Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM have inked a worldwide deal (excluding Japan) with Nuclear Blast Records. The band, which kicked off a year-long celebration of its 15th anniversary with a successful North American tour alongside labelmates ELUVEITIE, has a new studio album planned for release in 2013.

"We had a good, productive and long run with Spinefarm Records for fifteen years and now it's simply just time for a change," said CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho. "I'm absolutely stoked to start the new chapter of CHILDREN OF BODOM's career with Nuclear Blast and look forward to working with them."

"Personally, I am so excited to get to work with Nuclear Blast again," adds CHILDREN OF BODOM bassist Henkka Seppälä (a.k.a. Henkka T. Blacksmith). "We have such good memories from the beginning of our career with them. We know the people already and we know how committed they are in doing metal!"

Nuclear Blast Europe A&R representative Jaap Wagemaker shares: "15 years ago we were introduced to a very young band from Finland who blew us away with their track 'Deadnight Warrior' from their debut album 'Something Wild' — and their music was indeed something wild! Fast-tapping guitar work combined with incredible keyboards and angry vocals… it was the start of the career of CHILDREN OF BODOM. Nuclear Blast released their first three albums outside of Finland: 'Something Wild', 'Hatebreeder', and 'Follow The Reaper', albums that became classics in the history of metal. Unfortunately, after the third album, we went separate ways but we have always been following them and stayed in contact. CHILDREN OF BODOM became a very big band worldwide and now the time has come to welcome them back home! We at Nuclear Blast are very happy to see CHILDREN OF BODOM rejoining the Nuclear family and are looking forward to working their next albums. You can be sure that 'something wild' will come your way!"

"Holiday At Lake Bodom (15 Years Of Wasted Youth)", a very special CD+DVD career retrospective in celebration of CHILDREN OF BODOM's 15th anniversary, sold around 600 copies in the United States in its first week of release.

"Holiday At Lake Bodom (15 Years Of Wasted Youth)" spotlights specially selected tracks from every one of CHILDREN OF BODOM's critically acclaimed albums (1997's "Something Wild", 1999's "Hatebreeder", 2000's "Follow The Reaper", 2003's "Hate Crew Deathroll", 2005's "Are You Dead Yet?", 2008's "Blooddrunk" and 2011's "Relentless Reckless Forever"), plus two newly recorded (and undeniably fun) cover songs and detailed liner notes penned by the members of CHILDREN OF BODOM themselves. The DVD portion of the package includes "candid touring and backstage footage from around the world”, plus the "Shovel Knockout" video.

In an interview with MusikUniverse.net, Laiho said that the band is scheduled to commence the songwriting sessions for its next album this fall for a 2013 release. "I have ideas, but I haven't done anything about it," Alexi said. "'Cause the thing is, I can't write when I'm touring; it's not the right kind of environment for me. I know a lot of people do it, but I just can't. And it's OK, 'cause I build a lot of ideas in my head, and my memory sucks, but one thing that I never forget is the riffs; they're always in my head somehow. So it's really not a problem."

"Relentless Reckless Forever" sold nearly 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 42 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, 2008's "Blooddrunk", opened with 19,000 units to land at No. 22. This number was roughly four times the opening tally of "Blooddrunk"'s predecessor, "Are You Dead Yet?", which premiered with 5,000 units back in October 2005 to enter the chart at No. 195.