Children Of Bodom
Follow The Reaper

THE REVIEW

"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.