Children Of Bodom
Are You Dead Yet?

THE REVIEW

This time the Children made a half misstep... "Are You Dead Yet?" is a great album, with some tracks that deserve to be listened to over and over again, however, it fails to live up to the masterpiece "Hatebreeder" positioning itself, in my opinion, between this and "Hate Crew Deathroll". I don't think I'm the only one who believes that the early tracks of CoB are by far the best...

"Are You Dead Yet?" is an album that knows how to captivate, but makes you skip songs like the third, fourth, and sixth... as well as the last one, because after listening to them a couple of times in a row, you feel repulsed...

"Living Dead Beat", the opener of the album, is a top-notch track, showcasing the intentions of CoB on this CD from the start. A powerful and gritty piece with a spectacular mix of wah-wah handle and overdrive at the end... style Gone Jackals. The chorus is undoubtedly the most beautiful part of the song. "Are You Dead Yet?" title track born from an absurd story (an accident that threatened to end the career of the talented frontman). To exorcise this escaped danger, the Children create a bad, at times brutal song that reaches its peak of cruelty and violence in the chorus... leaving you perplexed in a good way, staring at the wall and thinking "... should I regret or ask myself: Are You Dead Yet?".
"If You Want Peace... Prepare For War" this is the thrashiest track of all. Furious rhythm... double bass in fibrillation and frantic riffs. A pleasant track... for the first two times... then, for a while, it's better to skip it. "FUCK!"
"Punch Me, I Bleed" the fourth track is beautiful, a slow, emotionally stirring piece with a great lyric. However, I consider it an unsuccessful attempt to replicate the success of their first "slow song," the legendary "Everytime I Die". Goosebumps come during the bridge, upon hearing "Sweep back to kill you can't make it go away. So let's, take a shot at me, just when you Punch Me, I Bleed!".
"In Your Face" one of the best tracks... nothing to say about the stunning and rhythmic attack, on a solo that, as a rule, is divided between guitar and keyboard and the choirs on "INCOMING!" are spot on. Great at the end of the second verse... "So fuck hypocrisy and fuck you too!".
"Next In Line" at first I found it fantastic... then slowly it began to tire... a track with a great chorus and notable screaming. A nice track, not excellent, but catchy.
"Bastards Of Bodom" yet another tribute to the unsolved 1963 heinous crime, this track is one of the most beautiful of the entire album. An inspired guitar-keyboard duel and perhaps contains the most beautiful chorus of the CD "I don't need of reason, and I won't tell you why, just take you to Hell, by the edge of my scythe!".
"Trashed, Lost & Strungout" beautiful. A phenomenal, powerful piece, with the double bass literally assaulted and scary solos. Laiho's ESP soars on the notes of the solo that drags you, before plunging you back into the wicked and disdainful world of a "trashed, lost, and junkie." The most beautiful part of the lyrics is "Before I go high, I hit the ground!".
"We're Not Gonna Fall" is the track I liked the least... it didn't convince me, except for the engaging bridge. However, it is a track that is thoroughly enjoyed live, where the grit of the lyrics is overly charged.