ALEXI REMEMBERED
“My greatest memory of Alexi would be the night at The Rainbow when we all went out, and he explained to me in detail how when he was a little kid, his big sister came to see Skid Row in Helsinki and he was too young to go. He begged and pleaded with his parents to go to the show with his sister and they wouldn’t let him. He told me he decided right then and there what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. And we got to jam on stage four times, I think. My very last show in Europe was with Children Of Bodom in Barcelona, Spain [in 2019]. We had a great time backstage. And that’s my last memory of him. I salute you Alexi, and my condolences to your whole family, especially your big sister.”
Sebastian Bach
“I discovered Children Of Bodom around 1998 from a Sepultura tribute CD that came out on a small Swedish label called Black Sun Records. The guitar work and vocal style immediately caught my attention. The following year, their album Hatebreeder came out and I loved their blend of power metal, black metal, punk rock attitude and neo-classical, shredding guitar solos. Me being a huge Yngwie Malmsteen fan, I could see right away in Alexi that he could lead a new generation of guitarists in the scene and make solos cool again, in an era where you weren’t really supposed to play any. I had the same mentality for the music I was creating at that time with my early incarnation of Firewind. Songs like Silent Night, Bodom Night captivate the essence of COB’s style and sound; it’s one of my favourites.
Gus G, Firewind
“Each generation has players that come along and inspire the younger generation to keep the bloodline moving. Alexi was a really great guy. I’m just shocked that he’s gone.”
Zakk Wylde, Black Label Society
“Children Of European tour in Helsinki. The guy I saw onstage that night was this young, very impressive, super-cool rock star. The way he was playing just blew me away. I’d never seen anything like that before. I got to meet him personally for the first time a little later, around 2002. I don’t know how on earth we ended up arm wrestling – [we were] drunk, I suppose. Maybe not the brightest of ideas ever, arm wrestling someone who proved to be ‘the world’s greatest guitar player’, ha! But it was all just for shits and giggles. We both survived that night and I learned he has this lighter side to him. His passing is devastating for the whole metal world, and certainly the Finnish one. I’m certain he had a lot to say still. Rest in Peace, Alexi.’
