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Rating: "Follow The Reaper" is the third album recorded by the Children Of Bodom, in 2001. The album represents a positive confirmation and a peak of musical composition achieved by the band. While the group's first work had strong Black influences, the subsequent album and, indeed, this one in question, shift the main genre towards Death and also a hint of Power Metal. This blend of hard yet melodic sounds is named Melodic Death Metal. The Finnish band's lineup comprises the "child prodigy" Alexi Lahio as vocalist and lead guitarist, the unfortunate Alexander Kuoppala, relegated by the egocentric leader exclusively to rhythm guitar, Jaska W. Raatikainen, who does a great job on drums, Hennka T. Blacksmith on bass, and finally (not in order of importance), Janne Wirman on keyboards. This last instrument appears increasingly vital to the quintet's sound. I will describe song by song below, to pave the way for those interested in the album, and to compare my ideas with those who already know this album in depth...
The first track is the title track, "Follow The Reaper". The guitars demonstrate an initial imprint strongly devoted to Thrash. The keyboard creates overwhelming atmospheres, further reinforcing the sound wall, which appears sharp and frenetic, especially in the opening riff. The verses, choruses, and central parts are topped with guitar virtuosity and intricate bass lines, and all of it, as in the other songs, gives the listener strong emotions. The vocals are, as usual, based on a rough and harsh "Scream," the drums appear on very high tempos and are more pounding than ever, but above all, the solos are breathtaking. As always, the keyboards express melodies that can be appreciated even by people not devoted to metal.
The second track is "Bodom After Midnight". It is certainly slower than the previous song but features a truly shocking attack, catchy verses, a powerful chorus, and above all, a formidable and overwhelming central melody. A fairly well-known song by the group, even though I personally prefer others despite its good quality. It is worth noting the truly remarkable keyboard solo, followed by a guitar solo that, unfortunately, does not quite attract me.
The third track is a fairly famous song by the quintet: "Children Of Decadence". The keyboard almost completely dominates, while Lahio and Kuoppala's usual chaotic yet catchy riffs unfold throughout the piece's duration. The chorus is undoubtedly one of the most successful: it combines accessible musicality with great aggression, fully in their style. The solos are astounding and seem to transport us into a fantastical world. As always, the drums play a fundamental and excellent role from a rhythmic and technical standpoint.
The next song is, in my opinion, the most successful on the CD, as well as the most successful one: "Everytime I Die". From the angry intro that presents itself, it almost seems like the meanest track on the album, which suddenly transforms into a gentle and irresistible melody, with unique musicality and power at the same time. The peak of intensity is felt, in my opinion, at the point where the first verse ends with one of Alexi's usual guttural screams, making way for the main music that was already previously heard. At that point, a good listener is completely enthralled, or at least, that's how it is for me. For the rest, the chorus is as aggressive as usual, and one wonders how Alexi doesn't end up with a terrible sore throat. If many "fake" metalheads criticize the vocalist's scream, they will undoubtedly be stunned by the solo in this song, excellent in all its ideas, from beginning to end, even though it doesn't last long. However, in my opinion, after Lahio's wonderful solo piece, there is a slight dip in the song, the classic point where an average listener says, "After the solo, I'll skip it because it's boring...". In reality, it cannot be defined as boring. I believe instead it is a sensation caused by the previous part of the song, which cannot be compared with the usual routine of the last minute, namely "last chorus" and "outro".
"Mask Of Sanity" is the fifth song on the album. Personally, I love it, after "Everytime I Die" it is definitely my favorite track. The initial keyboard music takes a back seat after two measures when the other instruments come in, led by the drums, more intense and pissed off than ever. The verses seem an incomprehensible jumble of phrases in which Alexi unleashes himself and gives a sensation of unprecedented power. Then the rhythm explodes into a beautiful chorus, performed, as often happens, with a very captivating "screamed" song. Even though the song goes on for several minutes without significant changes in tempo or melody, listening is truly enjoyable. The biggest highlight is the keyboard solo played in the second half, which, according to Wirman, is the most difficult piece ever written by the band.
