Children of Bodom – Hexed first REVIEW!
" One of the greatest things about listening to any later Bodom record is their addictive pursuits of heaviness. Whether it be “Angels Don’t Kill” off of
Hate Crew Deathroll or “Prayer For The Afflicted” from their (2015) album
I Worship Chaos, these guys always know how to incorporate those slowed down, synth driven tracks to each album. “Hecate’s Nightmare” and “Soon Departed” are songs that draw on that darkly enchanting side of the bands sound. The former track sees them experimenting with bright and playful keyboard sounds, where the latter uses darker melodies to explore a more depressive mood that develops into a soaring chorus. Tracks like these present and reinforce a contrast between the slower side of Children Of Bodom, while “Kick In A Spleen” capitalizes on the aforementioned “ass-kicking” speed metal tendencies of the band. It also captures the impressive qualities of one of the most ripping guitar and keyboard solos on the album.
Proving the power of their sound in 2019, comes the full on rager and title track “Hexed.” Presenting some of the most classic traits of Children Of Bodom heard on the album. This song is a representation of the veteran status these guys have worked so hard to achieve. A proggier use of the piano clashes with an arena of dexterous riffing, injecting a strenuous amount of agility into this track. And what is a classic COB song without shouted gang vocals for the chorus?
This track has a blistering thrash appeal to it and utilizes a dynamic range of melodies, concluding with a fuzzy, almost fretless bass sounding riff played by longtime bassist Henkka Blacksmith. This leads into a track that die hard fans of the first few Bodom records will have no choice but to rejoice over called, “Relapse (The Nature Of My Crime).” This track reminisces on the haunting sound that the band developed on praised album Follow The Reaper, giving off a great feeling of nostalgia and sure to be an old-school fan favorite.
Children Of Bodom bring
Hexed to a close with the aggressive, yet symphonious “Knuckleduster,” ending the album with enthusiasm. The spacious grooves and spellbinding synthesizers heard on this track serve as core elements of this bands sound, a sound that has kept them in business for many years.
Hexed puts the Finnish quintet at the top of their game and sees each musician continuing to flourish individually, equally lending themselves to the massive sound heard throughout this entire record. "
Full review:
https://overdrive-mag.com/2019/02/11/review-children-of-bodom-hexed/