Customer Reviews

Follow the Reaper

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love metal. Ever since I was a freshman in high school when my cousin, a professional violinist who I've always looked up to in terms of music, introduced me to it back in the days. One of the bands that he hooked me up with was Children of Bodom. I'd say this is CoB's best album, but it's a very difficult choice. The music that this band produces is truly amazing, and this album is a perfect highlight of their career.

Each track is its own, no repeating riffs, no dull moments. What I find most amazing is that this band can change the moods of each song many times in a 3-5 minute range. The only band that I think does a better job than CoB is Opeth, but they use an average amount of 10 min per song to do this. This is what makes CoB so intense. They're not the heaviest, or the fastest, or the loudest band. But they are one of the most solid bands I have ever heard in my life. If you like metal, no, if you like rock in general, you would dig Children of Bodom.

OK, first of all, I'll admit that I'm the biggest fan of Death or Black Metal. Mainly due to the growling/screeching vocals. When a vocalist does that it tells me one thing. They they can't really sing a lick in their normal voice. But from time to time I find a Death or Black Metal band that I can tolerate. And those are usually the Melodic Death or Symphonic Black Metal bands. Bands that constantly change up their song structures with symphonic keyboard elements or just various guitar riffs within the same song. In my 20+ years of being a Metalhead, I have only found a few that fit this bill. I guess my first Death Metal band was Schuldiner's "Death", back in the day. But more recently, I have found a few such as Dark Tranquillity, Dimmu Borgir, and Amon Amarth.

However, the most recent is Children of Bodom. Oh, dont' get me wrong, I've heardx some of their stuff over the last few years, but never could get myself to get into them. Well, lately, I have decided to give them a try by buying their catalog. And despite the raspy screeching vocals, the music is darn good. Especially this album right here. I listened to it in my truck and I was blown away at the musicianship of this band. (I usually listen to my music on my PC through a set of Logitech THX 5.1 speakers.)

Each song on this CD is killer. There wasn't one filler song. Each song had its own hook, riff and keyboard backings that made each song unique. I really could run down each song as to how they rate, because I don't pay that much attention to that kind of stuff.

But for these 2008 re-issues, I will say this....the sound quality on them is outstanding. I'm thinking that they may have been remastered as well. I know Hate Crew Deathroll was. Every element comes through clearly. The bass is strong. The keyboards own and the guitars rule.

Actually, I will also say this with regards to CoB in general. I'd say that about 70% of their songs are instrumental. Not instrumental as in no vocals, but each song is about 70% without vocals.

This is a really great album. I wanted to give it 4 and a half stars, but it's closer to five so I gave it five. This an amalgamation of great metal riffs and truly beautiful symphonic/melodic guitar work.

There isn't really a duff track on the entire record. Every track stands more or less on it's own and has it's own appeal. Tracks like Northern Comfort (clever name) and Hate Me! are both examples of the combination described above. These two tracks have bridges in them that can only be described as purely "epic"- it's the type of music that makes your hairs stand on end. I can't really put it into words, it has to be heard.

There are more solidly metal songs, like Children Of Decadence and Bodom After Midnight. Theses tracks both have blistering keyboard and guitar solos, on top of their already very strong structures. The opener "Follow The Reaper" is a great kick off to the album, and a phenomenal track in itself. The others are just as great, with Everytime I Die being the first song to gain them somewhat mainstream sucess: and you can hear why.

There is hardly a dull moment on this album. I'm not sure if C.O.B ever truly combined elements of power, symphonic and black metal so well as here, as the following albums became more heavy ended (that is no objection to them!)

Highly recommend this. A really sweet collection of songs. Keyboards and production are also great as always.

Im not really any fan of death metal but this is my only favorite death metal band. Their death metal is not that kind of aggresive average thrash with random melody like most death metal bands put out (AKA meshuggah) but they add a great combination of power metal influence sound with phenominal keyboards and neoclassical yngwie malmsteen style guitar playing and a monstrous bass, But yeah im not too crazy about the growling vocals because im more use to the power metal type vocals but alexi laiho is an awesome guitarist.

This album here is just plain awesome and all the songs were great!

I was very happy to find this CD for my nephew. The cost of the CD and shipping were great and delivery was fast.

My cd arrived in a very short amount of time and it was in a prestine condition. Will absolutely order from this merchant again.

children of bodom are an amalgamation of everything wrong with mainstream metal: broiling, eyeliner-streaked hot topic angst, "in your face" pantera toughguy swagger right out of the "tude"-filled 90s, and an emphasis on trills and candy-coated guitar heroics over riff development. the masses love it because it's catchier than most pop music and gives them an artificial sense of uniqueness and rebelliousness (you know, without all that inconvenient stuff that usually goes along with it, like "having ideas" and "not constructing identity off products"), but if you're already a fully realized person you'll see this for the populist joke it is.

it's tempting to say this album continued the band's descent into artistically bankrupt flower metal banality before they fully embraced mallcore, but in all honesty they were never good; the best parts of their best album were directly ripped off from mozart's requiem.

quick, vote this review as "unhelpful" before you turn 14 and thus grow out of this band.