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
23 - Lafayette, LA - Blackham Coliseum
24 - Houston, TX - Verizon Theatre
25 - Corpus Christi, TX - Concrete St. Amphitheatre
26 - Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom
28 - Denver, CO - Fillmore
29 - Kansas City, KS - Uptown Theater
30 - St. Paul, MN - Myth

May

1 - Chicago, IL - Congress Theater
2 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
3 - Indianapolis, IN - The Egyptian
5 - Louisville, KY - Expo Five
6 - Detroit, MI - Fillmore Theater
8 - New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom
9 - Philadelphia, PA - The Electric Factory
11 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
12 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
13 - Albany, NY - Washington St. Armory
14 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva (Children Of Bodom and AS I LAY DYING only)
15 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues