The men who brought a new meaning to melodic death metal have returned. One of the biggest bands in modern metal are offering us a chance to ‘Worship Chaos’ with them in their brand new studio album, and it would just be rude to turn down the opportunity…
[tracklist]
01. I Hurt
02. My Bodom (I Am The Only One)
03. Morrigan
04. Horns
05. Prayer For The Afflicted
06. I Worship Chaos
07. Hold Your Tongue
08. Suicide Bomber
09. All For Nothing
10. Widdershins
[/tracklist]
[details]
[length]45:05[/length]
[record_label]Nuclear Blast[/record_label]
[release_date]2nd October, 2015[/release_date]
[/details]
It is barely arguable that Children of Bodom are on top the melodic death metal game. As a metal fan you would have heard of them in one way or another. The band have earned that status by producing an very interesting technical sound early on their career that mashed neo-classical shredding with death metal riffing, it was an instant hit. The band have built their career on that sound which is their own, and through the years evolved it to add something a little different on each album. Though there was a period where Bodom strayed away from feats they are known for and made more riff heavy music, 2013’s ‘Halo of Blood‘ started to see a return to that classic Bodom sound. Let’s see what their new album ‘I Worship Chaos‘ offers us…
Children of Bodom hardly ever waste time in bringing an album to an explosive start, and the same goes for the album’s opening track ‘I Hurt‘. The track itself revisits the riff heavy days of 2005 with a more simplistic chorus, and continues that sound with ‘My Bodom (I Am The Only One)‘. It’s an alarmingly slow start for any long term Bodom fan, but oh does it get better…
As soon as the album strikes into ‘Morrigan‘ the evolution of Bodom’s sound becomes very apparent. The track by my opinion is right up there with the genius of old, using technical guitar licks harmonised with keyboards throughout with powerful choruses. It somehow works, sounds great, and is super addictive. What is shown in ‘Morrigan‘ becomes the theme of the rest of the album – a classic Bodom sound mixed in with modern touch, with the former being more present than any album of the last 10 years.
Tracks such as ‘Horns‘ and ‘I Worship Chaos‘ bring out some of the best of Bodom songwriting, with the band still not afraid to be a little bit experimental while retaining the aggressive nature the band have built their career on. The track ‘All For Nothing‘ is a standout presence on the album with the rare appearance of clean guitars and a catchy melodic hook. The band have tuned down instruments on this record to make a darker sound, one that really comes to fruition on the outro of the track ‘Widdershins‘, and one that gives this Bodom offering it’s unique edge.
‘I Worship Chaos‘ without a doubt stands out as the best Bodom record of the last decade, albeit a slow start it progresses to completely kick your ass. The band are at a stage in their career where they will be relevant forever, but it is wonderful to see that they still want to be the best by putting albums out like this, and showing the world that they continue to own the sound they created. We too worship chaos.
[verdict]Yes[/verdict]
[why]Though a slow start, ‘I Worship Chaos’ is the best album Children of Bodom have put out in a decade, featuring a revived technical sound with the modern aggressive approach. It’s what long term Bodom fans have been waiting for.[/why]
