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

Children of Bodom - I Worship Chaos (2015)

After wandering in darkness for the last couple of albums, Children of Bodom finally seemed to be back on track with their release of "Halo of Blood" two years ago. A great, melodic assault that was easily the best from the band since "Hate Crew Deathroll". This certainly got my hopes up that the follow up would follow in the same foot steps, creating a perfect blend between the old and new Bodom.

The thing that made "Halo of Blood" so successful was that the riffs was no longer the main focal point. Instead, the band focused on a heavy attack. Going into the new album, entitled "I Worship Chaos", I was hoping they would use the same tactics again. They did, but to a much smaller extent. "I Worship Chaos" is more of the newer CoB than the older, a more melodic album where the structures are fairly simple and the riffs tries to steal the attention. This ultimately hurt the song writing in my opinion.

It also seems like the band has become more egoistic in the last two years, or one would think that when they release a album called "I Worship Chaos" and it contains songs as "I Hurt" and "My Bodom (I Am The Only One)". Besides from that, it is the Bodom we all know and love. The aggression is there, the technicality as well, they just miss the killer songs.  "Morrigan" is a typical single release that is easy for the fan to enjoy, but harder to love, and "I Hurt" has a good bite, but it will probably be forgotten in the long run.

The highest quality comes particularly in three songs. The title track and "Widdershins" both display some high speeds and nice technicality. They also have a cool solo to complement their sound. But my clear favourite is "Prayer For The Afflicted", a dark, gloomy, and slow song that shows a different Bodom than what we are used to. I really like this one because the mood and instrumentation goes incredibly well together, creating a overall impression that lifts the whole album.

Something that does not lift the album though is the three covers that comes with the digipack version of the album. I have never considered CoB as a great cover band, and these covers do not change my opinion one bit. Both the covers of  "Mistress of Taboo" by Plasmatics and "Black Winter Day" by Amorphis are acceptable, but then we come to "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins, and I loose my shit. Because every time the band covers a song that has normal vocals, Alexi sings horribly, like he is trying to hold back just so you can recognize the song they are covering. I think they could have done something cool here, made the song their own, but failed miserably. If you want a good "Danger Zone" cover, search for the one made by Psychostick instead.

I think "I Worship Chaos" suffers from the high expectations that "Halo of Blood" brought in. It is not a awful album, but it is not spectacular either. It has some small highlights here and there, but the quality of the craft does not meet up to the cover of the artwork (which I must say might be one of my favourites from the band this far). The band can do better, but they certainly can do much, much worse.

Songs worthy of recognition: Prayer For The Afflicted, I Worship Chaos, Widdershins

Rating: 6,5/10 Horns

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More reviews of Children of Bodom
Halo of Blood

Hexed

Children of Bodom - Halo of Blood (2013)

So once again, there had been rumours that the Finnish death metal band Children of Bodom has finally got it right, that they have found their way back to the glory days with album such as "Hate Crew Deathroll" and "Follow The Reaper". As before, I took these rumours with a pinch of salt. Do not get me wrong, I am a real fan of CoB, but these promises that they have gone back to the early stage of their career have been, more or less, false. I still can enjoy some of the material on "Blooddrunk" and "Relentless, Reckless, Forever", but the magic was nowhere to be found. This time however, I must say that the rumours were true.

"Halo of Blood" is indeed the first album in 10 years that has the heaviness in focus. Sure, the melodies are still there, but besides "Transference", they keep a more laid back role in the songs on this record. Instead, it is the heavy riffs and the overwhelming power that plays the main part on "Halo of Blood". It is like the band has gotten hold of a time machine and turned the clock at least 10 years backwards. The perfect example of the new heavy direction is in the marvelous title track that with a doom like atmosphere takes a hold of you and attacks you with high precission blast beats until you are beaten senseless. And it also has a great melodic solo to wrap up the old and new.

But it is not only the heaviness that is putting a big impression on me. Just like in the last release, "Relentless, Reckless, Forever", the band is showing a good variation. From the intoxicating and catchy "Transference" to the smooth flowing "All Twisted", Children of Bodom is showing off most of their register. And fortunately, the variation is not so vast that it makes "Halo of Blood" fragmented. There is a clear red line that goes through every song in this album, so the overall experience on the album is not damaged.

Now to some of the highest points on this album. First off, we have "Screaming For Silence" with its mid-tempo sound that stands out and almost seem beautiful compared to the other songs. It surprised me that the band could write such mellow songs without making it sound wimpy. Then we have the exciting "Bodom Blue Moon (The Second Coming)" that clearly has the best guitar riffs and a groovy tempo that should make most of you happy. "Dead Man's Hand On You" is the slowest song in the album, but the dark mood makes it one of the more emotional tracks in "Halo of Blood". Definitely a great song for those of you who like heavy ballads. And what would a CoB album be without a thrashy segment. That segment is delivered in the beginning of "Damaged Beyond Repair", a song that is a okay listen, but otherwise from the intro, there is nothing really special with this track.

So there is not much to complain about on "Halo of Blood". The production is sleek, but still heavy, the band is doing what they do best, and even though the true depth of Alexi's vocals is not as great as before, he is still doing a great work on his part. The only real problems with "Halo of Blood" is that the album miss a complete killer. The title track is the closest, but it does not quite stand up against songs like "Needled 24/7" or "If You Want Peace... Prepare For War". But instead of have a couple of killer songs, the band has put together 10 songs that are more or less equal in strength, and together, these songs create a highly enjoyable album.

"Halo of Blood" is definitely superior against albums like "Are You Dead Yet?" and "Blooddrunk" and it is a test of strength that CoB is showing. The band has taken the best parts from the old and new Bodom, and mashed up a record that was way over my expectation. Now let us hope that they keep their roots in their future material, but also have the guts to develop their sound even further. Because if the band continue down this route, then I am certain that they will create more killer album like this one.

Songs worthy of recognition: Halo of Blood, Bodom Blue Moon (The Second Coming), Transference, All Twisted

Rating: 8,5/10 Bottles and knees

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More reviews of Children of Bodom
I Worship Chaos

Hexed