Children of Bodom - Hexed (2019)

Children of Bodom is back! Well, that is what most people are saying when they first hear the Finnish melodic death metal legend's 10th studio offering "Hexed", and to that I respond with the following words, they never left. Sure, the band is easily categorized into two categories, pre-"Hate Crew Death Roll", and post-"Hate Crew Death Roll", with most people (as it commonly is with metal bands in general) preferring the earlier version of CoB. Personally, I think there is a charm to each of the eras, not thinking that one is better than the other (although I do admit that some albums in the second era are more inconsistent). So let us see if "Hexed" is truly a return to good old form.

So there is definitely an aura of nostalgia going throughout this record, from the murky painting like album cover that might have suited a doom band better (and also makes Roy look like a brittle old lady), and also through the music. There is a raw aggression to this record that certainly takes your mind back to that original trio of records that kickstarted the band's career. Songs like "Kick In A Spleen" (what a title!) and the title track are some of the heaviest tracks the band has done in years without adding too much of their patented melodies. It is pretty cool to see that these guys still know how to be brutal.

Still, "Hexed" is through and through more of what we have seen from the band in the last decade or so, where it is the mad technical work of the keyboard and the guitars that takes the charge. "Under Grass And Clover" displays this the best, having this almost happy main lead to be the building block of this fun, but surely divisive song. There are more songs in here that some CoB fans are gonna love, while others will hate. Tunes like "Platitudes And Barren Words" and "Soon Departed" will leave no one untouched.

It is pretty safe to say though that the sheer amount of quality in "Hexed" is enough to make the ride enjoyable, showing a great variety of memorable speed demons ("This Road", "Glass Houses"), haunting anthems ("Hecate's Nightmare"), and of course a lot of guitar gymnastics. As far as innovation goes though, there is not a lot of it. Most of the material in here sounds familiar and true to the CoB formula, but it is well made enough to not make it feel stale or boring. So in a way, this is really good old Children of Bodom we are hearing, showing a band that knows exactly who they are, and that they are not apologizing for it even for a second.

"Hexed" is far from a perfect record, but I would definitely hold it as one of the strongest Bodom record in recent years. Maybe it is not as good as "Halo of Blood", but "Hexed" still has enough juicy melodic death nuggets in it to make most fans of the band satisfied. It does make me wonder though, where is the band going from here? The predecessor "I Worship Chaos" may have been uneven, but it at least tried to show growth, something "Hexed" did not do. Well, I still enjoyed this record, so I can wait another album to make that assessment, let us just hope that Roy puts on a few more pounds, he looks like "Whistler's Mother" in his current state.

Songs worthy of recognition: Glass Houses, This Road, Kick In A Spleen, Hexed

Rating: 7,5/10 Knuckledusters

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More reviews of Children of Bodom
Halo of Blood
I Worship Chaos