CHILDREN OF BODOM - Hexed

The Finnish band Children Of Bodom debuted in 1997, led by the fiery singer and guitarist Alexi Laiho, barely eighteen years old at the time. Their formula was a mix of the key traits of power metal and melodic death metal, plus smaller doses of other genres such as black metal, speed and thrash, and a touch of Malmsteen-esque virtuosity in the solos; all blended together with a pretty cocky attitude. Usually either loved or panned, the five-piece carved out a devoted niche fanbase that made the band one of the most popular in Finland, and they went on to inspire plenty of pretentious clones.

In the second half of their career, the band's style grew a bit more thrash-leaning and rock-oriented, less flamboyant. However, the uneven results haven't always won over fans and the metal press, who in some cases came to see the band as excessively self-indulgent and often rather short on ideas. Laiho and co. always try to make up for it with their almost devil-may-care attitude, like musicians who want to have fun and entertain on stage without taking themselves too seriously.

Their latest work, "Hexed", recovers some of the distinctive traits of their past sound and reshuffles them in formulaic fashion. In doing so, it shows us a band that's still fundamentally spirited in its intentions and, as usual, anchored to a certain old-fashioned approach and stylistic stasis (not to mention a post-adolescent thematic streak). There's a balance between the two sides, in the sense that the end result is neither particularly praiseworthy nor particularly bad. The songwriting is fairly direct and impactful, and the tendency to recap the band's discography will likely satisfy fans who were left disappointed by their last few records.

Tracks like the pounding opener "This Road" (driven by the call-and-response between guitar and keyboard), the catchy "Say Never Look Back", and above all the blistering single "Platitudes And Barren Words" (with its incisive chorus, bass and caustic riff) are among the best moments on the full-length, with heavy melodies and generally sharp arrangements, though without any particular flashes of inspiration. Among the more battering moments are "Kick In A Spleen" and the pounding title track. Among the more melodic ones, meanwhile, the lively "Under Glass And Cover" and the midtempo "Soon Departed" stand out, with harmonies laid over beds of atmospheric keyboard. "Knuckleduster" is a rearrangement of a song taken from the EP "Trashed, Lost & Strungout", dating back to 2004, which seems to suggest a lack of ideas on how to close out the album.

The songs they've written are ultimately honest and true to the genre, even if they sometimes lack dynamism, and on top of that the drumming is often monotonous. Age has taken its toll, and Laiho's screaming has gotten lower and more guttural; it's left to the listener to decide whether they prefer his vocal lines now or in the past. The guitar-keyboard duels recall aspects closer to the band's early records, particularly the "Hatebreeder" and "Follow The Reaper" era, and will probably delight fans of that period who never quite warmed to the band's recent output; while many of the more immediate reference points also touch on "Hate Crew Deathroll" and "Are You Dead Yet?" for their heavy riffing with a rocking, catchy edge. But across the band's various eras there's always been a continuous common thread without any real breaks, and the fingerprints of their sound remain recognizable.

In the end, the boys from Espoo are always the same, and you could say the album amounts to a recap of their career. Aside from the thrashier direction of the last decade, which is scaled back here to recover what they showed in their early days, their style has essentially never changed much, beyond varying the doses of individual ingredients: sometimes leaning closer to classic metal, sometimes cutting back on technicality in favor of a more "up-to-face" and groovy approach, sometimes pushing for more heaviness, sometimes opening up to easy melodicism.

All in all, "Hexed" is predictably in Children of Bodom style, with a few decent if not exactly enjoyable songs and some elements that could certainly be improved. It sounds more compact than its predecessor "I Worship Chaos", which by comparison might come across as too dense — or more immediate, but that's a matter of taste. For fans of the band.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google

12/03/2019