Children Of Bodom "Halo Of Blood (Limited Edition Digipak, CD+DVD, SHM-CD, Japan, Avalon, MIZP-3005)"

Halo of Blood is the eighth studio album by Finnish melodic death metal band Children of Bodom. It was released on June 7, 2013 in Europe and June 11 in North America on Nuclear Blast Records. In Japan, the album was released by Marquee Inc. on May 29, 2013. This would be the last album with guitarist Roope Latvala before he got kicked out of the band in May 2015. 

Drummer Jaska Raatikainen posted on Facebook that the band has accumulated a number of songs for a new album. Raatikainen described the new material as dark and "also little [sic] 'black' [metal]-ish." In an interview before the band's first show in India, keyboardist Janne Wirman revealed that the band currently had four songs written, with plans to enter the studio at the end of 2012. Wirman predicted a release around April or May 2013. In mid November 2012, it was announced that the band had started recording demos of new material.

In January 2013, it was revealed that frontman/guitarist Alexi Laiho was finishing writing lyrics, and that recording would commence in February. Two song titles were also revealed. On 19 March 2013, the album's title was announced as Halo of Blood, and a track listing and cover artwork were revealed.

Some resources mention Swede Peter Tägtgren as the album's producer. However, according to Children of Bodom's Janne Wirman, "Peter was there just to produce the vocals" and the album was actually produced by Mikko Karmila and the band.

The album cover depicts the reaper standing on the frozen surface of Lake Bodom, with dead bodies trapped beneath the ice.

The album received mostly positive reviews, with an aggregated score of 66/100 on Metacritic, indicating favorable reviews. It was considered a return to form for the band, garnering a warmer reception from fans than their previous three albums.

Track listing
All tracks are written by Alexi Laiho.

Disc 1 (CD)

1. Waste of Skin 04:16
2. Halo of Blood 03:12  
3. Scream for Silence 04:09   
4. Transference 03:58
5. Bodom Blue Moon (The Second Coming) 04:14   
6. Your Days Are Numbered 03:40   
7. Dead Man's Hand on You 04:57   
8. Damaged Beyond Repair 04:20  
9. All Twisted 04:52   
10. One Bottle and a Knee Deep 04:04  
11. Crazy Nights (Loudness cover) 04:26
12. Sleeping in My Car (Roxette cover) 03:18

Time:  49:26  

Disc 2 (DVD)

1. Making of Halo of Blood 

Total length: 41:40

Recording information:

Recorded in Petrax Studios (Hollola, Finland) and Danger Johnny Studios, (Helsinki, Finland) during December 2012, January and February 2013.

Keyboards recorded at Beyond Abilities Studios, January and February 2013.

Mixed and mastered at Finnvox, Helsinki, Finland in February 2013.

Bonus DVD filmed and edited by Ykä Järvinen.