Well, I figured what the heck, I'll post up a few reviews of Bodom stuff from the webzine. The first is a Follow the Reaper review, done by one of the people on staff, mystr6. The second is a Hate Crew Deathroll review, by me. (Yeah, I am the one known for very long, detailed reviews. I tend to really get into an album when I review it; for good or ill; and I like the people to know my feelings on it. I make a lot of jokes on it on the site, tho, about how I don't know when to shut up in a review. 
) The third is a live review from the Maryland show when they opened for Dimmu, done by Rudebrew, another staff member. And finally is a sneak peek of the Hatebreeder review(Should be up on the site itself this week.). We are a fairly new webzine; not even a year old yet- so we review both old and new things for the site. We are working on getting multiple people to review albums more often so we can get some varied opinions of them.
Dunno, thought you guys might enjoy some Bodom reads.
Follow the Reaper:
http://www.metalwhore.com/followreaper.html
Note: He refers to the Gothenburg scene in the review; but he knows they are from Finland.
HCDR:
http://www.metalwhore.com/deathroll.html
Live Review:
http://www.metalwhore.com/dimmu_dc.html
and a peek of the Hatebreeder review(this is pasted right in the post; so I warn you, it's going to be really long....)
Children of Bodom: Hatebreeder
Lowdown:
"From now on, we are enemies...you and I..."
The second full-length from the talented band from Finland. Their second serving is nine tracks long; and all in all, extremely strong all the way through. The lineup here is the same as their previous album: Alexi "Wildchild" Laiho(guitars and vocals), Janne Warman(keyboards), Alexander Kuoppala(guitars), Henkka T. Blacksmith(bass), and Jaska Raatikainen(drums). This album is rather dark sounding; it still has the incredible melodies the band is known for, as well as very good production, but the sound and feel has a very 'dark' tone to it, IMO. Well, kicking things off is "Warheart". After a cool sample, the song kicks off with an excellent opening riff/keyboard mix. The vocals snarl forth quickly; very evil sounding vox I must say; which both contrast and go along with the melodic lead playing in the back. The drums have a very quick double bass attack; switching between that and a slower beat...sometimes some blasting. Everything switches up, yet flows together very well. It's a quicker paced song for the most part and about four minutes long. The keyboards and guitar play along together very well; sharing the melody well. The song has a nice solo played about halfway through; the music slows down a bit at the point. Very powerful opening song overall!! I really like the main riff in the song. Some yelling of "Warheart!" trading with the dark vocals adds a nice touch. The breakdowns have a very nice groove to them, as well. Moving onto track 2, "Silent Night, Bodom Night", it also begins at a quick pace; more of Jaska's rock solid, fast double bass drives the song along; and Alexi's vocals, once again, are very harsh; whispering in the background a little bit; adding some eerieness. The guitars once again have an excellent riff/solo attack; and the keyboards match the guitar solos in a most impressive manner. Strong bassline as well; Bodom has always had a powerful low end to their music. The song slows up a little bit a couple minutes in; more very cool soloing placed in, one can always expect a pleasant suprise when listening to a track. It's shorter than the last track, but still a very good followup; the real shining point is the perfectly matched guitar/key solos. Track 3, "Hatebreeder", once again, begins with the fast double bass attack; it has a chugging, thick riff at the start, of course with some soloing in there. The bassline is also very present here; the keyboards take a bit of a backseat for a bit but come out well in the background soon in. It's a fast/mid paced song; and the riff is once again pretty catchy(i hate using that word, but it's true!). The vocals seem quite angry in this one. It has a quick guitar riff breakdown and buildup into a nicely done harsh scream from Alexi, switching the riff up a bit. (Very nice yell, btw.). Then enter some classical guitars and keyboards: the song quickly picks up again back into it's main form. Another fantastic guitar/keyboard solo tradeoff; they make excellent use of this already on this album! Another excellent track. Moving onto track 4, "Bed of Razors", it starts out a bit quieter, but picks up a bit to a mid-paced track. Alexi opens it up with his vocal attack; the guitars here are kind of mournful sounding in a way. The drums are still solid; a bit slower, matching the song. The chorus to this song is very catchy, and easy to bang one's head to; the solo guitar played in it is very cool. Very classic 80's feel to it. The song has a definate beat that you can bang your head to. The keyboards add some nice effect in the background; and of course, there is a quintessential solo; and another guitar/key solo tradeoff. The drums have a nice swinging beat to them throughout it; it's another good song and a nice little breakoff from the three fast thrasher before it. It ends off with the chorus riff; and then moves onto track 5, "Coward's