Alrighty, finally found some time to give the new album a few spins. Here are my initial thoughts.
I Hurt - This one grew on me quite a bit. Love the intro riff, one of the best riffs on the entire album. Most of the rest of the song is a bit uninspired but I dig the lyrics and the little bridge section before the final chorus. Still weak as an intro track though. 6/10
My Bodom (I am the Only One) - Wow. Can't believe all the hate. I love this one (even the verses). Love the pinch harmonics. "Are you ready?!!" Great gang shouts ("It's almost over") Sick chorus and solos as well as ending lead. One of my favs. Only thing that this one would GREATLY benefit from would be an audio sample or movie quote at the beginning (Speaking of which I was very disappointed in the lack of movie quotes) 10/10
Morrigan - Still a great song in my opinion and now that I have a full picture of the album this one ranks in the higher end. Great riffs, keys, and solo. 7/10
Horns - Hmmm, haven't I heard this before? Very recycled. Intro riff is Halo of Blood, verse is One Bottle, and the part after is Waste of Skin. Not that that's a bad thing because those songs are sick, but it would have been nice to have an indentity of it's own. Despite that I still really enjoy this one. The solos at the end are fantastic and the guitar one especially surprised me because it's been awhile since I heard Alexi do that kind of tapping. 9/10
Prayer for the Afflicted - The "Scream for Silence" of this album. Definitely not as good I think. It has a nice intro and solo but that's about it for me. The rest just doesn't grab me. Maybe that will change, who knows. Punch Me I Bleed is my least fav "slow" Bodom song and I would rank this one right above it. 5/10
I Worship Chaos - Just slightly better than Prayer and on par with I Hurt. Very repetitive song. I like the verses, chorus and solo but god that intro riff. It's nothing special really and they repeat it so much. Also the ending? Pretty untypical of the band to be fooling around part way through an album lol. 6/10
Hold Your Tongue - Wow. This one caught me way off guard. After all the talk of how dark this album was going to be I certainly did NOT expect a song like this. This is the happiest Bodom song ever. Not bad though. Just different. I love the way Alexi and co sing the lines "Just shut the fuck up!" I like the intro riff too and it sounds familiar but I can't put my finger on it. And the solos! Fantastic stuff. 8/10
Suicide Bomber - Listening to this song now that the whole album is out it's almost disappointing that this happens to be one of or if not THE best song on the album. Everything is great. Intro riff, verse riff, bridge/chorus (that keyboard melody is soooo good), solos, and drums. Rivals some of the best on Halo of Blood. 10/10
All for Nothing - The "Dead Man's Hand on You" of the album. I would say it's a bit better. The whispering vocals are a bit different from the talkie vocals in Dead Man's but the same kind of idea. I like the atmosphere and piano. The part that comes in shortly after the 2 minute mark is a bit out of place but luckily doesn't last long. The last 2 minutes are simply epic. Unlike anything I have ever heard in a Bodom song. Very very unique and different (there's even a fade out, first in the history of the band I think). 9/10
Widdershins - As soon as it started I thought I was listening to "Artifacts of the Black Rain" by In Flames. Very old-school sounding. Nice keys and solos. The part starting at 1:25 gives me chills, it's such a great build-up, one of the best. Very powerful chorus as well. The whole song feels really dark and even gloomy/depressing. The breakdown musically is kind of generic but I dig it because it's unique for Bodom and a great way to end the album I think. I like the lead over it as well and the sound sample at the end that could suggest the song loops back into I Hurt (Widdershins - backwards). Up there with My Bodom and Suicide Bomber. 10/10
As for the covers, I liked Black Winter Day the best. Mistress of Taboo was also pretty interesting and silly. Danger Zone was just "meh" to me. To be fair I never was really a fan of Bodom's covers, minus a few songs (I'm Shipping Up to Boston, Sleeping in My Car, She Is Beautiful).
Overall I think I Worship Chaos is a great album. Not as good as Halo of Blood (which I doubt will ever be topped for me) but on par with Blooddrunk and Relentless Reckless Forever. For the record I don't think the Drop B tuning had much to do with the turnout of the album. What hurts the album for me is that they, like Alexi said himself, took the straightforward approach to writing and arranging the songs. The big reason why I like AYDY, BD, RRF, and HoB is because those albums had significantly more technical riffing and arrangements and was more interesting to listen to. It feels like they took a step back in that department.
TL;DR - It's a great album but not super extraordinary. Top 3 - Suicide Bomber, Widdershins, My Bodom
