Children Of Bodom's Reviews
Hatebreeder (Average Rating: 9.36 out of 10)
Amphetamine Overkill!!! (Rated this album with 10 out of 10)
Reviewed by
LimpRageAgainstTheBizkitMachine
from Reigate, Surrey United Kingdom
...Get 'Red Light In My Eyes pt.2' from their debut, Something Wild, and listen to the intro, that has been directly taken from Mozart's Symphony No.25.
The amalgam of undiluted death metal, melodious overtones (often due to the keyboards), and the aforementioned classical influences make for a powerful yet cohesive listening experience. Not to mention the soloing. Every song here has a completely synapse-shredding solo to boot, courtesy of frontman Alexi 'Wildchild' Laiko. And the drumming gives Trym, from the seminal black metal group Emperor, a VERY fast and tight run for his money.
The vocals may be a touch overdone, but if you like the style on show here (frog-in-throat) you'll most probably love this. ... Follow The Reaper, whilst sadly shedding a lot of the brutal thrash that at times characterises this disc (to awesome effect). But for seasoned metalheads, this sophomore effort is a fist-in-the-air ride all the way. Enjoy.Tracklisting: 01. Warheart. Coming out the gates with a quote from Amadeus, 'From now on, we are enemies...you and I'...setting the scene for the aggressive treat ahead. All involved play their wrists off, and soon settle into a groove which spells out the word 'anthemic'. Jaska Raatikainen's unbelievable skill ... plays the first of it's many tricks - he's as fast as Mike Portnoy is complicated. The solo section, shifting into double time, steals the show...The only weak point is the end - the song should stop at a more obvious point.... Silent Night, Bodom Night. One of the weaker tracks I think, though the intro is good. There isn't much of a hook anywhere to be found, as the chorus and tempo shifts around too much. These may be quibbles, as this is supposedly one of the best songs the group have composed, but it feels average to me nonetheless. 03. ...The group are at the very pinnacle of their powers, as not a note seems misplaced. Even the potentially disastrously overlong guitar keyboard 'battle' (amazing) solo section seems a stroke of genius. ... Bed Of Razors. After 3 thrash songs, the group relax, and take down the tempo several notches, thus giving a counterpoint to the speed. It's well placed, another thrash song and I would have got whiplash. With perfect timing on their side, this comes off as the group's best slow song, beating anything on Follow The Reaper to the ground with it's intricacy. The keyboards, by Janne Wirman, get another chance to shine, with a brief solo not seeming like a chance to get off by any means. 05. Towards Dead End. Such a deviation from plan doesn't last long. ...P>06. Black Widow. A sinister keyboard part leads into the darkest song on the album, with the bleakness reaching a head with a stunning 4/5 section, 32th notes on the kick drums underlying a sweeping harmonized dual guitar riff. A standout part on the disc altogether, even if the song as a whole is cut short. 07. Wrath Within. At this point, the whole formula has burnt out somewhat, so some slightly slower songs complete the disc. This is another average song, with the same problems re-emerging, and only a catchy half-time riff around 2:30 in makes any difference. Nice, but unremarkable. 08. Children Of Bodom. Slightly better, and the most accessible track on show here. ...
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