Needled 24/7

...in any other format would be worth your time. Let's not beat around the bush here: Despite being a bit....different than Bodom's earlier material, Needled 24/7 is a solid song that stands on its own. Starting with a great thrash intro which solo-seques into a catchy guitar harmony, the song also introduced to everyone Alexi's clean vocals. Um...no. I'm sorry, while his harsh vocals are some of the most kickass in all of power metal, this man cannot sing without sounding like he's drowning in something. (See: the cover of Shot In The Dark) But in this instance, it's forgivable; he's singing about hatred for someone, and you wouldn't expect Elton John-style vocals to just suddenly pop up. Plus, there are plenty of harsh vocals throughout the song if you're one of those types who absolutely can't live without the "YAOW!". The song continues the Bodom signature style of mixing those harsh vocals with infectuously catchy guitar melodies that are guaranteed to leave the listener humming. At the very least, a solid listen.

Ah, the Slayer cover. In my opinion, they should have gone with Raining Blood or Postmortem or even Payback (The latter seems right up Bodom's alley). But Silent Scream is still a good song, the Slayer original featuring a blazing start-stop intro and energetic riffwork throughout. The song, of course, deals with the subject of abortion, ever the controversial topic. Bodom's rendition of the number fares surprisingly well; Janne's razor-sharp keyboarding gives a new edge to the song, and the guitar work keeps the Slayer vibe intact, although you can tell the axers are no one but Wildchild and Alexander. I actually prefer Alexi's harsher vocals to Tom's cleanness in the song.

So...in conclusion, the music is quality, but remember, it -is- a picture disk. You can find the previously mentioned two songs on the special edition of the LP "Hatecrew Deathroll". The latter track can also be found on the extended version of the LP "Something Wild".