CHILDREN OF BODOM Frontman Talks New Album

CHILDREN OF BODOM's as-yet-untitled seventh studio album is being produced by Matt Hyde, who has previously worked with SLAYER and MONSTER MAGNET, among others. An early 2011 release through Spinefarm Records in Europe and Metal Blade Records in North America is expected.

In a recent interview with Revolver magazine, CHILDREN OF BODOM guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho said that he was happy with the decision to work with Hyde. "Our management was pushing the idea," Laiho said, "so eventually it was, 'All right, fuck it. Just to shut them up, let's do it.' We liked the way [Hyde] talked about music and the way he was already so fucking committed. He wanted to do the best fucking CHILDREN OF BODOM album ever and was pretty serious and convincing about that. After five minutes of talking to the dude, we knew he was the guy."

Regarding the musical direction of the new CHILDREN OF BODOM material, Laiho told Revolver, "It's maybe a little more melodic than [2008's] 'Blooddrunk' was. It's maybe more guitar riff-oriented, really '80s guitar and stuff like that."

According to Laiho, the recording sessions for the new CHILDREN OF BODOM album produced nine originals and one cover song that he says is "gonna be fucking funny as shit. I don't think it's something anybody would necessarily want to cover — not a metal band, anyway."

Among the new tracks that are set to appear on the next CHILDREN OF BODOM CD are "Pussyfoot Miss Suicide", "Ugly" and "Was It Worth It?", the latter of which the band shot a video for on October 6 "somewhere in north Pennsylvania." Directing the clip was Dale "Rage" Resteghini, who has helmed over 550 music videos since 2003, including clips for such metal bands as MUDVAYNE, HATEBREED, ANTHRAX and SHADOWS FALL. Rage has also directed videos for some of the biggest names in the hip hop world, including Lil Wayne, Diddy, Snoop Dog and Ice Cube.

Regarding the subject matter covered in the "Pussyfoot Miss Suicide" lyrics, Laiho told Revolver, "I've been involved with stupid chicks who were trying to get attention by being, 'Oh, I'm so fucking depressed. I'm gonna slit my wrists with a cheese grater...' And it's so fucking boring, like, 'Just let it go. You're really not gonna do it, anyway.' It's kind of harsh, but it's fuckin' black humor." "Ugly", on the other hand, is "really just venting and screaming stupid stuff. Nobody should expect anything deep and poetic and sensitive and intelligent, y'know?"

CHILDREN OF BODOM launched a full North American tour on September 22 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The band is touring through November alongside BLACK LABEL SOCIETY.