Dead End", one of the longer songs on the album at almost five minutes. It opens up quick again; Jaska's trademark bass drums and Alexi even opens this one up with a solo. The rhythm guitar and bass hold it down; the starting solo is quite nice. The keyboards are playing along with it at some points you can hear; a piano sound. The song forms into a more mid-fast paced track; with another catchy main riff going with Alexi's snarling vocals. The guitars are doing some nice soloing quite a bit in the starting minutes of this track; it has a small breakdown before picking up again. The song switches back to it's earlier sound; some of the vocals are spoken more in the background here. They keys get a bit of a chance to shine here; playing a more intense sounding piece behind some almost demonic shrieks. The drums have some nice fills in here; the entire song switches up very well throughout it; and of course, the whole time it keeps it's "Bodom" sound to it. It changes up in the last minute, adding yet another solo in there, and some more impressive keyboard work, dueling with the guitars again. It ends off with a great classical rendition; and it closes out the track.
Heading into track 6, "Black Widow", it opens with some eerie sounds...before heading into a very classic thrash sounding riff; this song keeps a mid pace at the start. The whole opening can easily cause some massive headbanging; the drums stay solid with some nice little fills of double bass in there; it speeds up and has some nice epic-sounding keyboards in the back, again, matching with the guitar a bit. The breakdown is nice and heavy; between the riffs and the bass; and the scream in the background is a nice touch! The vocals in this one are rather intense; they do a few different things; all of them flowing well. The guitars take on a nice classical feel again; and this whole song sort of makes me feel like the Reaper is looking over my shoulder watching me type this. The chorus, again, has that nice old thrashy feel; the keyboard solos placed in are another good touch to the song; of course switching up to some more wailing guitar. These guys can really compose a song; as well as impress me with their talent. Heading into track 7, "Wrath Within", it's another great old thrash sounding intro. Definate fist-pumper here. It speeds up a bit; still keeping that old-school sounding feel; the riff is a very driving one; layered well with the bass. The drums sound excellent in this one; some nice change ups between a solid beat and some more nice double-bass work. Really nice ride cymbal, too. Alexi's vocals keep their harsh edge; and this song, like all the others, of course offers some excellent soloing for all of the Wildchild Solo Fanatics out there. Mixing some more classical sounds with an old thrash feel; it's another strong song, right in a row. It keeps a mid-fast pace once again. After that nice flashback to the days of thrash glory yore; it hits track 8, "Children of Bodom". Opening with another strong riff and hitting right into a solo; the song is the longest on the album at just over five minutes. Alexi's voice keeps his angry snarl; and Jaska once again proves he's a master of the double-bass drive; it's about as tight and precise as you can get. His fills are also a nice touch; Janne's keyboards continue to shine next to the solos. A nice little breakdown splits things up into a really sweet guitar riff that sticks in your head; Alexi really shows off his stuff here with the solos, as well. Henkka and Alexander manage to stay perfectly matched throughout the assault; it really speeds up in the end; the drums are pulling double duty at some points. Some eerie tolling bell sounding effects are underneath some angry-sounding words by Alexi before an excellently played harpsichord-sounding keyboard part; and then here comes the classical breakdown; building into instrument by instrument; it all ends up locked together perfectly for the final, frantic parts; Janne gets another keyboard solo; and of course delivers more than admirably. One of my favorites on the album. It ends off, and goes into the final track; "Downfall". It opens with some tinkling keys; the riff begins; and it's definately one that sticks in your head. Once Jaska speeds things up(very much), on the drums for a bit, it slows for a small moment before speeding forth again; and everything in this song is just perfect. They keys add their eerie sounds in; very desolate sounding; and the riffs in this one are just amazing. This might be my favorite song on the album; and the scream placed in over the sad and intense sounding solo are wonderful. The song has some starts and stops in it that break things up a bit; it does a great job of building to a peak and then blasting forth in a fury before calming down again. I am wondering if the drum kit made it through this song intact. This whole song gives me the feeling if that the Reaper was just looking over my shoulder, he's jamming his scythe in my spine at the moment. A great solo pops up near the end of the track; some more eerie keyboards; and the song ends off in a fury of music that sounds all together angry, mournful, intense, and damnit, the reaper just killed me. Great. I gotta stop the review now.(and there was much rejoicing.)
