CHILDREN OF BODOM „Follow The Reaper”

Music: Heavy Metal/ Death
Website: www.childrenofbodom.com or www.cobhc.com
Duration: 41:14 (10 tracks)


Stand Out Songs: Every time I die, Northern comfort, Taste of my scythe….it is all a matter of personal opinion

Children of Bodom, over the last six years have become legendary in their own right.

And by fuck do they deserve that title.

They hail from Finland, a famous wheel forever churning out metal bands of a variety of levels, some sky high, some falling as low as to dip their heads in the underworld pool never to be heard of again. But whereever your opinion of Finish metal stands, Children Of Bodom are guaranteed to send your views spiraling down the drain in a torrent of broken glass.

Here come the masters.

Alexi Laiho as frontman, holds within his fist the power to make the average spine shiver within the first few bars of his opening riffs. Standing as the idol of many budding axe wielders worldwide, with guitar solos that could floor a small dragon should it stand in his way, he is truly a god on the strings. Just listen to tracks such as Northern Comfort and Every time I Die to have this proven to you. I still cannot fathom just how he is able to tear his fret boards to shreds while being free to expertly throw his throaty roar into the unique sound that has become Bodom today. Both at the same time. Ingenious. The man is untouchable. All hail the Wildchild.

With unsettling lyrics, which are easy to bypass in the full front of Alexi’s growl, Follow The Reaper make for good reading as well.

“I’m running after you throughout, the valleys of tormented souls, don’t you be afraid of me only kissing your shadow” – Kissing the shadows
I think it is safe to say that all are left kissing their shadows.

Further Godlike Supremacy from

• Alexander Kuoppala (on guitar, hand in hand with Alexi’s fire picking)
• Henkka T. Blacksmith (on 5 string,)
• Janne Warman (on keyboard, slashing CoB’s ever haunting background chillers to pieces) and
• Jaska Raatikainen (providing immense drum solos and complimenting Alexander’s and Alexi’s insane fret dancing)

Prove that one man alone can only achieve half his goal. By pulling together, they have managed to achieve 5 times their target. Every bands dream, to have fun, while doing what they love.

Slaying their way up the metal hierarchy worldwide, they are less than a stones throw away from their rightful place on the throne, encouraging so many to follow them. Follow the reaper? A subliminal message perhaps? Indeed, if Alexi turns out to be the Grim himself, I think many of us would dance happily to our graves. Follow the reaper will put an end to all those left standing in their path who still have that annoying question eating away at their minds. What is real metal? The answer is simple. Shut up and open your minds fools.

It is quite straightforward, if you feel for any reason that should you be confronted head on by raw unchained sincere heaviness at its finest you risk the chance of fragmenting into a million pieces, then do not listen to this cd.

A truly remarkable masterpiece, with no song sounding similar to the next, that irritating splurge of boredom that so often accompanies high rated cds is absent this time. Celebrate and be merry. Come and join the Hate Crew Of Bodom!

In the last six years of their reign they have successfully brought the Finnish metal wheel to a grinding halt, nothing compares, or ever will compare. There will never be a band like The Children Of Bodom.
No band could ever hope to scratch their surface.
Good luck to all those who may try, remember the small dragon.

note: 10/10

Tracklist

01. Follow the reaper
02. Bodom after midnight
03. Children of decadence
04. Every time I die
05. Mask of sanity
06. Taste of my scythe
07. Hate me!
08. Northern Comfort
09. Kissing the shadows
10. Hellion (w.a.s.p cover and bonus track)