Finnish metal masters Children of Bodom recently ‘followed the reaper’ to Long Island, New York, delivering their signature brand of neoclassical death metal to their fans — who the band has dubbed the ‘Hate Crew.’ The tour was a celebration of their 15th year playing together under the Children of Bodom name, and the band decided to bring Eluveitie and Revocation along for the ride.

Revocation intrigued the New York metalheads at the March 2 show – assaulting the crowd with fret-melting technical death metal. The flawless duel axe attack by guitarists Dave Davidson and Dan Gargiulo dropped many jaws to the floor during Revocation’s set, showcasing the skill and precision which led MetalSucks to name Davidson as the world’s No. 1 modern metal guitarist. Davidson may also be the world’s funniest guitarist, revealing the meaning of the song, ‘Conjuring the Cataclysm’ to the crowd. “This song is about conjuring ancient demons, then getting drunk and f—ing partying with them. Then one of the hot chick demons has sex with you.”

Stay tuned for our exclusive backstage interview with Revocation’s Dave Davidson, Anthony Buda and Phil Dubois-Coyne.

Eluveitie came on next and proved that they’re most likely the coolest people you’ll ever meet at the Renaissance Fair. The Swiss band brought a heavy yet whimsical brand of folk metal to the crowd, who ate it up like a giant turkey leg. The eight members of Eluveitie were all on-point, but perhaps the most impressive musician was hurry gurdy-ist and vocalist Anna Murphy, who sang beautifully as well as screaming brutally.

The New York ‘Hate Crew’ was intensely rabid for Children of Bodom, who blazed through ‘Silent Night, Bodom Night,’ ‘Kissing the Shadows’ and a ‘Deadnight Warrior / Hate Me!’ medley with lightning speed. Frontman Alexi Laiho shredded his custom ESP guitars with a blistering ease while giving the Hate Crew a sharp vocal performance. Surprisingly, the ordinarily precise band did fall out of sync with each other a few times, but were able to quickly recover simultaneously. More highlights of Bodom’s set included ‘Lake Bodom,’ ‘Bodom After Midnight’ and the incredible track, ‘Everytime I Die.’

Although the tour is now over, Bodom fans can still get excited, as frontman Alexi Laiho recently stated that after the band’s European summer tour dates, they will once again hit the studio to make a new album.

Children of Bodom March 2 Setlist:

Sixpounder

Are You Dead Yet?

Silent Night, Bodom Night

Kissing the Shadows

Shovel Knockout

Living Dead Beat

Everytime I Die

Deadnight Warrior / Hate Me!

Blooddrunk

Angels Don’t Kill

In Your Face

Lake Bodom

Hate Crew Deathroll

Bodom After Midnight

Downfall

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