Standout Tracks: Warheart, Children of Bodom, Downfall
Vocals: On this album, Alexi's vocals, to me, have a very 'black' edge to them. They are really dark sounding; they fit the music very well. In fact, this album probably has my favorite vocals of his; they are always Alexi, so to speak, but they have a slightly different edge to them each album. They fit each time though; and they fit extremely well here. Harsh and dark; they convey feeling very well. Sometimes he has his more thrashy yell; sometimes some eerie spoken/whispered pieces placed in.
Guitars: Both Alexi and Alexander's domain; the riffs on this album are splendid. Catchy sometimes; sometimes very dark; and always incredibly melodic. THe classical pieces that are played are superb; and some people don't realize how hard it is to do so. The twin guitar attack of Children of Bodom has always been something incredible; the rhythm section is solid, and the soloing is always brilliant. Alexi manages to create some incredible melodies in his solos; sometimes mixing in some classical music, many times original. The two guitars blend together effortlessly; and will be a real treat to those people who really like solid, headbanging, thrashy riffs and great solos like back in the day.
Bass: Once again Henkka lays down a very solid bassline. It's prominent and it matches both the rhythm guitars and drums perfectly. Sometimes there are some really strong parts; and it's especially noteworthy on the very thick, thrashy sounding tracks. Again, it's nice to hear a nice, prominent bass sound in metal sometimes. Don't get me wrong; you all know my thin sounding garage production tastes but when I am listening to some metal in this style, I like to hear my instruments. And Henkka delivers. Thank you.
Keyboards: Whew, Janne is one fuck of an impressive keyboard player; I put him up there with some of the best in metal, easily. To be able to play along with frigging guitar solos on a keyboard is no easy feat; yet he pulls it off; and very well. From the very cool classical sound harpsichord sounds to the piano sounds, to the more dramatic sudden synth effects; it all meshes together well with the rest of the music. Sometimes it's in the background, sometimes up front and commanding you to listen; and sometimes, as said, plaing dueling it out with the guitars. Janne's approach to keyboards, as I've said, have always impressed me; it's not the typical extreme metal keyboards one might hear. Very original.
Drums: Jaska is a monster behind the kit in this one. The fills placed in are always cool to hear; and he plays, as I have stated, a mean double bass drive; no holes in it whatsoever and forms the backbone to the fast, furious tracks. He can slow it down and be creative as well; he has a great ride, too. The drums have a nice clear sharp sound; but not overproduced or triggered. Some pieces he plays are simply blinding; and fast, slow or in between there is not one missed beat on the whole album. An extremely talented, and a very underrated drummer IMO; he's got a whole lot of talent here and he uses it well.
Overall: I have been juggling Follow the Reaper and Hatebreeder as my favorite Bodom album for quite some time; I can't choose I've decided. What Hatebreeder offers is nine songs that are simply brilliant from beginning to end; keeping a pretty fast pace throughout but switching it up nicely. The production is crisp but not overdone; every instrument can be heard well. Vocally it's incredibly intense. Some of the songs hit you like a massive slug from a sniper rifle right between the eyes(or a scythe in your chest. Take your pick). They just kind of stay with you, and this is one of those albums that frankly, I can listen to a couple times in a row; it's not often I say that. Dare I say it? Dare I say a melodic, well produced album like this gets the ultimate score....? Hmmm....I think it does. I just don't think I could give this any less. When an album can be played a few times in the same day and still not have me tired of it it. Bodom will continue to be one of those bands that I love despite the fact I have my pictures taken wearing corpsepaint and I wear inverted crosses. Who the hell cares. This is reminicent of the stuff that I grew up on. The stuff that rarely exists anymore in music today, except for a few bands like this who do it. Talent+conviction+an extremely well oiled band=perfect album. Listen to it.
