Children Of Bodom are currently writing new material for their next album with band bassist Henkka Seppala offering the following on the bands progress thus far:

“It is great to have a new rehearsal space. We can rehearse whenever and as long as we want. And this is a new thing for us as a band. So making new songs is now really different than before.

It’s been really exciting, once again, to gather at the rehearsal space and start jamming the new ideas Alexi has in mind for. I’m really excited now, and looking forward everyday to get there again to see what’s new this time.

Soon we will jam some old songs too, since we have these 3 shows in Finland next month. It s been quite a long time since last live show, so that is a fresh thing to do also, the small Fenno-tour. And we’ve never played in Sotkamo area!!!

We will enter the studio in the middle of next summer. And then we will take our time to track the stuff, then mix it and master it. Then the labels need their time to prepare the release… so unfortunately the release won’t be this year, that’s for sure. We will let you know as soon as we know the date.

When the tracking is done, the rest of the summertime we will spend at some summer festivals in Europe. Check out our live section for those.

And, we will put some footage, diary thingies, from the studio, that’s for sure!”

The Deftones were once again joined on stage by a number of their peers for the second of their two benefit concerts thrown for band bassist Chi Cheng at the Avalon in Hollywood, CA yesterday, November 20th.

Confirmed guests include members of Suicidal Tendencies, Children Of Bodom, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Metallica, while the group also were joined by System Of A Down’s Shavo Odadjian and Daron Malakian for collaborative covers of the latters “Toxicity” and “Aerials“.

A cover of Metallica’s “Battery” was also performed. For now, a picture of what is said to have been the set list for the second benefit show (November 20th) can be seen online here. While the latest fan-filmed footage to surface online from both nights performances can be seen below:

“Aerials” (System Of A Down cover) (with members of System Of A Down):

“Battery” (Metallica cover) (with members of System Of A Down, Children Of Bodom, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Metallica):

“War Inside My Head” (Suicidal Tendencies cover) (with Robert Trujillo and members of Suicidal Tendencies:

“Engine No. 9” (feat. Robert Trujillo of Metallica):

“No Ordinary Love” (Sade cover) (with members of Far):

“Head Up” (with Richie Cavelera of Incite):

“Street Carp” (with Ben Kenney of Incubus):

“Knife Party” (with Rodleen Getsic):

“Jailbreak” (Thin Lizzy cover) (with Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray):

“My Own Summer (Shove It)“:

“Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away)“:

“Xerces“:

“Minerva“:

The Dillinger Escape Plan, Linkin Park, Far, Motley Crue, Cypress Hill and more joined the band for the first (November 19th) benefit show. The concerts took place to raise money for the mounting medical costs incurred by Deftones bassist Chi Cheng’s car accident in November of 2008.

Those interested in helping out with Chi Cheng’s ongoing recovery can find more information at www.oneloveforchi.com. Furthermore an auction featuring a number of unique items and experiences to benefit Cheng is also underway here. The Deftones will release their new album in February.

Hypocrisy have tapped Children Of Bodom vocalist/guitarist Alexi Laiho to handle the guitar duties for them on their upcoming North America tour with Ensiferum, Ex Deo, Blackguard and Swashbuckle. Speaking on Laiho’s temporary addition to their line-up, Hypocrisy frontman Peter Tagtgren had the following to say:

“We’re very happy to bring Alexi along on this tour and that he’s helping us out with filling the 2nd guitarist position. Funny, the first CHILDREN OF BODOM show was a support gig for HYPOCRISY on the Nuclear Blast festival in ‘98. Since then me and Alexi have become very good friends.

I’ve helped him with producing and he’s helped me by contributing a guitar solo on one of my records with my other band PAIN. There will be no shortage of alcohol on this tour that’s for sure.”

Dates for said tour are as follows:

November 06th Springfield, VA – Jaxx (feat. Swashbuckle)
November 07th Allentown, PA – Crocodile Rock Cafe (feat. Swashbuckle)
November 08th Raleigh, NC – Volume 11
November 09th Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
November 10th Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room
November 11th Orlando, FL – AKA Lounge (“AntiPop Music Festival“)
November 13th Houston, TX – Meridian
November 14th Austin, TX – Emo’s
November 15th Fort Worth, TX – Ridglea Theatre
November 17th Santa Ana, CA – The Galaxy Theatre
November 18th Hollywood, CA – The Key Club
November 19th San Francisco, CA – DNA Lounge
November 20th Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
November 21st Seattle, WA – Studio Seven
November 22nd Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre
November 23rd Calgary, AB – The Warehouse
November 24th Edmonton, AB – Starlite Room
November 27th Winnipeg, MB – The Zoo
November 28th St. Paul, MN – Station 4
November 29th Chicago, IL – House of Blues
November 30th Cleveland, OH – Peabody’s
December 01st Toronto, ON – The Opera House (feat. Swashbuckle)
December 02nd Quebec City, QC – Imperial de Quebec (feat. Swashbuckle)
December 03rd Montreal, QC – Le Medley (feat. Swashbuckle)
December 04th Worcester, MA – The Palladium (feat. Swashbuckle)
December 05th New York, NY – Irving Plaza (feat. Swashbuckle)

Hypocrisy will release their new album “A Taste Of Extreme Divinity” through Nuclear Blast on November 03rd.

Children Of Bodom have posted a video for their cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” online, it can be seen below. The song comes from the bands new covers effort “Skeletons In The Closet“, which is due in stores through Spinefarm/Fontana International on September 22nd.