The Melodic Death Metal Thread
Children of Bodom - "Follow the Reaper" (2000)
I think it might have been Ben who first introduced me to this Finnish act upon my return to metal in 2009 & it may have been through this very album too if memory serves me correctly. I can't say that "Follow the Reaper" does very much for me these days though with its power metal-infused melodeath sound largely flying straight over my head. This shit really lacks consistent aggression with the vocals of Alexi Laiho being fairly stereotypical for the melodic death metal scene & the neoclassical guitar solos removing whatever edge may have been achieved by some of the more heavyweight riffs. There can be no denying Laiho's talent as a shredder but I need more than that these days. European power metal has never been my thing either so this record was always gonna be a challenge for me. It's certainly not a complete disaster but "Follow the Reaper" offers very little that fits into my wheelhouse in 2025.
For fans of Kalmah, Norther & Wintersun.
2.5/5
There are undoubtedly a lot of bands / albums that I've introduced you to over the years (and vice versa), but Children of Bodom are not one of them. I don't think I've ever got through a full track, let alone an album.
There are undoubtedly a lot of bands / albums that I've introduced you to over the years (and vice versa), but Children of Bodom are not one of them. I don't think I've ever got through a full track, let alone an album.
Are you sure? I can distinctly remember you rocking over to my place in a brand-new Agalloch "Pale Folklore" t-shirt, raving about Paul Baloff-era Exodus & playing me three of your favourite new metal records from Children of Bodom, Dragonforce & BABYMETAL.
In Flames - "Whoracle" (1997)
While 1996's "The Jester Race" album may have been a huge record for these Swedish melodeath champions, it never connected with me personally & neither did In Flames' highly celebrated follow-up record "Whoracle". Whilst I do prefer it to "The Jester Race", "Whoracle" still suffers from many of the same failings in its quest for my affection. A good half of the tracklisting is really pretty entertaining but the other half does very little for me with the song-writing edging much too far into more accessible realms than I'm comfortable with. It's probably telling that my two clear favourites also happen to be the least popular tracks in "Morphing Into Primal" & the title track because it's a strong indicator that I can't appreciate the selling points that In Flames' audience live & die by. Sure... I'd take "Whoracle" over other In Flames releases from the period like 2000's "Clayman" but it still falls short of the mark for me personally.
For fans of Dark Tranquillity, Soilwork & At the Gates.
3/5
Children of Bodom - "Hatebreeder" (1999)
This was the first time I've revisited these Finnish melodic death metallers' sophomore album in over fifteen years & I could very quickly see why as, much like it's follow-up "Follow the Reaper" which I struggled with a couple of months ago, "Hatebreeder" champions a sound that I simply can't stomach. It's comprised of tightly executed power metal instrumentation with front man Alexi Wildchild Laiho's raspy melodeath vocals & shredding neoclassical lead solos being layered over the top & none of that was ever going to sit very close to my wheelhouse. I will say that "Hatebreeder" is slightly better than "Follow the Reaper" (which is arguably their most well-known record) but I really should have known better than to venture into these territories again.
For fans of Kalmah, Norther & Wintersun.
2.5/5
Amon Amarth - "Twilight of the Thunder God" (2008)
The seventh & most well-known full-length from these Swedish Viking worshippers is one of their best releases in my opinion & I get a little more out of it than I do most other melodic death metal records. The tracklisting is still pretty hit & miss but, on this occasion, we find that the highlights are strong enough to carry the weaker inclusions with the opening title track being one of my favourite melodeath tracks. The song structures are very simple so it's all about whether Amon Amarth can hit that melodic sweet spot or not & they do as often as not. The heavier cuts are unsurprisingly where my personal preferences lie though.
For fans of Dethklok, King of Asgard & Unleashed.
3.5/5
In Flames - "Colony" (1999)
Another classic Swedish melodeath record & another release that I can't connect with. I wasn't a fan of widely praised albums like "Jester Race", "Whoracle" or "Clayman" so it's no real surprise that I've struggled with this revisit of In Flames' 1999 fourth full-length "Colony" either because it's pretty much on the same level as those three. If pushed I'd probably put "Whoracle" at the top of that list with "Jester Race" & "Colony" rounding out the top three. I have to admit that Anders Fridén's vocals are really good & so are the production & performances, particularly the guitar work of Björn Gelotte & Jesper Strömblad. The song-writing is just too accessible for me with those folky melodies not offering me much of substance though.
