Follow the Reaper

Bodom is one of my favorite bands, first off. This was my first album that I bought of theirs, and it remains one of my favorites. Having listened to all of their other albums, it seems the most balanced. It combines neoclassical and melodic licks with a more death metal oriented aspect. You will find the same atmospheric quotes preceding the songs, the same flair as on the other albums, but Follow the Reaper is a definite blend of the old Bodom style and more straightforward heaviness. It is a middle of the road album, and has excellent variation between songs.

Each song is unique and truly memorable. Of note are Children of Decadence, Kissing the Shadows, Northern Comfort, and Hate Me. These, to me, are the standouts of the album. It also includes such live classics as Every Time I Die, Follow the Reaper, and Mask of Sanity. These are all phenomenal tracks, but somehow lack something the others capture so well.

The guitar playing, as it is Laiho and Latvala, is out of this world. It combines heavy riffing and ethereal licks without plagiarizing Mozart or Beethoven. The guitar work is sheer brilliance with not only outstanding shredding, but impressively catchy chord progressions (see Hate Me or Northern Comfort for excellent examples of these). The keyboard harmonizes and accentuates very well, and although is not as atmospheric as Hatebreeder or Something Wild, it is still a prominent feature. Wirmens keyboardmanship is impressive as it not only compliments the guitar work, but also doesn't feel gratuitous or out of place as some of Something Wild's composition felt. Henkka is, as per usual, a steady driving force behind the acrobatics of the other instruments. Some may say it's unimaginative, but I don't find it to be so. It provides an excellent framework, although lacking the occasional solos that Hatebreeder included. The drumming is not particularly outstanding to me, but honestly I have no ear for them. They provide a similar momentum as the bass, but are not particularly noticeable. There is little variation from the blast beats that I can discern, but they are still an enjoyable part of the album. Vocals are typical Alexi with high growls and rasping. There is some grunting or deep growling, but it's not a black metal album. I admit to disliking them due to the fact that I feel they detract from the general atmosphere of the album, but are still enjoyable. Additionally, Henkka and Janne will join in, providing interesting harmonies (if they can be called that) or at the very least other voices.

The perfect way to get into Bodom. Follow the Reaper takes the elements of the previous albums, softens them with stylistic changes more related to the later work, but retains the feeling and brutality of each source.