Review Summary: Children of Bodom begin their transformation into the band they are today with their last truly excellent album.
Children of Bodom - Hate Crew Deathroll
The future of metal?
The best metal band to come out in a long time?
Does the band take a new approach to their sound?
A big fat
yes would answer all of those questions. Children of Bodom has really been stirring up the world of heavy metal since their first release
Something Wild. They've gained fame across the globe and have also gained critical acclaim as one of metal's finest bands. While this is the band's weakest release to date, it is still an excellent record and worth your money. The band improved musically (as they always do), but the songwriting wasn't as good as before, and some of the vocals and lyrics are a bit absurd. I'll go into further detail later in the review.
Children of Bodom is:
Alexi Laiho - Guitars, Vocals
Roope Latvala - Guitar
Janne Warman - Keyboards
Henkka T. Blacksmith - Bass
Jaska Raatikainen - Drums
What was good about the album:
-- Musical virtuosity is very apparent on this album. Every member gets a chance to show off their skills in just about every song. Everyone who has heard about Children of Bodom knows about the incredible solos that the band always plays, and they certainly don't stop on this album.
-- While some fans of the band didn't like the fact that the band was starting to change from their old sound, I liked that the band wanted to try somthing new. I mean, who wants to hear the same thing on five different albums? I know that I don't.
-- The solos are probably the highlight of the album. Not only does Alexi get to blow your mind with incredible shred solos, but there are plenty of times where Janne gets to have a keyboard solo as well. There are also parts in several songs where the two of them get to duel on their instruments. This part is what really makes Children of Bodom special.
-- In my opinion, the band's best song is on this album; Bodom Beach Terror. This song is completely flawless and lets everyone in the band play some incredible parts. The drums provide a very awesome beat in the intro, and the riffs are always solid. The dueling solos are also there, where Alexi gets to show off first, but then after another chorus Janne comes in with an even better keyboard solo. There is also a very haunting sample at the end that links to the next song. This track truly is a masterpiece.
What was bad about the album:
-- Alexi's vocals annoy some listeners and occasionally they bother me too. I don't like some of his screams (especially in "Needled 24/7") and there are other songs where you just want him to shut up and play a solo or something. Most of the time they aren't bad, but there are a few times where they bothered my listening experience.
-- While this album does have some good songs, it has some bad songs too. Some examples of this would be "You're Better Off Dead" and "Triple Corpse Hammerblow". They're nothing you haven't heard the band play already and they seem like filler to me.
-- The lyrics are stupid. But hey, they aren't the focus of the band at all. A perfect example of this would be the title track "Hate Crew Deathroll". They're just cheesy anthem lyrics that would only work if you heard it in concert. Other than that, it seems like a joke to me.
-- Metal heads wouldn't mind, but some people might think that this album is too heavy.
Highlights:
Chokehold (Cocked N' Loaded)
Bodom Beach Terror
Angels Don't Kill
Little Bloodred Riding Hood
This is a great album worth any metal head's time. Even if you don't typically listen to this genre anyways you might even want to check it out. It's filled with great solos and some cool riffs and a pounding rhythm section. It's a very impressive record and one of the best albums of that year.
Final Rating: 4/5
