CHILDREN OF BODOM Drummer: Why We Decided To Continue Tour After LAMB OF GOD Canceled

Drummer Jaska Raatikainen of Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM has commented on the events of November 13 in Paris, France, when more than 129 people were killed in seven coordinated terrorist attacks.

The greatest number of deaths took place at the Bataclan, a French music venue where EAGLES OF DEATH METAL were performing when terrorists began a siege that ended with 89 people in the club either shot to death or killed in explosions.

A number of artists halted their European treks in the wake of the Paris attacks, including LAMB OF GOD, FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES and others.

Speaking to Music Interview Corner, Raatikainen was asked about CHILDREN OF BODOM's decision to continue their European tour after their tourmates LAMB OF GOD decided to go home. He said (see video below): "We didn't think [it was] that big of a problem to continue to tour, so we decided immediately to continue after what happened in Tilburg with LAMB OF GOD. There are many bands playing their shows as normal. A couple of bands, they canceled their shows in France, but we already played there before that terrible happenings. Because we were there, and we were there to play shows.

"After LAMB OF GOD went home, image-wise, it was special for us. I mean, of course, people thought that it's so great that we kept on going and not going home. And, yeah, some people, they told us that 'it's good that you guys are playing the shows,' and people were respecting that a lot."

The attacks in Paris led to a military response by France against the radical Islamic organization ISIS, as French jets bombed a series of targets in Syria.

The murders have stepped up worldwide concern over ISIS, as well as a debate in the U.S. over whether to accept Syrian refugees.