For fans of Dark Tranquillity, At The Gates & Soilwork.
3/5
Wintersun - "Wintersun" (2004)
It has been over fifteen years since I last explored the debut album from this Finnish extreme metal duo but it didn't take long for me to remember why as I struggled with "Wintersun" in a similar way to that with which I did the two Children of Bodom records I revisited recently. Wintersun certainly had a little more meat on their bones though with the excellent blast beats of drummer Kai "the Grinder" Hahto (Nightwish/Cartilage/Enochian Crescent/Rotten Sound/Swallow the Sun/Trees of Eternity/Vomiturition/Wings) adding some genuine excitement to proceedings while the blackened snarl of multi-instrumentalist Jari Mäenpää (Arthemesia/Ensiferum) is also pretty gnarly. In fact, the clean power metal vocals are fairly well executed too but it's the consciously epic symphonics & cheesy Ensiferum-style folk melodies that I really struggle with though & I think it speaks volumes that the only two tracks I genuinely enjoy are those where Wintersun opt to steer away from their hybrid sound (see melodic power metal anthem "Death & the Healing" & my album highlight in melodeath number "Beautiful Death"). Unfortunately, I think I can't probably do without Wintersun in my life.
For fans of Children of Bodom, Kalmah & Norther.
3/5
Dark Tranquillity - "The Gallery" (1995)
I wasn't much of a fan of this Swedish melodeath pioneer's 1993 debut album "Skydancer" but was impressed enough by their follow-up "The Gallery" to purchase it on CD upon release. It's interesting that I thought it was pretty great at the time but haven't felt like giving it a revisit in decades which is telling really. It shows that I had perhaps overrated the album's appeal & that was proven this week as it can't compete with the most elite releases from the subgenre in my opinion. It's certainly very consistent in its quality with no week tracks included & the compositional & structural work is quite ambitious. It's just that I don't connect with the more overtly Iron Maiden-inspired melodeath as much as most extreme metal fans (at least not in modern times) & "The Gallery" is a prime example of that sound.
For fans of In Flames, At the Gates & Insomnium.
3.5/5
Here's my adjusted Top Ten Melodic Death Metal Releases of All Time list:
01. At The Gates – “Slaughter Of The Soul” (1995)
02. Stortregn - "Finitude" (2023)
03. Carcass – “Heartwork” (1993)
04. Sentenced – “North From Here” (1993)
05. In Mourning – “The Weight Of Oceans” (2012)
06. The Breathing Process - “Odyssey (un)Dead” (2010)
07. Unanimated - "In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead" (1993)
08. Amorphis - "The Karelian Isthmus" (1992)
09. Amorphis - "Tales From The Thousand Lakes" (1994)
10. At The Gates - "Terminal Spirit Disease" (1994)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/147
Amon Amarth - "With Oden on Our Side" (2006)
After quite enjoying my recent revisit of these Swedish melodic death metallers popular 2008 seventh full-length "Twilight of the Thunder God" recently, I thought I'd better give my other Amon Amarth record of preference a few listens so as to see which one I favour these days & the result has ended up being very close with 2006's "With Oden on Our Side" just tipping out it's more well known counterpart by a slim margin. It's very clear that the band have made a conscious attempt to keep the song structures simple & uncluttered in the interest of accessibility here but, when they get the chorus hooks right, it works really well with the three-track run that includes the title track, "Cry of the Black Birds" (my personal favourite) & "Under the Northern Star" being particularly solid. Johan Hegg's vocals are quite powerful yet remain intelligible throughout while the pounding kick-drums of Fredrik Andersson drive Amon Amarth forward into battle. This is one of the better melodic deah metal records around in my opinion.
For fans of Dethklok, King of Asgard & Unleashed.
