An open letter to Bodom

I'm happy that someone could find such great satisfaction from music and be able to express how they feel in such a positive manner.

Unfortunatley, I have a little different story regarding the band. I started listening to COB around 2000 before Follow the Reaper came out. To me, Bodom used to be a band of uncompromising skill, melody and composition. Every song had a certain momentum to it that eventually lead up to an explosive dual solo. After seeing Bodom play 10 + times and seeing how they've changed, it's really sad to see the direction that they've taken. Bodom used to be about virtuosity to me and I don't think this "don't give a fuck" attitude that they have now would've flown in the early stages of the band. It was their virtuosity that got them noticed in the first place. Now they are downtuning their guitars almost to the point of having the notes indistinguishable to each other. They've become more of an image band than anything. I mean Alexi can look how he wants and get as fucked up as he'd like, but if he's back stage painting his finger nails and getting puke inducingly drunk and can't pull off the solos, there's a problem don't you think? I think the problem with Bodom and I is their complacent attitude. Now that people know Alexi can play, he doesn't feel like he needs to "prove himself" anymore and subsequently his technical prowless is diminishing at his own choice. This is just an observation I've made from seeing them over the years in the states.

I am still supporting them and have faith in the band. I'm actually seeing them at the Wiltern on Friday. It's just a shame to see such talent squandered away.
 
Just remember how hard it is to be told by your parents that "being metal sucks, long hair don't suits you and you'll never have a good life with such an attitude" and imagine how fucked it could be when people tell you it all day long on internet.

I'm actually seeing them at the Wiltern on Friday. It's just a shame to see such talent squandered away.
I don't know, give me your CoB manager point of view ?
 
you are absolutely uncompromising in what you do. It isn't about proving anything to anyone, or playing by anyone else's rules.

No dude, this is complete bullshit. They USED to be like this. things have changed, as they do with 90% of the bands out there.

I'm happy that someone could find such great satisfaction from music and be able to express how they feel in such a positive manner.

Unfortunatley, I have a little different story regarding the band. I started listening to COB around 2000 before Follow the Reaper came out. To me, Bodom used to be a band of uncompromising skill, melody and composition. Every song had a certain momentum to it that eventually lead up to an explosive dual solo. After seeing Bodom play 10 + times and seeing how they've changed, it's really sad to see the direction that they've taken. Bodom used to be about virtuosity to me and I don't think this "don't give a fuck" attitude that they have now would've flown in the early stages of the band. It was their virtuosity that got them noticed in the first place. Now they are downtuning their guitars almost to the point of having the notes indistinguishable to each other. They've become more of an image band than anything. I mean Alexi can look how he wants and get as fucked up as he'd like, but if he's back stage painting his finger nails and getting puke inducingly drunk and can't pull off the solos, there's a problem don't you think? I think the problem with Bodom and I is their complacent attitude. Now that people know Alexi can play, he doesn't feel like he needs to "prove himself" anymore and subsequently his technical prowless is diminishing at his own choice. This is just an observation I've made from seeing them over the years in the states.

I am still supporting them and have faith in the band. I'm actually seeing them at the Wiltern on Friday. It's just a shame to see such talent squandered away.


now THIS was well said. Don't get me wrong, Bodom is still my favorite band and probably will be throughout my life. But I always admire them much more for what they used to be. The musical direction has definitely changed a bit, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but to all of us old-school Bodom fans, it is indeed hard to take. their new music is still good and better than most of the other shit out there, but nothing will compare to their first 3 albums. RIP old Bodom.
 
^Why the hell do we have to bring the same stupid thing over and over everytime someone talks about Bodom music??

Face it people: NEOCLASSICAL INFLUENCES IN ALEXI ARE DEAD! They're not coming back! That being said, tell me what from what can be found in HCD, AYDY or BD can be found in other bands. Tell me other bands that do that kind of music please.

I'm ok with people not liking them, but I hate when everybody goes ''oh noes Bodom are not Bodom anymore, they were better before'' when that's not true. Ok, neoclassical was cool and there were loads of cool harmonies and stuff, but it's not like they now stick to LOGish or Slayerish kind of riffs 24/7 lacking harmonies, melodies and cool solos. I challenge you to play Tie My Rope dual melody before the solos or Roope's melody in Smile Pretty For The Devil or Thrashed Lost And Strungout melodies or Chockehold or YBOD while singing it like Alexi used to.

Don't take it as a personal attack to anyone because it's not, but I'm fed up of people complaining about something as a band not wanting to repeat themselves and changing their style. Don't like them? Don't listen to them, but don't bitch about them not releasing a Hatebreeder II.

Now you'll all tell me that you have your rights to complain and that I'm dumb if I can't see that Hatebreeder pwns Blooddrunk, well I'm sorry but I disagree. They're quite different, but any of it is better than the others and besides, I've already said it, but I wouldn't like a band to copy themselves and keep releasing copies of their top album. And for the AYDY haters, I challenge you to look for a band that can compose an album like that in 2 months and when their main songwriter had had a serious injury before the songwriting/recording process.

We've discussed the change of style a thousand times and I think it's pretty clear that there'll always be the neoclassical lover side that will always remember the old days and the people that likes all the stuff, and noone will convice the others, so I find useless flooding all threads with it. The guy came here to write a letter to Bodom. Useless or not we don't know, but I'm sure as hell that the point of this thread was not to reopen the same old discussion which BTW won't have an ending.
 
Thanks guys, I appreciate a lot of the comments.

And no, this isn't the time or place for yet another pointless argument about who likes "old Bodom" and who likes the "new." This isn't about whether you think I'm a fanboy, or completely disagree with any of my opinions. I honestly don't care. This isn't about any right or wrong, better or worse. You're perfectly entitled to your opinions, but that's not the point. This isn't about any of us, really. It's simply about Bodom.

I don't expect to get a reply back from the band, as cool as that would be. The only reason I posted this was so that it might hopefully get to the band somehow, and if possible, just know that it did.

Thanks again.
 
@Delanoir: great letter, it's nice that you posted it even though you probably knew what responses you are going to get...

This is probably only band message board I have ever been where appreciating the band is considerer stupid and gay. Grow up kids...