10/10
) The third is a live review from the Maryland show when they opened for Dimmu, done by Rudebrew, another staff member. And finally is a sneak peek of the Hatebreeder review(Should be up on the site itself this week.). We are a fairly new webzine; not even a year old yet- so we review both old and new things for the site. We are working on getting multiple people to review albums more often so we can get some varied opinions of them. Dunno, thought you guys might enjoy some Bodom reads.
Follow the Reaper:
http://www.metalwhore.com/followreaper.html
Note: He refers to the Gothenburg scene in the review; but he knows they are from Finland.
HCDR:
http://www.metalwhore.com/deathroll.html
Live Review:
http://www.metalwhore.com/dimmu_dc.html
and a peek of the Hatebreeder review(this is pasted right in the post; so I warn you, it's going to be really long....)
Children of Bodom: Hatebreeder
Lowdown:
"From now on, we are enemies...you and I..."
The second full-length from the talented band from Finland. Their second serving is nine tracks long; and all in all, extremely strong all the way through. The lineup here is the same as their previous album: Alexi "Wildchild" Laiho(guitars and vocals), Janne Warman(keyboards), Alexander Kuoppala(guitars), Henkka T. Blacksmith(bass), and Jaska Raatikainen(drums). This album is rather dark sounding; it still has the incredible melodies the band is known for, as well as very good production, but the sound and feel has a very 'dark' tone to it, IMO. Well, kicking things off is "Warheart". After a cool sample, the song kicks off with an excellent opening riff/keyboard mix. The vocals snarl forth quickly; very evil sounding vox I must say; which both contrast and go along with the melodic lead playing in the back. The drums have a very quick double bass attack; switching between that and a slower beat...sometimes some blasting. Everything switches up, yet flows together very well. It's a quicker paced song for the most part and about four minutes long. The keyboards and guitar play along together very well; sharing the melody well. The song has a nice solo played about halfway through; the music slows down a bit at the point. Very powerful opening song overall!! I really like the main riff in the song. Some yelling of "Warheart!" trading with the dark vocals adds a nice touch. The breakdowns have a very nice groove to them, as well. Moving onto track 2, "Silent Night, Bodom Night", it also begins at a quick pace; more of Jaska's rock solid, fast double bass drives the song along; and Alexi's vocals, once again, are very harsh; whispering in the background a little bit; adding some eerieness. The guitars once again have an excellent riff/solo attack; and the keyboards match the guitar solos in a most impressive manner. Strong bassline as well; Bodom has always had a powerful low end to their music. The song slows up a little bit a couple minutes in; more very cool soloing placed in, one can always expect a pleasant suprise when listening to a track. It's shorter than the last track, but still a very good followup; the real shining point is the perfectly matched guitar/key solos. Track 3, "Hatebreeder", once again, begins with the fast double bass attack; it has a chugging, thick riff at the start, of course with some soloing in there. The bassline is also very present here; the keyboards take a bit of a backseat for a bit but come out well in the background soon in. It's a fast/mid paced song; and the riff is once again pretty catchy(i hate using that word, but it's true!). The vocals seem quite angry in this one. It has a quick guitar riff breakdown and buildup into a nicely done harsh scream from Alexi, switching the riff up a bit. (Very nice yell, btw.). Then enter some classical guitars and keyboards: the song quickly picks up again back into it's main form. Another fantastic guitar/keyboard solo tradeoff; they make excellent use of this already on this album! Another excellent track. Moving onto track 4, "Bed of Razors", it starts out a bit quieter, but picks up a bit to a mid-paced track. Alexi opens it up with his vocal attack; the guitars here are kind of mournful sounding in a way. The drums are still solid; a bit slower, matching the song. The chorus to this song is very catchy, and easy to bang one's head to; the solo guitar played in it is very cool. Very classic 80's feel to it. The song has a definate beat that you can bang your head to. The keyboards add some nice effect in the background; and of course, there is a quintessential solo; and another guitar/key solo tradeoff. The drums have a nice swinging beat to them throughout it; it's another good song and a nice little breakoff from the three fast thrasher before it. It ends off with the chorus riff; and then moves onto track 5, "Coward's Dead End", one of the longer songs on the album at almost five minutes. It opens up quick again; Jaska's trademark bass drums and Alexi even opens this one up with a solo. The rhythm guitar and bass hold it down; the starting solo is quite nice. The keyboards are playing along with it at some points you can hear; a piano sound. The song forms into a more mid-fast paced track; with another catchy main riff going with Alexi's snarling vocals. The guitars are doing some nice soloing quite a bit in the starting minutes of this track; it has a small breakdown before picking up again. The song switches back to it's earlier sound; some of the vocals are spoken more in the background here. They keys get a bit of a chance to shine here; playing a more intense sounding piece behind some almost demonic shrieks. The drums have some nice fills in here; the entire song switches up very well throughout it; and of course, the whole time it keeps it's "Bodom" sound to it. It changes up in the last minute, adding yet another solo in there, and some more impressive keyboard work, dueling with the guitars again. It ends off with a great classical rendition; and it closes out the track.
