This is a similar style and sound shift in energy as In Flames did with their new album Battles (which sucks way more than Hexed will, that's the difference). It's just strange these trends going on. It seems to be subconsciously meant to appeal to the smartphone snowflake generation. But it's all down to how it's made. I think this is a great sound for Bodom for this type of music, but I'm missing the Hatebreederish malevolence and dark mysticism seeping with grudge, that with the whole lake / 'the other side' mythology and neo-classical genious songs like Silent Night, that was the shit, and if Bodom want to deviate from that they should seek for other mysterious dark styles like Punch Me I Bleed and Halo of Blood and so on. They have so much potential it's sad if they forget what they really invented.
Of course they were also great at inventing enchanting melodies, somehow they had a system to make melodies dark and inviting at the same time. Then came the search for more masculine vibes (which is great as long as it doesn't sacrifice melodic creativity), which progressed to rock influences (which works nice for them as long as it's still dark like Banned from Heaven, instead of cheerful like Hold My Tongue). If they insist on keeping the rock elements then they should avoid creating catchiness with uplifting riffs, and instead keep it dark but create hooks with interesting rhythms and chord progressions. Of course Follow the Reaper is actually pretty cheerful and rockish album, but it's still pure metal. I'm liking many pieces I've heard from Hexed, but to have that melody in Platitudes and choose it as video means there's something fundamentally different.
I'll have my album up soon in midi (already very enjoyable quality), and there's at least 4 songs that are up there with the very best and all the songs have the feelings and vibes of Hatebreeder while being musically more in the vein of Hypocrisy and Burzum. It would be a beautiful story if I can make it to the point in a few years where I could open up for Bodom on a Finnish tour. It would be cool first if someone from Bodom could listen thru the songs and I'd be honoured if they could tell me what they like and hate about it. Finally an opportunity for them to lynch me in their game if they want to, as I've never had personal substance to back up my opinions.
