Children of Bodom Albums (7)
What The Critics Say
Boy, whoever thought that technical metal was dead as a doornail during the mid- to late '90s has been proven dead wrong. Just a few years after this aforementioned era of "metal no man's land," technical metal has spread like a virus, via bands that share both an appreciation of the extreme aggression of Slayer and the technical proficiency of Iron Maiden. A fitting example of both of these metallic styles colliding as one is Finland's Children of Bodom, and especially their 2008 offering, Blooddrunk. All the ingredients from past Bodom releases are present once more -- Goth keyboards, guitar acrobatics, and vocals that sound straight out of the torture chamber. These lads sure can play their instruments, as evidenced by such intense metal blasts as the title track, "Smile Pretty for the Devil," and "Tie My Rope." But one thing that differentiates Children of Bodom from the host of other similarly styled bands is that they know the importance of succinct songwriting -- only one track here stretches past the five-minute mark. As a result, Blooddrunk showcases one of the few modern-day metal bands that manage to balance straight-to-the-point songwriting with their collective instrumental prowess. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With the presence of brutal riffs and keyboards, Finland's Children of Bodom sounds at times like Fear Factory fronted by a hardcore screamer, especially on their 2005 release, Are You Dead Yet? The group's fifth studio album (which was co-produced by Children of Bodom and Mikko Karmila, the chap who produced their previous outing, 2003's Hate Crew Deathroll) shows the quintet plowing full steam ahead, as the venom continues to bubble to the surface throughout. But the group also has an unmistakable prog metal edge to boot, as the tricky interplay between guitarist Alexi Wildchild Laiho (who also doubles as vocalist) and keyboardist Janne Warmen on "Punch Me I Bleed" certainly brings to mind Dream Theater. And since it's nearly impossible to hear any new European metal band from the mid-'90s onward and not hear an unmistakable Iron Maiden influence, the guitar work between Laiho and Roope Latvala in "Bastards of Bodom" certainly brings to mind Dave Murray and Adrian Smith. Although they may often be lumped in with the majority of other European "extreme metal" bands, there is definitely a progressive air that surrounds Children of Bodom. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
'Hate Crew Deathroll'
Release Date 4/28/2003
Tracks 9
Label Spinefarm
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Four albums in and still whacked on speed, Finnish five-piece Children of Bodom continue with its highly entertaining, giddy, pogo-stick metal on Hate Crew Deathroll. Attitude-wise, CoB has become the Manowar of melodic death metal, willfully leaping off the cliff of over-the-top metaldom (not unlike Swedish supergroup Witchery) -- which is refreshing, considering the poker-faced seriousness of most acts in the genre, and here, main Bodom-ite Alexi "Wildchild" Laiho keeps his tongue firmly in cheek while tearing through squirrelly cuts such as "Triple Corpse Hammerblow" and "Lil' Bloodred Ridin' Hood." Like its predecessor, Follow the Reaper, Hate Crew finds Laiho firing off frantic speed metal riffs and technical, shred-heavy solos alongside humorously irritating prog/horror movie keyboards; this time, however, he has tightened up the arrangements (most songs clock in under four minutes) and significantly improved the enunciation of his vocal screech, making for a lean, mean, and infectious listen. The album races to the finish of its 36-minute running time, only slowing down for deathly ballad "Angels Don't Kill" and highlight "Sixpounder," which trades busy fretwork for hackle-raising mid-tempo riff chuggery and a monstrous, sweeping, anthemic chorus. Adding to the album's effectiveness is its crisp, crystal-clear, sharp, and mechanical production (Megadeth's stellar Countdown to Extinction is a reference point), which perfectly suits CoB's slice'n'dice songwriting ethic. Hate Crew Deathroll is easily the band's most accomplished, well-rounded, and enjoyable album, thanks to Laiho's playful, frisky approach to metal's clichés; placing Children of Bodom next to comparable European metal acts gives the overtly serious sensibilities of the genre a well-deserved deflating. ~ John Serba, All Music Guide
'Tokyo Warhearts: Live'
Release Date 5/29/2001
Tracks 11
Label Toy's Factory
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Follow the Reaper'
Release Date 2/20/2001
Tracks 10
Label Nuclear Blast
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Black metal with the happiest keyboards the genre has ever seen, yet still uncompromisingly brutal. "Children of Decadence" could be Emerson, Lake & Palmer, for the love of Beelzebub; such is the level of complexity and prominence of synthesizers. The frightening Finnish fivesome does a nice job of mixing up tempos on this, the band's third studio disc, and manages to keep up the intensity in spite of (or maybe because of) the aural auditory mood swings. You won't even recognize the bonus track cover "Hellion," and it doesn't even matter. ~ Brian O'Neill, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Hatebreeder, the second release from Finland's Children of Bodom, is a louder, faster, and positively heavier release than the group's debut. Under normal circumstances, this type of evolution is a guaranteed upgrade for a metal band, but not all of Hatebreeder's elements are improvements on the blueprint established during Something Wild. Most noticeably, Alexi Laiho's black metal scream is more menacing and consistent, but this is a disputed topic among Scandinavian metal enthusiasts. Many listeners enjoy the music, but could do without the bloodcurdling vocal excess, while others consider it a critical element of any real metal statement. The value of so much throat splitting is subjective, but Laiho's refinement of the approach isn't. Along with the shouting, the entire sound of Hatebreeder is improved. The guitars and keyboards are massive and more frantic, and Jaska Raatikainen's drums are unreal. In the history of metal, it is difficult to recall many displays of pure speed that top Children of Bodom. The rest of the band definitely keeps up with Raatikainen's machine-gun delivery. Guitarists Laiho and Alexander Kuoppala also deserve credit for the thick-sounding rhythms and quick lead playing. As long as these activities aren't technically enhanced, the band deserves credit for the physical accomplishment, but it all doesn't quite add up artistically, at least not to the standard of other Children of Bodom releases. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Children of Bodom came out of the heavy metal starting blocks in fine form. The group's debut, Something Wild, attracted much attention, as many listeners and critics marveled at the bandmembers' technical abilities, while others described Children of Bodom's music as fluffy and trite. Ultimately, the Finnish group's success within the commercially limited confines of progressive black metal quelled many naysayers, but not before the band received a few harsh reviews. With the huge amount of metal being released in Europe and America -- and practically no radio outlets -- good critical response was essential for late-'90s artists like Children of Bodom. And although some weren't impressed by the shifting arrangements and sparse keyboards of Something Wild, others refused to deny the musical accomplishment of the debut. Later studio efforts benefited from superior production, but Something Wild contains plenty of essential material and performances. Jaska Raatikainen's drumming propels much of the album, especially during the strong middle section of "Red Light in My Eyes, Pt. 1" and "Pt. 2" and "Lake Bodom." One negative factor is the short playing time of Something Wild. At around 32 minutes, this record (and all of the group's studio efforts) plays more like an EP than a full-length. But considering the lack of filler material, Something Wild still contains more than its share of impressive metal. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
