Children Of Bodom
Follow The Reaper

THE REVIEW

From Finland with Hate.

After the two magnificent previous albums and an amazing live CD, Alexi Laiho and company return in 2001 with this third effort. From the first listen, it's clear that something has changed in the COB camp, even though the result is quite impactful: the virtuosic compositions that the Bodom kids had accustomed us to with "Hatebreeder" have been abandoned, the keyboards are more imposing and gothic, reminiscent of the symphonic Nightwish, the drums greatly neglect the typical double bass outbursts. However, despite these elements, the tendency towards a more melodic sound does not leave one indifferent at all.

The dance opens with the title track "Follow The Reaper", leading up to the best melodic experiment of this album, "Every Time I Die", where Warman's keyboard riffs transport the listener into an open-eyed dream amidst the snow and ice, followed by one of the most beautiful solos to ever come out of Laiho's brain. After an "Mask Of Sanity" that needs revisiting and a good "Taste Of My Scythe", comes the first single of this album, "Hate Me!", where riffs and guitar dissonances pop up in pure Iron Maiden style, resulting in an excellent track, very appealing but (let's be honest) it may appear commercial to many. The dance finally closes with a stunning "Kissing The Shadows", worth listening to even just for the final two minutes, in which Laiho and Warman engage in one of their guitar/keyboard speed contests that might remind many of the golden days of "Hatebreeder".

Despite some parts that need revisiting, it is a beautiful album, which I highly recommend to those who are not yet familiar with the five Finns and, for the first time, want to venture onto the shores of the most famous Metal lake.