The sixth track is "Taste Of My Scythe". It can be considered the most substantial summary of the group's genre, even though it doesn't contain any particularly noteworthy points. It appears to be very difficult to play and the keyboard carries everything forward in the central and final part. A fact that struck me is that the song flows incredibly fast... It is four minutes long, but during listening, it seems much more concentrated, compressed, fast, and frenetic, and seems to somehow fly. In my opinion, it is slightly below the previous five tracks, but it is still a respectable piece, in full Bodom style.
"Hate Me" is the simplest and most catchy song on the album. It is also one of the singles released. The music that draws us into the song's atmosphere has the quality of instantly capturing the listener. For the rest, the song is once again dominated by an excellent performance by Raatikainen on drums and a very good main melody, making simplicity a virtue. The very nice chorus is delivered with the double bass drum in the background and great solos.
The eighth track is "Northern Comfort". It's the least melodic piece on the album, and this can be immediately sensed from the heavy, distorted, and anger-laden start. The most chaotic song on the CD, characterized by a sharp voice and difficult memorability. Listening to it multiple times, there is still no stand-out point in the ensemble, except for a good melody towards the end.
The ninth track on the album is the very good "Kissing The Shadows", which immediately makes you reflect on the enigmatic meaning of the title. Certainly, the song itself is no less impactful than its name. It starts off at full speed like many other tracks by the quintet, then evolves into guitar-driven melodies that are as sharp as they are appreciable. All instruments do their job in more than impeccable ways. The result is four minutes and forty seconds of raw and technically impeccable Melodic Death Metal, full of original ideas, high-level guitar embellishments, and whistles embedded everywhere during the piece. The guitar melody during the chorus is simply exceptional, as are the solos and remarkable duets in the second half.
The tenth track is a Bonus-Track (in other editions there are different ones, from the one I am reviewing in this case), a Scorpions cover, "Don't Stop At The Top". This piece, which closes the album, steps slightly outside the band's stylistic canons, presenting a less overwhelming but more steady chorus than usual. A certainly listenable song, though it doesn't particularly strike me personally. Perhaps such a beautiful CD could have been closed in a better way, even though I certainly don't mean to imply that this track isn't of value.
Concluding the review, I want to recommend listening to this album to those who can't get past the threshold of Heavy Metal to venture into harder sounds, and obviously to the various Truzzi who have now spread like wildfire all over the world and seem to carry a ticket with "I must and I want to understand nothing" stuck or printed directly on their foreheads.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Follow the Reaper (03:47)
'Death be not proud,
Though some have called thee mighty and dreadful
Thou art not so'
Loosing the war I'm feigning to win
Though I never tried to to strive deep from within.
Life could be beautiful for anybody it's for,
But I'd swear this mothafuckin' shit is rotten to the core.
The portal has been past and it's time to make a turn,
To follow the reaper until the point of no return.
When your blindly death-raying blade
sweeps the griefs and fears away
I cross my heart and hope to die thy freedom will be mine.
Sinking down in the ocean of severe emotions.
Grab a bottle to drink up the pain-relieving potion.
But after all, that got boring too,
So no matter what happens, I couldn't give a damn or two.
The portal has been past till the point of no return.
No more lines to cross, no bridges to burn.
Now when your blindly death-raying blade
swept my griefs and tears away.
I'd never go back to cross that line.
I cross my heart and hope to die
'I was only 21 when I died'
02 Bodom After Midnight (03:43)
Hang on, got to go
Preview what they oughta know
Keep your head down and fucking die
Wake up, rise and shine
Gotta take another pint
Dig heads and watch out for the night
When the sun comes down and the moon gets up in the sky
The battle of the day and the night
Kill, kill, kill, go fuck another one
Candlelight burns in a wood so fine
On a carpet, flying high, take it down to the other side
The way beyond it may lie
When the moon gets up and is rescuing under the night
The reaper is on the other side, let's go
Bodom after midnight
Bodom after midnight yeah
Bodom after midnight
Bodom after midnight yeah
(Solo)
Bodom after midnight
Bodom after midnight yeah
Bodom after midnight
Bodom after midnight yeah
04 Everytime I Die (04:03)
Yea ho
Yea ho
The faint blaze of the candle of my life
Slowly dying like a fire in a pouring rain
No sparks of hope inside
No shooting stars on my sky
On broken wings, no flying high
Another night, another demise
Cadaverous wind blowing cold as ice
You'll let the wind blow out the light
'Cause it gets more painful everytime I die.
