(Rated this album with 10 out of 10) Reviewed by
mysanthropyk_overlord
from USA
Lyrics aside, COB's Hate Crew Deathroll is one (...) great album. The synthesizers really enhance the powerful guitar work and angry vocals, and the atmosphere is an inexplicable type of ambient bellicose serenity, if such an oxymoronic aura is attainable. Many of the "symphonic" black metal bands (Dimmu, Cradle, etc.) try to create a soundscape that pulls together melodic beauty and crushing metal riffs, but only Children of Bodom can execute the sound with such precision. The package delivered is like a euphoric lethal injection; it hits you hard but it feels so good... like getting some from a succubus... you know it's gonna kill you but you're loving every second of it... you get the picture. Best songs? Well, like Follow The Reaper before it, there aren't any bad songs on HCR, but "Angels Don't Kill" and "Sixpounder" are the standouts, the former because of Laiho's pseudo-clean vocals and the keyboards and the latter because of the murderous guitar riffs. The downside is, of course, the lyrics. They aren't poetic or thought-provoking like Cradle of Filth's, and tend to go for a more aggressive, less intuitive approach, much like the route Dimmu Borgir is taking. But though they're angry and vulgar, they're appropriate for the music, and not the mindless whining you hear out of easy-listening bands like Korn and Godsmack. In the end, the hardcore satanic crowd might be a tad let down, and it's definitely more for In Flames fans than Darkthrone lovers, but it's definitely a work to check out if you love melodic metal.