Heading into track 6, "Black Widow", it opens with some eerie sounds...before heading into a very classic thrash sounding riff; this song keeps a mid pace at the start. The whole opening can easily cause some massive headbanging; the drums stay solid with some nice little fills of double bass in there; it speeds up and has some nice epic-sounding keyboards in the back, again, matching with the guitar a bit. The breakdown is nice and heavy; between the riffs and the bass; and the scream in the background is a nice touch! The vocals in this one are rather intense; they do a few different things; all of them flowing well. The guitars take on a nice classical feel again; and this whole song sort of makes me feel like the Reaper is looking over my shoulder watching me type this. The chorus, again, has that nice old thrashy feel; the keyboard solos placed in are another good touch to the song; of course switching up to some more wailing guitar. These guys can really compose a song; as well as impress me with their talent. Heading into track 7, "Wrath Within", it's another great old thrash sounding intro. Definate fist-pumper here. It speeds up a bit; still keeping that old-school sounding feel; the riff is a very driving one; layered well with the bass. The drums sound excellent in this one; some nice change ups between a solid beat and some more nice double-bass work. Really nice ride cymbal, too. Alexi's vocals keep their harsh edge; and this song, like all the others, of course offers some excellent soloing for all of the Wildchild Solo Fanatics out there. Mixing some more classical sounds with an old thrash feel; it's another strong song, right in a row. It keeps a mid-fast pace once again. After that nice flashback to the days of thrash glory yore; it hits track 8, "Children of Bodom". Opening with another strong riff and hitting right into a solo; the song is the longest on the album at just over five minutes. Alexi's voice keeps his angry snarl; and Jaska once again proves he's a master of the double-bass drive; it's about as tight and precise as you can get. His fills are also a nice touch; Janne's keyboards continue to shine next to the solos. A nice little breakdown splits things up into a really sweet guitar riff that sticks in your head; Alexi really shows off his stuff here with the solos, as well. Henkka and Alexander manage to stay perfectly matched throughout the assault; it really speeds up in the end; the drums are pulling double duty at some points. Some eerie tolling bell sounding effects are underneath some angry-sounding words by Alexi before an excellently played harpsichord-sounding keyboard part; and then here comes the classical breakdown; building into instrument by instrument; it all ends up locked together perfectly for the final, frantic parts; Janne gets another keyboard solo; and of course delivers more than admirably. One of my favorites on the album. It ends off, and goes into the final track; "Downfall". It opens with some tinkling keys; the riff begins; and it's definately one that sticks in your head. Once Jaska speeds things up(very much), on the drums for a bit, it slows for a small moment before speeding forth again; and everything in this song is just perfect. They keys add their eerie sounds in; very desolate sounding; and the riffs in this one are just amazing. This might be my favorite song on the album; and the scream placed in over the sad and intense sounding solo are wonderful. The song has some starts and stops in it that break things up a bit; it does a great job of building to a peak and then blasting forth in a fury before calming down again. I am wondering if the drum kit made it through this song intact. This whole song gives me the feeling if that the Reaper was just looking over my shoulder, he's jamming his scythe in my spine at the moment. A great solo pops up near the end of the track; some more eerie keyboards; and the song ends off in a fury of music that sounds all together angry, mournful, intense, and damnit, the reaper just killed me. Great. I gotta stop the review now.(and there was much rejoicing.)
