The official Children of Bodom thread v. RIP Alexi Laiho :(

[JLa]

Sad news. This guy was way too young. Besides, I used to love Hate Crew Deathroll! Time for a re-visit.

[ariich]

While I'm definitely fan, the only albums I really particularly like are Hatebreeder, Reaeper and Hexed. I've never been able to get into any of the others. I did rather like Hate Crew Deathroll when it first came out but when I listened again recently I found the production really weakened it.

[Grappler]

Some of those Kimberly Goss tributes and others from metal musicians are captured in this thread on the official COB forum:

https://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/threads/alexi-passed-away.1724201/

[gazinwales]

Revisiting 'Blooddrunk' today I remembered why I don't like it, it's the sound.
Raw as 'Something Wild' but nowhere near the song writing, but it hurts my ears listening through headphones, it's mastered way too loud and actually gave me a headache listening to it.

[WildRanger]

RIP.
ALexi was one of the best guitarists in metal.

[deggs37]

Revisiting 'Blooddrunk' today I remembered why I don't like it, it's the sound.
Raw as 'Something Wild' but nowhere near the song writing, but it hurts my ears listening through headphones, it's mastered way too loud and actually gave me a headache listening to it.

Yeah those were rough times for many albums - the loudness wars. I don't miss that at all.

[wolfking]

Up to AYDY and jeez, Deathroll may be my current fav.  It was always up there for me with the two classics before it but I still love this one.  Great style of Reaper and Hate but mixed with some more modern and even more classic metal.  Beach, Chokehold, Hammerblow, Bloodred all so underrated with amazing musicianship.  Then you have the one two openers, Angels which are classics.  Great closer too with the title track.  Such an amazing complete metal album.

[gazinwales]

Yeah played HCDR the other day and I'd forgotten just how good it is. Not a dud track to be found, great production and killer songs and songwriting throughout.

[gazinwales]

An amazing symphonic tribute to Bodom;
https://youtu.be/ndAOIKzI_A8

[nattmorker]

Up to AYDY and jeez, Deathroll may be my current fav.  It was always up there for me with the two classics before it but I still love this one.  Great style of Reaper and Hate but mixed with some more modern and even more classic metal.  Beach, Chokehold, Hammerblow, Bloodred all so underrated with amazing musicianship.  Then you have the one two openers, Angels which are classics.  Great closer too with the title track.  Such an amazing complete metal album.

I agree! HCDR might be my favorite COB album, Chokehold is one of my favorite songs by any band ever. Their first 4 albums are absolute masterpieces!

[twosuitsluke]

An amazing symphonic tribute to Bodom;
https://youtu.be/ndAOIKzI_A8

That was so good! I need to download this. I love orchestral pieces and this is just epic as fuck

[wolfking]

Up to AYDY and jeez, Deathroll may be my current fav.  It was always up there for me with the two classics before it but I still love this one.  Great style of Reaper and Hate but mixed with some more modern and even more classic metal.  Beach, Chokehold, Hammerblow, Bloodred all so underrated with amazing musicianship.  Then you have the one two openers, Angels which are classics.  Great closer too with the title track.  Such an amazing complete metal album.

I agree! HCDR might be my favorite COB album, Chokehold is one of my favorite songs by any band ever. Their first 4 albums are absolute masterpieces!

Chokehold is so underrated, that solo section is one of the bands best.

[wolfking]

Up to AYDY and jeez, Deathroll may be my current fav.  It was always up there for me with the two classics before it but I still love this one.  Great style of Reaper and Hate but mixed with some more modern and even more classic metal.  Beach, Chokehold, Hammerblow, Bloodred all so underrated with amazing musicianship.  Then you have the one two openers, Angels which are classics.  Great closer too with the title track.  Such an amazing complete metal album.

I agree! HCDR might be my favorite COB album, Chokehold is one of my favorite songs by any band ever. Their first 4 albums are absolute masterpieces!

Yes, all 4 are just pretty much perfect metal albums in their own right.

[twosuitsluke]

Guess I'll start a ranking sesh.

I can't really rank Hexed and I Worship Chaos properly as I've only listened once or twice (and not gotten to them in my current relisten). I'll just update in a few days or whenever I get to them. The rest is pretty easy though:

1. Follow the Reaper
2. Hatebreeder
3. Hatecrew Deathroll

4. Tokyo Warhearts: Live
5. Are You Dead Yet?

6. Something Wild

7. Chaos Ridden Years: Stockholm Knockout Live

8. Bloodrunk

9. Relentless Reckless Forever
10. Halo of Blood


Edit: Decided spin I Worship Chaos now, it's already better than Relentless and Halo, just based on Widdershins, Mistress of Taboo and Danger Zone 

[gazinwales]

1. Follow The Reaper - only just beats Hatebreeder because of the better mix and production.
2. Hatebreeder - although the 2020 vinyl reissue sounds fantastic.
3. Hatecrew Deathroll - amazing album that sounds great only just behind the top 2.
4.Something Wild - CoB at their rawest didn't really know what they were doing but pulled off a blinder.

5. I Worship Chaos - a huge return to form, took a while to grow on me, only let down by 'modern metal' production and mastering.
6. Halo Of Blood - a rawer sound, some great songs
7. Are You Dead Yet? - I still have trouble with this more modern sounding Bodom, but has some great songs.

8. Hexed - great album horrible compressed sound. What am I talking about, listen to FTR then this and you'll hear a massive difference.
9.Relentless Reckless Forever - poor sound and some totally forgettable songs.
10. Blooddrunk - almost unlistenable to the extremely overloud mastering.

