Finnish melodeath superstars Children of Bodom have gone through several identity crises. Starting off as neoclassical melodic death metal, they had a lot of success. Their album Hatebreeder is indisputably a classic of the genre. But over time, they turned their sound into a more groove-oriented version of themselves with shred sections. This sound still had a lot of acclaim, as their fourth album Hate Crew Deathroll was also received very positively, even though some lamented the loss of their older influences. With their next few albums, they kept slightly changing their sound to be more accessible while simultaneously trying to capture their spark from their earlier days, but it never clicked, even though slog the way they had some great songs. After several disappointing albums, and the loss of famed guitarist Roope Latvala, Bodom are faced with their deciding moment. They could either pick themselves back up and make a comeback, or risk forever being written off. Thankfully, their ninth album, I Worship Chaos , is more the former than the latter. What really makes a Bodom album tick? If we’re talking post- Hate Crew, it’s basically solid grooves, chantable choruses, angry one-liners from Laiho and cheesy lead sections. Well, I Worship Chaos has got all of those covered. Each song is full of memorable little licks, be it some aggressively-nod-inducing riffs, earworm melodies or just proclamations screamed by Alexi (who sounds angrier than he has in a while). But what’s really important isn’t just that these elements are thrown in to tick boxes, it’s that they all come together in a way that makes for an enjoyable listening experience. And that’s definitely the case here. Roope Latvala’s departure was definitely concerning as his lead playing was thought to be a big part of the band’s sound, but Alexi seems to be managing just fine without him. Perhaps the solos are a bit less intense, but there isn’t a noticeable drop in songwriting quality overall. In fact, the album feels better written than several of its predecessors. Everything is in lockstep, riffs carry tension and resolution very well between each other, and they don’t feel tired. This is an especially impressive feat if one considers the fact that melodic death metal has been around for quite a while and the template has been “figured out” long ago. Even Bodom have contributed to that process in the past, and nine albums deep into their career, it would be easy for them to feel like there’s not much left to say (in fact many though that was the case even seven albums deep into their career, so in some ways I Worship Chaos is a resurgence of quality). Sure, Alexi doesn’t sound like he feels as rife with angry creativity as he did fifteen years ago, but he sounds a lot more invigorated than he did five years ago. The benchmark for success in melodeath isn’t necessarily innovation anyway, it’s polish. And polish is in abundance on this album. It’s hard to underline in words the specific tightness that makes this album tick. This isn’t something that one can identify on paper. It’s the feeling of genuineness and effort conveyed by the tone of the writing. To the careful listener, that the songs were put together not by haphazard cobbling of ideas that were left on the drawing board after a writing session but were carefully put together to ensure every cog clicks properly with everything else, is obvious, and that is when the heart put into the album is apparent. Overall, I Worship Chaos is a polished, heartfelt album that makes it sound like Children of Bodom are enjoying their own music again; and fans should join in on that as well. The band are better than they have been for several albums, and new life has been breathed into their music. In a way, they’re back from the dead, telling us that we were wrong to write them off. ? Children of Bodom- I Worship Chaos gets… 4/5 -NT
Posts Tagged ‘children’
Children of Bodom Begin Writing and Recording Eighth Studio Album
Facebook: Children of Bodom The mighty Children of Bodom have secluded themselves within the icy woods of their native Finland to work on their eighth studio album. From an undisclosed location in Helskini, the band is constructing and recording 10 new tracks for their follow-up record to 2011′s ‘Relentless Reckless Forever.’ “It’s a nice change to the regular method where we lock ourselves up at a studio in the middle of the woods, usually also during the darkest time of the year,” Bodom frontman Alexi Laiho tells Soundi magazine. “However, we did track drums at the tried-and-tested Petrax studio in Hollola this time as well, so we got our fix of that modus operandi too. But for the guitar and bass, we don’t require a big facility in the countryside, so we decided to stay closer to home for this part of the session.” Interesting enough, Bodom guitarist Roope Latvala has made it clear that he is dedicated to elevating the guitar to greater prominence for the band’s next album, a goal which fans with surely appreciate. Although Children of Bodom’s music has remained strong throughout their career, the band has focused less on massively addictive guitar leads since their 2005 album, ‘Are You Dead Yet?’ “Roope did voice his opinions more than usual this time around,” Alexi says. “And maybe the others, too. As far as the actual question goes, the usual rule applies: all good ideas are taken into consideration.” Although there is no ballpark estimate of a release date, Bodom will be continuing their tradition of recording hysterical covers of pop songs, with the band planning to create metal versions of Bananarama and Roxette tracks. Check out footage of Children of Bodom jamming on some new material in the video below. Children of Bodom Practice New Tracks From the Studio [button href=”http://loudwire.com/children-of-bodom-everytime-i-die-top-21st-century-metal-songs/” title=”Children of Bodom – Top 21st Century Metal Songs” align=”center”]
Vince Neil Offers Apology After ‘Gun Control’ Twitter Battle
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com As we recently reported, Motley Crue vocalist Vince Neil found himself in a Twitter battle after advocating gun control while reacting to the horrific shooting in Newtown, Conn. After withstanding a barrage of criticism and firing off additional tweets attacking those who challenged him, Neil has now posted that he was “misunderstood” and offered apologies to those he offended. The Twitter feud began when Neil tweeted the following message: “Sad day today. Prayers to all the families. Gun Control!!!” After some ill will was directed at Neil about his stance on guns, the singer responded with the following series of tweets: Why is everyone so concerned with guns? What about the CHILDREN that were MURDERED today! Get your priorities straight!! Come on people!! — Vince Neil (@TheVinceNeil) December 14, 2012 I did say gun control but I didn’t think 90% of you would care more about your gun than dead children!!! — Vince Neil (@TheVinceNeil) December 14, 2012 FUCK YOU to EVERYONE who puts guns in front of kids!! Do not come to ANY shows! You are sick!! — Vince Neil (@TheVinceNeil) December 15, 2012 Today (Dec. 18), however, Neil apologized for the previous tweets by explaining that he was misunderstood while reminding his Twitter followers that he tragically lost his 4-year-old daughter Skylar to cancer: I’ve been misunderstood on this subject. It was upsetting to me that the focus was not on the children and their families. I lost a child — Vince Neil (@TheVinceNeil) December 18, 2012 that age. I never said ban guns. I said gun control. Sorry if I offended anyone. — Vince Neil (@TheVinceNeil) December 18, 2012
Three Days Grace Announce ‘Three Days of Giving’ Hometown Shows
Facebook: Three Days Grace Tis the season to give back, and Three Days Grace will be doing so on three consecutive nights in their hometown of Peterborough, Ontario next month. The group has revealed a series of shows, promoted as “ Three Days of Giving ,” with all the proceeds going to a different charity each night. The shows are scheduled for Dec. 11, 12, and 13 at The Venue in Peterborough and will mark the band’s first hometown performances in five years. The opening night show, Dec. 11, will help out The James Fund, the largest umbrella organization for neuroblastoma families in Canada, with outreach programs into the U.S. and other countries. Just last month, bassist Brad Walst took part in The James Fund’s walk-run fundraiser for neuroblastoma research. His son was diagnosed with having a cancerous neuroblastome tumor several years ago, but the rocker revealed that his son has been one of the lucky ones with the tumor stabilizing. So Walst, in particular, has a very close attachment to the organization they’re supporting. Fans can learn more about The James Fund here . Tickets for the Dec. 11 show may be purchased here . The second night, Dec. 12, will aid Road Recovery, an organization that helps young people battle addiction issues and other adversities by harnessing the influence of entertainment industry professionals that have confronted similar issues. To learn more about Road Recovery, check here and to get tickets for the Dec. 12 performance click here . The third and final night, Dec. 13, will benefit The Herbie Fund, an organization that brings children from around the world to The Hospital for Sick Children for life-saving or life-altering surgeries that may not be available in their home countries due to high costs or the lack of medical expertise. To investigate more about the Herbie Fund, check here . Tickets for the Dec. 13 show are available here . My Darkest Days , who feature Brad Walst’s brother Matt as their vocalist, will open all three shows. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/three-days-grace-chalk-outline-video/” title=”Next: Watch Three Days Grace’s ‘Chalk Outline’ Video” align=”center”]