Standout Tracks: Warheart, Children of Bodom, Downfall
Vocals: On this album, Alexi's vocals, to me, have a very 'black' edge to them. They are really dark sounding; they fit the music very well. In fact, this album probably has my favorite vocals of his; they are always Alexi, so to speak, but they have a slightly different edge to them each album. They fit each time though; and they fit extremely well here. Harsh and dark; they convey feeling very well. Sometimes he has his more thrashy yell; sometimes some eerie spoken/whispered pieces placed in.
Guitars: Both Alexi and Alexander's domain; the riffs on this album are splendid. Catchy sometimes; sometimes very dark; and always incredibly melodic. THe classical pieces that are played are superb; and some people don't realize how hard it is to do so. The twin guitar attack of Children of Bodom has always been something incredible; the rhythm section is solid, and the soloing is always brilliant. Alexi manages to create some incredible melodies in his solos; sometimes mixing in some classical music, many times original. The two guitars blend together effortlessly; and will be a real treat to those people who really like solid, headbanging, thrashy riffs and great solos like back in the day.
Bass: Once again Henkka lays down a very solid bassline. It's prominent and it matches both the rhythm guitars and drums perfectly. Sometimes there are some really strong parts; and it's especially noteworthy on the very thick, thrashy sounding tracks. Again, it's nice to hear a nice, prominent bass sound in metal sometimes. Don't get me wrong; you all know my thin sounding garage production tastes but when I am listening to some metal in this style, I like to hear my instruments. And Henkka delivers. Thank you.
Keyboards: Whew, Janne is one fuck of an impressive keyboard player; I put him up there with some of the best in metal, easily. To be able to play along with frigging guitar solos on a keyboard is no easy feat; yet he pulls it off; and very well. From the very cool classical sound harpsichord sounds to the piano sounds, to the more dramatic sudden synth effects; it all meshes together well with the rest of the music. Sometimes it's in the background, sometimes up front and commanding you to listen; and sometimes, as said, plaing dueling it out with the guitars. Janne's approach to keyboards, as I've said, have always impressed me; it's not the typical extreme metal keyboards one might hear. Very original.
Drums: Jaska is a monster behind the kit in this one. The fills placed in are always cool to hear; and he plays, as I have stated, a mean double bass drive; no holes in it whatsoever and forms the backbone to the fast, furious tracks. He can slow it down and be creative as well; he has a great ride, too. The drums have a nice clear sharp sound; but not overproduced or triggered. Some pieces he plays are simply blinding; and fast, slow or in between there is not one missed beat on the whole album. An extremely talented, and a very underrated drummer IMO; he's got a whole lot of talent here and he uses it well.
Overall: I have been juggling Follow the Reaper and Hatebreeder as my favorite Bodom album for quite some time; I can't choose I've decided. What Hatebreeder offers is nine songs that are simply brilliant from beginning to end; keeping a pretty fast pace throughout but switching it up nicely. The production is crisp but not overdone; every instrument can be heard well. Vocally it's incredibly intense. Some of the songs hit you like a massive slug from a sniper rifle right between the eyes(or a scythe in your chest. Take your pick). They just kind of stay with you, and this is one of those albums that frankly, I can listen to a couple times in a row; it's not often I say that. Dare I say it? Dare I say a melodic, well produced album like this gets the ultimate score....? Hmmm....I think it does. I just don't think I could give this any less. When an album can be played a few times in the same day and still not have me tired of it it. Bodom will continue to be one of those bands that I love despite the fact I have my pictures taken wearing corpsepaint and I wear inverted crosses. Who the hell cares. This is reminicent of the stuff that I grew up on. The stuff that rarely exists anymore in music today, except for a few bands like this who do it. Talent+conviction+an extremely well oiled band=perfect album. Listen to it.
10/10
