Follow the Reaper

After listening to the entire Children of Bodom discography, I can confirm that their best album is ‘Follow the Reaper’. It combines melodic elements, speed, harshness, great solos, and riffs. It’s a shame we lost Laiho a few years ago; he was an excellent guitarist and vocalist. His talent is evident in songs like ‘Children of Decadence’, where those melodic solos are incredibly catchy. The mix of harsh vocals and melodic riffs transports me to a new dimension.

The keyboard work on this album is also fantastic, especially in songs like ‘Hate Me!’ and ‘Taste of My Scythe’. The keyboard sound throughout the entire album is remarkable, but those two songs stand out for me. The sound of the keyboard mixed with those guitar solos makes me feel like I’m back in the 2000s when this new melodeath sound became popular, evoking a sense of nostalgia with those emotional power metal melodies.

The drums are well done on this album, as always. I also loved Jaska’s drumming in their previous albums like ‘Something Wild’ and ‘Hatebreeder’, where the drumming was more aggressive and raw. However, here the drums have moved in a more mature and catchy direction. The bass also sounds pretty great.

The production is perfect; you can distinguish every single instrument. Additionally, this album is consistent, making it perfect for melodeath fans who crave a little bit of that 2000s nostalgia. In my opinion, I give this album a 10/10.

Highlights: ‘Children of Decadence’, ‘Everytime I Die’, ‘Mask of Sanity’, ‘Bodom After Midnight’, and ‘Hate Me!’.