Out of strength to fight
I cannot take another night
I cannot take it no more
Lust of light slips through my fingers
Like blood on my arms
Black candle wax has buried me
Another night, another demise
Cadaverous wind blowing cold as ice
You'll let the wind blow out the light
'Cause it gets more painful everytime I die
05 Mask of Sanity (03:58)
I can't waste away, I'm slowly losing my way forever
Better raise your slave for me anymore
Daylight's sin inside, day's growing closer, wait for pain
I cannot wait another night to be alone
Voices are calling me, be my night !, this devil's sigh
Yeah, shadows are tainting me, yeah
I know that only you can render pain
Peace of mind, you run away from me
So make me lose my mask of sanity
I can't waste away, I'm slowly getting my way forever
Better is when I used to be alone
Shattered light's sin in taint, day's growing longer, wait for pain
I cannot wait another night to be with you
Peace of mind, you run away from me
So make me lose my mask of sanity
Peace of mind, you run away from me
So make me lose my mask of sanity
06 Taste of My Scythe (03:58)
'Rip
and cut
and mutilate the innocent
his friends,
and again and again
and on and on'
You make me own my life in hell
My kingdom back to the bound
You say you don't make it alone
Kingdom back to the lord
Falling
I say you too, falling you too, born to die
Come with hate
Come and die
One day I'll face you all alone
Enduring out with wind and ice
It's payback time, it's your demise sought to feel
They'll taste of my scythe
You say my ear, my god who help me, god take yours in shame
Back too low, I want your head on a plate to feel my eyes
Come with me, I want your blood to save it on my eyes
I want you and in the plate to be coming in the sky, sky !
Come with hate
Come and try
One day I'll face you all alone
Enduring out with wind and ice
It's payback time, it's your demise until they feel
Taste of my scythe
07 Hate Me! (04:44)
I was born in ashes of molten hatred
Raised by demons in abodes of the end
The Reaper's scythe I fall upon to light my path
Wrecked by mangled wounds of life
I have become become the resurrection of the Evil one
'Y know that I don't fucking care if I live or die
I need a bishop preaching fire to get away with my sins
I despise everything I see so I don't give a fuck if ya hate me
Ain't got respect for humanity
Never lived or wanted immortality
The Reaper's shadow I fall upon to obscure my path
Every day I'm being battered up until I bleed
You motherfuckas just leave me be
Ya could never give me cure for the pain I feel inside
Led by the Reaper I walk in the night
Show me the way to yer kingdom come
I believe in Armageddon, I've been baptised in alcohol
I'm enbodyment of Antichrist
I'm living for my own demise
08 Northern Comfort (03:48)
You're the one who plays with fire in the night
You're the one who scares people with the scythe
You're the one to tell him to ever live by
You're the lord to shaking all alone
You're alone!
Now you left me out to drop his sight
I wasn't ready for the sunlight to come to my heart
Wooo!
Take me with you, take me far, take me away from the painless soul
Drop the haze, save the skies, Reaper never lies
Now I'am lying on the floor alone
Sweating and shivering, cold right to the bone
Pain is come, control to fall become
For the mad to escape with a bottle from this world
You're far too alive, try back to the sky
I wasn't ready for the scythe, get me down to the trough
Like lightning from the sky
The moon is up with pride
Go listen, take away
Your place for my lying out, being high, come heaven above
Go to hell, we're born to die, take me to the sky
09 Kissing the Shadows (04:32)
Hight above yer shadow smiles at me
Way down below I hear your serenely breathe
I'm running after you throughout
The valleys of tormented souls
Don't you be afraid of me only kissing your shadows
You're so far away, I can your scent
When I carries your shadow
And if you truly want I'll cross the line I'll follow
I'm dreaming my way out from down below
To get wherever you haunting from, I'll go
I'm kissing the shadows you surround me with
To feel my pain vanishing away from me
Your touching the shadows I'm surrounding you with
So together in pease we shall be
I'm running after you throughout
The valleys of tormented souls
Don't you be afraid of me only kissing your shadows...
