Follow the Reaper

Children of Bodom have really created a masterpiece with this album. Before coming across this album I had only heard Are You Dead Yet? and remained blind to COB's excellence. The tracks remain furiously fast and brutal, but have a discernable melody. Shredding guitars, steely keyboards and harsh screams are the name of the game with Follow the Reaper, providing a careful dose of both excellent song writing and thrashing speed. To get a good idea of what this album is all about, find a sample of the title track, or the ever popular "Hate Me".

Of all of the musical genius of this album, the most prominent to my ears was the incredible guitar work. Alexi Laiho is notorious for his axemanship, being rated with the top 50 fasted guitar players in Guitar World magazine, and you can really tell where this fame comes from. Solos are intertwined within several of the songs, often laced with keyboards, and the result is just awe inspiring. Speaking of the keyboards, WOW! They don't overpower the songs, have catchy melodies and just generally fit in perfectly within this melodic death metal gem. I find myself humming along with their speedy licks.

The drums are well done, with beats put out effectively and intelligently, as opposed to nonstop blast beats. I am not a drummer and listen more for guitar work and vocals in metal, but it is so annoying when a repetitive, weak drummer is in an otherwise good band. Fortunately Children of Bodom do not have that problem in any way.

The vocals are quite excellent. Harsh, yet still understandable. You can hear the clever, dark lyrics easily without having to decipher them with the lyrics booklet. Death metal usually poses somewhat of a problem in that aspect, at least if you are interested in what the musicians have to say. Laiho's wicked screams are intense and satisfying without being overpowering and forced.

Notably, this album contains small lines of quotes in a few songs. Usually I dislike it when albums have much spoken word type stuff, but the quotes are short and to the point. Well chosen and well placed, they sum up the song they are present in. The lines add to the dark atmosphere of the music as much as the Grim Reaper on the front cover adds to the visual atmosphere.

Its hard for me to say anything bad about Children of Bodom, as I have liked all of their albums, but this one stands out to me as one of the best melodic death metal albums I have ever heard. Hell, it would probably make my top ten list of metal albums I've ever heard. To wrap this up, if you are a Bodom fan, make this album a must-have.

A few favorite songs: Children of Decadence, Bodom After Midnight, Follow the Reaper, Hate Me!, Taste of My Scythe