Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A ladder rung above the last album, Are You Dead Yet?, April 15, 2008
Finnish thrashers Children of Bodom follow up their last album with what sounds like a sequel of sorts - Blooddrunk. This is not alluding to a second offering of Are You Dead Yet? per say, but the songs are eerily similar in style and lyrical content. You could probably swap songs from one album to the other without much of an evident difference, even taking the song titles into account. Is this a negative? No, but it's not necessarily a positive. Children of Bodom have arguably slumped in the studio the last couple albums (In Flames is another similar heavy hitter arguable of doing the same), but the results on record depend on your point of view. Do you enjoy something dark and brutal? Or do you enjoy something slightly catchy, but heavy? If you answered the latter, then Blooddrunk is for you.
While the band's sound has changed to some extent, you can still expect the usual sounds from albums of old - double bass drums and keyboards all over the place, Alexi Laiho's technical prowess on guitar, and spine-tingling anthems in general. Children of Bodom carry on to play as intense as hell in songs like "Smile Pretty for the Devil" and "Roadkill Morning," but on the other hand have lessened the pace to allow for manageable head banging in songs like "Done with Everything, Die for Nothing" and the title track "Blooddrunk." The majority of the album is keyboard-laden, which is no surprise, but not absolutely necessary. Although, the guitars and keyboards do have a few appreciative tangos at times. Keyboards or not, Blooddrunk is a ladder rung above the last album and is a step in the right direction for a true Children of Bodom revival.
|
|
|
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
good album, but below bodoms standards...., April 15, 2008
I would like to say this album is not a bad album. There are a few songs that stick out, but Blooddrunk is bodom's weakest album yet. I love the thrashy side of bodom, but they completely abandoned their neo-classical/metal sound on this album. Something about it feels empty. All the previous bodom albums i've played over and over after my first listen, but no songs really grab me on this album.
Now on the good side the guitar and keyboard work is amazing on this album. some of the best solos and harmonies bodom has done, but thats all that really stuck out to me is the solos. The songs also have to be catchy and strong! this is a very good metal album, and if this was a new band i'd give it 4 stars, but fact is this is children of bodom, and they are missing something on here IMO. well its worth a listen, but as a bodom fan i'll stick to hate crew and follow the reaper....
|
|
|
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Blooddrunk: Still essential Bodom!, April 19, 2008
Children Of Bodom's sixth studio album proves to be quite a treat. "Blooddrunk" follows the release of "Are you Dead Yet?" with amazing intensity. Many long time fans will argue that "Are You Dead Yet?" took Bodom into a new mainstream direction with mostly catchy mid-tempo tracks and lacked the intensity of earlier releases such as "Hatebreeder" and "Follow the Reaper". Well the intensity is back but the vintage neo-classical style is still gone. Never the less there is a lot to like here with some really impressive tracks that hold up well even when up against the juggernauts from the aforementioned "Hatebreeder" or "Follow The Reaper" albums which set the standards extremely high.
Hellhounds On My Trail - Excellent opener that sets the mood for the rest of the album. It did not appeal to me at first, but it does grow on you. Thrashy beginning which develops into a menacing beat after the great solo. 4.5/5
Blooddrunk - First single off the CD. 4/5
LoBodomy - Technical track which has some depth to it. Nothing spectacular though and seems to be one of the weaker tracks on the CD despite the great solo and interludes between Alexi's guitars and Janne's keyboards. 3.5/5
One Day You Will Cry - One of the best songs on the CD. Amazing atmospheric intro which develops into a great beat and continues onto one of the most impressive solos on the whole album. 5/5
Smile Pretty For The Devil - The first song that was recorded for the CD. Straightforward Bodom song that develops into a great keyboard groove at the end after the lengthy battle. 4.5/5
Tie My Rope - Great song with complex guitar work. 4.5/5
Done With Everything, Die For Nothing - One of my favorites off the album. The song has a scorching beat to it and showcases Alexi's vocals very well. There are some really deep growls and a phenomenal chorus. 5/5
Banned From Heaven - The slow song on the album similar to "Angels Don't Kill" or "Everytime I Die" from their earlier albums. Has a very eerie feel to it and provides an excellent change of pace. 5/5
Roadkill Morning - Very fast track yet still melodic. Great album closer. 4/5
There are evident influences from the several bands that Children of Bodom have toured with in the last few years. Lamb of God and Slayer instantly come to mind when looking at such tracks as "Hellhounds On My Trail", "Blooddrunk" and "LoBodomy" where their influences can be heard throughout the entire songs. This is where the album develops a certain feeling of thrash. As a whole "Blooddrunk" feels a lot thrashier compared to their earlier works which were a lot more neo-classical. Whether this is a good transition or not depends on the listener, but it does loose some of their unique style and feel.
Although this review may come off as negative, it is only in the context of Bodom's previous work; any other band this would be a five star album! Give it a chance you might like it if you approach it with an open mind, but most importantly give it time as most great thrash albums take a lot of listens to grow on you.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
Interact With Your Music: Discover, listen to, and buy new music, all from the pages of SPIN's digital edition, free to Amazon customers.
by Children of Bodom 
