Children Of Bodom have come a long way since their 1997 debut Something Wild. The Finnish Melodic Death band have become one of the biggest metal bands in the world. A lot of fans were disappointed with their 2005 release, Are You Dead Yet?. The album was less thrashy and more modern sounding than their previous albums. In April they are set to release their sixth studio album entitled Blooddrunk. So how does it compare to their past efforts?
Well, fans will be pleased to hear that the band found the edge and heaviness that they seemed to lose on AYDY?. This sounds like the album that could have come after 2003's Hatecrew Deathroll. The album starts with a nice thrasher called Hellhounds On My Trail, which is reminiscent to past Bodom classics like Needled 24/7 or Hate Me. Perfect song to open the album and will probably open their future concerts in support of this album. Good thrashy riffs, catchy keyboard melodies, just what you'd expect from the boys.
The next song is the title track which is the first single and video for the album. Not a bad song, but you can see that they are drawing a lot of influences from American bands these days. The song starts with a heavy down-tuned riff and a spoken word part that your likely to hear on a Lamb Of God or Unearth song.
One of the highlights on the album comes from track 5, Smile Pretty for the Devil. The last minute or so of the song features an excellent guitar and keyboard solo that makes you remember why you fell in love with the band in the first place. The albums token ballad is Banned From Heaven, a nice and heavy melodic number which is miles better than AYDY?'s Punch Me I Bleed. The rest of the album is more of the same. Fast, angry down-tuned riffage, with a typical keyboard melody and guitar solo thrown in to remind you that they're actually Finnish. Good but nothing you haven't heard before.
Blooddrunk is a good album, faster and heavier than AYDY?, but still doesn't have the same impact as the bands' past efforts. I'll give it a 7/10.
Album Highlights: Hellbounds On My Trail, Smile Pretty for the Devil, Banned From Heaven
Watch the video to the first single Blooddrunk:
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2 comments:
Corrections to the article
AYDY was released 2005, not 2004
The first word of the first track is "Hellhounds" not "Hellbounds"
Thank you for pointing those out to us, it has now been corrected :-)
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