You're so far away, I can your scent
When I carries your shadow
And if you truly want I'll cross the line I'll follow
10 Don't Stop at the Top (03:24)
You never take the easier way,
while the is blowing straight into your face.
You never make a compromise,
for any trouble that may cross your way.
There's no risk that you're not takin',
not a mountain that's too high,
spread your wings you gonna make it,
to the best time of your life.
[chorus]
Don't stop at the top, (don't stop at the top)
touch the sky before you drop. (the sky)
Don't stop at the top, (don't stop at the top)
touch the sky before you drop. (the sky)
You never make a compromise
Your will has got the power that won't break
You never say never to a challenge
That will come along the way
There's no risk that you're not taking
Not a mountain that's too high
Spread your wings, you're gonna make it
To the best time of your life
[chorus]
Never stop, don't stop at the top !
11 Shot in the Dark (03:38)
Out on the street I'm stalking the night
I can hear my heavy breathing
Paid for the kill but it doesn't it seem right
Something there I can't believe in
Voices are calling from inside my head
I can hear them I can hear them
Vanishing memories of things that were said
They can't try to hurt me now
But a shot in the dark one step away from you
A shot in the dark always creeping up on you
Taught by the powers that preach over me
I can hear their empty reason
I wouldn't listen I learnt how to fight
I opened up my mind to treason
But just like the wounded and when it's too late
They'll remember they'll surrender
Never a care for the people who hate
Underestimate me now
But a shot in the dark one step away from you
A shot in the dark not a thing that you can do
A shot in the dark always creeping up on you
But just like the wounded and when it's too late
They'll remember they'll surrender
Never a care for the people who hate
Underestimate me now
But a shot in the dark one step away from you
A shot in the dark not a thing that you can do
A shot in the dark always creeping up on you
12 Hellion (03:02)
[originally recorded by W.A.S.P.]
Hell-hound, hot leather on your legs
That smokin powder keg
You're riding on is hell-bound
And you're the one they claim
It's going down in flames
You're riding Hades' rails (Hellion)
Hellion - The devil's Hellion child
Hellion - will never have to die
Well child, you're sweatin' and you're stoned
That alcohol you downed
Makes you crazy-
All night, you damn the hurt and pain
And drink the devils rain
It's screaming out your name
Hellion - The devil's Hellion child
Hellion - will never have to die
The Gods you worship are steel
At the altar of rock 'n' roll you kneel
A slave who forever rocks
Is chained in the devil's locks
And slain by the bloody axe I wail
Hellion - The devil's Hellion child
Hellion - will never have to die
13 Aces High (04:28)
There goes the siren that warns of the air raid
Then comes the sound of the guns sending flak
Out for the scramble we've got to get airborne
Got to get up for the coming attack.
Jump in the cockpit and start up the engines
Remove all the wheelblocks theres no time to waste
Gathering speed as we head down the runway
Gotta get airborne before it's too late
Running, scrambling, flying
Rolling, turning, diving, going in again
Running, scrambling, flying
Rolling, turning, diving,
Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die
Won't you run, live to fly, fly to live, Aces high.
Move in to fire at the mainstream of bombers
Let off a sharp burst and then turn away
Roll over, spin round to come in behind them
Move to their blindsides and firing again
Bandits at 8 o'clock move in behind us
Ten ME-109's out of the sun
Ascending and turning our spitfires to face them
Heading straight for them I press down my guns.
Running, scrambling, flying
Rolling, turning, diving, going in again
Running, scrambling, flying
Rolling, turning, diving,
Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die
Won't you run, live to fly, fly to live, Aces high.
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Other reviews
By wwwhatemoornet
Follow the Reaper doesn’t seem at all inferior to its two predecessors, Something Wild and Hatebreeder.
I recommend this CD to anyone approaching extreme metal for the first time… they won’t be disappointed and can soon head towards more challenging horizons.
By alexi89
The keyboards are more imposing and gothic, reminiscent of the symphonic Nightwish.
Hate Me! may appear commercial to many but is an excellent track with pure Iron Maiden style riffs.
