HELSINKI (AFP).- Finnish heavy metal guitarist and singer Alexi Laiho, frontman of the group Children of Bodom, has died aged 41, the group announced Monday.

The cause of death was not revealed, with other members of the group saying in a social media post that "Laiho had suffered from long-term health issues during his last years".

"We lost a brother. The world lost a phenomenal song writer and one of the greatest guitarists of all time," his former band mates Henkka Seppala, Janne Wirman and Jaska Raatikainen said in the post.

According to the post, Laiho -- who formed Children of Bodom together with drummer Jaska Raatikainen in 1993 -- died in his home in Helsinki last week.

The group sold more than 250,000 records in Finland alone, according to their official website, before their farewell concert in December 2019.

Following that, Laiho formed the new group Bodom After Midnight together with three other former band members.

In recognition of his talents, Laiho was named Best Metal Guitarist in 2009 by the readers of Guitar World magazine, public broadcaster YLE reported.

© Agence France-Presse