EP REVIEW: Bodom After Midnight – Paint The Sky With Blood

The start of 2021 brought us the untimely death of guitar master Alexi Laiho, a huge personal influence on me and many other headbangers. Posthumously, BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT release their debut EP following the split of Children Of Bodom. Out on April 23rd via Napalm Records.

First up is the title track which blisters in with melodic riffing, blastbeats and almost blackened synths, definitely reminiscent of “Halo Of Blood” set the release in with strength before Alexi’s vocals bring in the fury atop a monstrous thrashing groove before the main riffs come back, it is great to hear this style executed one final time to put the music to rest, which is done so beautifully. The song is punchy, memorable and definitely anthemic, as one would hope from anything carrying the Bodom tag. Naturally the soloing is utterly masterful and showcases some of the best guitar-playing of the modern world regardless of genre. The second original track “Payback’s A Bitch” is a more grooving and stomping affair with thick bass tones and pummelling drums, though the guitar melodies and synths haven’t been casted asunder totally. The song is probably more in keeping with “Follow The Reaper” though with a much more bass-driven production. Equally catchy to the first yet a very different direction, which insinuates to me that this project would have gone on to create dynamic and unpredictable music had the reaper not prevented this. A stunning finale to a wonderful career in songwriting and Heavy Metal excellence.

Finally a cover of another act that met an untimely end due to the death of a masterful musician, Dissection, with their classic opus “Where Dead Angels Lie”. This is a brave choice in cover that showcases Alexi’s Black Metal past (need I remind people of his works with Finnish Black Metal legends Impaled Nazarene). The ambient and flowing guitars open with that haunting riff before the oh so familiar melodies draw into that swaying Luciferian Black Metal that will chill any Extreme Metal fan to the bone come into life. The icy, haunting guitars and synths top cascading drums and meet those vicious vocals in a way that I am sure Jon would have adored to see, a band with as much command on their musicianship covering one of his most influences masterpieces. The passion and scent of something out of this world is present on this song, which would be essential in carrying the Dissection legacy, hence my use of the term brave earlier. Melody and mysticism is conveyed so wonderfully here, in a way that seems almost prophetic of Alexi’s passing. Daniel, Mitja and Waltteri have performed gorgeously alongside their frontman and truly acted as an asset in this closing chapter that resulted in the loss of their musical brother, a valiant execution from the full band indeed.

A triumphant closing chapter in the Children Of Bodom / Bodom After Midnight legacy that gives Alexi’s talent one last blast which will reverberate through time. While sad that we will not hear more from this band, it is at least a comfort that they closed the book with strength and victory.