[nattmorker]

Up to AYDY and jeez, Deathroll may be my current fav.  It was always up there for me with the two classics before it but I still love this one.  Great style of Reaper and Hate but mixed with some more modern and even more classic metal.  Beach, Chokehold, Hammerblow, Bloodred all so underrated with amazing musicianship.  Then you have the one two openers, Angels which are classics.  Great closer too with the title track.  Such an amazing complete metal album.

I agree! HCDR might be my favorite COB album, Chokehold is one of my favorite songs by any band ever. Their first 4 albums are absolute masterpieces!

Chokehold is so underrated, that solo section is one of the bands best.

That solo section!!! 

[wolfking]

Massive fan of Blooddrunk by the way. I know it's not one of their most popular albums, it moves away slightly from the 'classical' influences of the earlier ones, but I love it anyway. Done With Everything, Die For Nothing is my vote for most underrated Bodom track (possibly tied with All For Nothing), and other tunes on the album like Lobodomy and Banned From Heaven (their best 'ballad' in my opinion) are Bodom classics to me.

I'm looking forward to revisit this one actually.

Going back to this, there were moments I was thinking that it was pretty ordinary but there were some moments that had me thinking it was excellent.  The title track is incredible.  I'll listen again before moving on.

[wolfking]

Up to my second listen to Reckless and this isn't anywhere near as bad as I remember.  It's actually not bad.   Not My Funeral is excellent and Shovel Knockout is pretty decent songwriting.  Throwdown also blisters.  It lags in the middle but I'm quite enjoying this one.  Not sure why I immediately wrote it off when it came out.

[twosuitsluke]

Up to my second listen to Reckless and this isn't anywhere near as bad as I remember.  It's actually not bad.   Not My Funeral is excellent and Shovel Knockout is pretty decent songwriting.  Throwdown also blisters.  It lags in the middle but I'm quite enjoying this one.  Not sure why I immediately wrote it off when it came out.

I feel like I have somewhat written off every album, post Are You Dead Yet? When you have a band with such a strong string of albums at the start of their career, you hold them to a really high standard (or at least I definitely did). For me, all the albums since have just paled in comparison.

I think I've probably been unfair to some of the albums but I'm revisiting with a new perspective. I know that each subsequent album that has come out I've given less of a chance. I mean, I at least have Bloodrunk, Reckless and Halo on my ipod. The most recent two, I didn't even bother downloading, I just listened on Spotify.

[wolfking]

Up to my second listen to Reckless and this isn't anywhere near as bad as I remember.  It's actually not bad.   Not My Funeral is excellent and Shovel Knockout is pretty decent songwriting.  Throwdown also blisters.  It lags in the middle but I'm quite enjoying this one.  Not sure why I immediately wrote it off when it came out.

I feel like I have somewhat written off every album, post Are You Dead Yet? When you have a band with such a strong string of albums at the start of their career, you hold them to a really high standard (or at least I definitely did). For me, all the albums since have just paled in comparison.

I think I've probably been unfair to some of the albums but I'm revisiting with a new perspective. I know that each subsequent album that has come out I've given less of a chance. I mean, I at least have Bloodrunk, Reckless and Halo on my ipod. The most recent two, I didn't even bother downloading, I just listened on Spotify.

I'm with you.  I liked the last 2 but Blood, Reckless and Halo, I wrote off from the start and I realise how unfair that was.  I also am going in with a new perspective and surprised at the outcome.

I might even take Reckless over Blooddrunk.

[twosuitsluke]

I always liked Bloodrunk more, and actually think the title track and Tie My Rope are good songs, and stand out for me compared to the rest of the album. I can't say any songs on any albums after that stood out to me. My opinion is shifting slightly now though.

[wolfking]

Up to Halo and damn, I find this one really excellent.  The title track absolutely slays.

[gazinwales]

I've been revisiting Sinergy, some of the songs sound like Bodom with female vocals.
Hardly surprising as Alexi had written some of the songs that soundalike.

[twosuitsluke]

Suicide by My Side is better than any Bodom after Are You Dead Yet? as far as I'm concerned! It's fucking killer

[wolfking]

Suicide by My Side is better than any Bodom after Are You Dead Yet? as far as I'm concerned! It's fucking killer

When revisiting the band to send songs to Tim for his roulette I was surprised how good this album was.  Pretty much rips start to finish.

[gazinwales]

Children Of Bodom - Follow The Reaper (Symphonic and Piano) - Full Album
https://youtu.be/fhDm-Iedi8U

[wolfking]

I think I've come to the conclusion that Halo crushes Chaos.

[Dave_Manchester]

Pre-orders for Bodom After Midnight's 3-track EP (2 original songs and a cover), to be released on April 23rd:

https://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/bodomaftermidnight

Has there ever before been a 50 dollar boxset for a 3-song release? That said I'm tempted to buy it because it's the final 2 songs from the great man.

[gazinwales]

Yeah those prices are pretty steep for what is basically a single, the label is cashing in this one and only release from the band.

[wolfking]

I will probably pass on this.

[gazinwales]

What a brilliant farewell from Alexi:
https://youtu.be/scgnSjvwoJ8

[wolfking]

What a brilliant farewell from Alexi:
https://youtu.be/scgnSjvwoJ8

That was excellent.  I get a lot of AYDY feels in that.  So sad what could have been after hearing this song.

[Dedalus]

What a brilliant farewell from Alexi:
https://youtu.be/scgnSjvwoJ8

 

[ariich]

Vid is kind of nothingy but damn that's a great track. Really classic Bodom tune.

[Grappler]

Love that song!  I couldn't help but think that Alexi didn't look as good has he used to though, knowing that his death was approaching not long after it was probably filmed.