Finland’s heavy metal superstars CHILDREN OF BODOM will return to North America this fall to headline a massive, month-long tour. The award-winning band, which features front man and world-renowned guitar hero Alexi Laiho, will launch the tour on Friday, September 18 at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, RI.

Presented by ESP Guitars and Spinefarm Records in association with EMG, Exclaim! and Guitar World, the 20-city CHILDREN OF BODOM headlining trek is scheduled to run through October 14 in Honolulu, HI and will hit major markets in both the U.S. and Canada along the way. Support on the COB tour will be provided by The Black Dahlia Murder and Skeletonwitch. Additional media partners include KillerTours.com, and Hollywood Music TV.

CHILDREN OF BODOM made headlines this past May when the band was forced to cancel the tail end of its spring North American tour with Lamb of God after Laiho broke his shoulder and suffered internal bleeding as a result of a tour bus mishap. After bravely performing ten live dates with the serious injuries, the toll became too much for the guitarist to endure and CHILDREN OF BODOM made the decision to cut the tour short, placing Laiho’s long-term health as its first priority. Now, after rest and a successful recovery, Laiho and COB are back with a renewed vigor and ready to return stronger than ever before.

Ticket pre-sales for the CHILDREN OF BODOM tour officially begin on Wednesday, June 24 at 3:00 PM local time. The pre-sale landing page provides fans with the option to pre-order the upcoming new COB album, as well as to purchase a special VIP package with a concert ticket, meet ‘n greet pass, autographed poster and the new record. To do so, visit this location.

Alexi Laiho was named “Best Metal Guitarist” in the 15th annual Guitar World Reader’s Poll. Laiho, called “a guitar hero for the new millennium” by the magazine, bested well known players such as Kirk Hammett of Metallica, Alex Skolnick of Testament, Ihsahn of Emperor and more to win the coveted award. Alexi is currently featured alongside fellow guitar hero George Lynch on the cover of Guitar Center’s “June Guitar Buyers Guide”. Video of Laiho and Lynch “discussing music, tone and ESP” can be seen now on Guitar Center’s website: GuitarCenter.com.

In addition to Laiho, CHILDREN OF BODOM features Janne Warman (keyboard), Roope Latvala (guitar), Henkka Seppälä (bass) and drummer Jaska Raatikainen.

CHILDREN OF BODOM is available to speak with interested media now. To chat with the band, simply contact Carl Schultz @ ACTION! PR via any of the means listed below. Updated CHILDREN OF BODOM news and tour information will be made available via the COB online domains: www.cobhc.com / www.myspace.com/childrenofbodom, Spinefarm Records U.S.: www.myspace.com/spinefarmrecordsus and the ACTION! PR site: www.action-pr.com.
* Check out Guitar World’s CHILDREN OF BODOM “Blooddrunk” guitar lesson featuring Laiho and fellow COB guitarist Roope Latvala now at this location.
“CHILDREN OF BODOM boasts the requisite elements to please any Scandinavian metal enthusiast…plenty of darkness and dread” – THE ONION

“technically dazzling” – THE NEW YORK TIMES

“nitro-boosted melodic death metal…strength, virtuosity and over-the-top spectacle.” – GUITAR WORLD

“One of the most talented metal bands of our time” – VICE

“CHILDREN OF BODOM’s well-camouflaged pop will get you disgustingly drunk” – REVOLVER

“Going into their 15th year as a band, CHILDREN OF BODOM have risen through the ranks of their assigned Euro-metal contemporaries wielding a carefully-honed palette that fuses two well-established and already overlapping subgenres (melodic death metal and what we like to call “Scandi-thrash”) with blazing neo-classical chops.” – DECIBEL

“CHILDREN OF BODOM make black metal that knows how to party hard. You’ll bounce off your apartment walls all night, but you’ll be smiling beneath your corpse paint.” – VILLAGE VOICE

“Rocket-speed melodic metal riffs…dynamic” – EXCLAIM!
CHILDREN OF BODOM tour dates:
(Fall North American Headlining tour)

* = The Black Dahlia Murder and Skeletonwitch support
# = Skeletonwitch and TBA support
% = Includes special guest Australian Death Machine

# September 18 Providence, RI Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
* September 19 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
* September 20 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights
* September 22 Quebec City, QC Captiole Theatre
* September 23 Montreal, QC Metropolis
* September 25 Kitchner, ON Elements
* September 26 Toronto, ON Sound Academy
# September 27 Chicago, IL House Of Blues
* September 28 Minneapolis, MN Epic
* September 30 Winnipeg, MB The Garrick
* October 1 Saskatoon, SK The Odeon
* October 2 Calgary, AB MacEwan Hall
* October 3 Edmonton, AB EEC
* October 5 Vancouver, BC The Commodore
# October 6 Seattle, WA Showbox Market
# October 7 Portland, OR Roseland Theatre
# + % October 9 San Francisco, CA Regency Ballroom
# October 10 Pomona, CA The Glasshouse
% October 11 Pomona, CA The Glasshouse (Holy Grail also supports)
# + % October 12 Tempe, AZ Marquee Theatre
October 14 Honolulu, HI Pipeline Cafe (CHILDREN OF BODOM only)