“It’s like using your head to pound nails into a wall”

Looking at the cover art for the new Children of Bodom CD, Blooddrunk, might be a mistake given its subject matter. A large, black-robed specter has seemingly just finished cutting something, or someone for that matter, and now a large spray of blood gushes over the toward the viewer. Maybe a bit off putting, but after repeated listens Blooddrunk reveals just how appropriate the cover is in relation to the contents.

            This music is not for the faint of heart: it is big, bold, and most of all bloody, which in the case of this album is most definitely a plus. Never a band to rest on their laurels, this album kicks off with the frantic assault of “Hellhounds On My Trail”, featuring some of keyboardist Janne Wirman’s best work in an already awesome career.  For the next 35 minutes, Children of Bodom never lets up its attack on your eardrums. Each song boasts the same combination of double kick drums, crunching bass, the dual guitar assault of Alexi Laiho and Roope Latvala, and enough gothic keyboards to put the Phantom of the Opera to shame.  It also contains some of the most concise songwriting in the metal genre today. Only one song clocks in over five minutes, the rest hovering around the four minute mark, which thankfully allows us to catch our breath and pop more Advil before the next round of symphonic noise kicks.

While the lyrics are somewhat unintelligible and seem to revolve around the same territory of COB’s previous albums (death and blood are quite popular), the skill and virtuosity these guys bring to the table more than makes up for this “flaw.” Sure, many thrash metal bands can play just as well, but in lead singer/guitarist Alexi Laiho, Children of Bodom have found the perfect front man for unleashing their hard rock acid on an unsuspecting world. It’s not hard to imagine Laiho spewing his lyrics while strapped to the rack or some other medieval torture device. The gibbering wildness of his singing combined with the aggressiveness of their instruments make Blooddrunk an album that will surely cause your body to sweat and your heart rate to pulse to the beat of their double kick drum.

Blooddrunk may not be the masterpiece of the decade for metal fans, but Children of Bodom have accomplished more in their newest album than many older acts have in their recent output (Cough cough Metallica cough). Simply sit back, tune in, and rock out.

Final Verdict: 4/5 Woovies

Track to download:

“Smile Pretty For The Devil” – this dual guitar driven rampage created harkens back to the Golden Age of metal when Viking, Valkyries, and Helloween roamed the earth