3.5/5
Here's my adjusted Top Ten Melodic Death Metal Releases of All Time list:
01. At The Gates – “Slaughter Of The Soul” (1995)
02. Stortregn - "Finitude" (2023)
03. Carcass – “Heartwork” (1993)
04. Sentenced – “North From Here” (1993)
05. In Mourning – “The Weight Of Oceans” (2012)
06. The Breathing Process - “Odyssey (un)Dead” (2010)
07. Unanimated - "In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead" (1993)
08. Amorphis - "The Karelian Isthmus" (1992)
09. Amorphis - "Tales From The Thousand Lakes" (1994)
10. Amon Amarth - "With Oden on Our Side" (2006)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/147
Children of Bodom - "Hate Crew Deathroll" (2003)
The fourth full-length from these power metal-inspired melodic death metal legends is probably my favourite Children of Bodom studio release these days, although don't mistake that statement for any sort of proclamation of passion as I still struggle with it, just not as much as I do with releases like 1999's "Hatebreeder", 2000's "Follow the Reaper" or 2011's "Relentless Reckless Forever". On the positive, the Fins have backed off the classical influence a fair bit here with the guitars having been ramped up & taking the limelight from the keyboards which had played a more dominant role in the past. When you combine that with some excellent, driving kick drum work from Jaska W. Raatikainen & the brilliant, ultra-shredding lead guitar work of front man Alexi Wildchild Laiho, you receive a noticeably more thrashy sound that even hints at Pantera-style groove metal at times. In fact, there are a few tracks included that I find myself kinda digging (see "Bodom Beach Terror", the closing title track &, my personal favourite, "Sixpounder") but it's unfortunately still not enough to overcome the cheesier material with a noticeable mid-album lull going a long way to sealing the deal on my still generally lethargic feelings to Children of Bodom's best record. Oh well... you can't say that I don't try to understand the appeal in these dudes now, can ya?
For fans of Kalmah, Norther & Wintersun.
3/5
In Flames - "Come Clarity" (2006)
Most of our regulars would probably be aware that I've never been a fan of In Flames' most celebrated 1996-2000 period with albums like "The Jester Race", "Whoracle", "Colony" & "Clayman" doing very little for me. The Swedes' 2006 eighth full-length is a bit different to those records though & offers me just enough appeal to see it reaching a more acceptable rating. This isn't your standard melodic death metal release though. In fact, it's a little hard to argue that it's a death metal release at all, although they never fully pull away from their roots either.
With "Come Clarity" we see In Flames embracing the melodic metalcore sound that was making waves in the underground metal scene at the time & combining it with their signature melodeath riffage & alternative metal song-structures to create a more accessible record that aims to win a new fanbase over with more of a stadium sound. When they manage to nail that combination, it works really, really well, as evidenced by the classic alternative metal anthem that is the title track or the very solid melodic death metal burner "Vacuum". The vocal performance of Anders Fridén is worth mentioning as it never feels like a death growl, instead sitting closer to a psychotic metalcore scream during the more extreme sections while making a decent fist of the clean chorus melodies too. It's worth noting that there are just as many failures as there are wins here though but, thankfully, those wins are comprehensive enough to overcome the losses & leave me with a more positive feeling than I can recall having with In Flames' more unanimously praised albums. As with a lot of releases like this one though, a song's potential to capture the listener all comes down to the quality of the chorus melody & your experience will ultimately depend on whether you can connect with those enough to get onboard with "Come Clarity" or not. I've been surprised to find that I can these days so perhaps there's hope for me yet.
For fans of Soilwork, Darkest Hour & Avatar.
3.5/5
Unanimated - "Ancient God of Evil" (1995)
I first became acquainted with Sweden's Unanimated through their debut album "In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead" which I picked up through one of my Neuropath band mates shortly after it was released in 1993. While Unanimated's initial effort didn't exactly fit inside my traditional extreme metal comfort zone, I nonetheless found myself quite enjoying its unique blend of melodic death & black metal sounds & gave it a few repeat spins at the time. In fact, I still regard "In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead" as one of my top ten melodeath releases to this day which is really saying something. By 1995, I was more heavily involved in the tape trading scene than ever before so, when I heard news of a brand-new Unanimated record, I immediately went about picking it up through one of my European contacts, looking for more of the same from the Swedes yet also hoping that they might push things up to a new level. Many death metal fans will tell you that they did too. Me? I'm not so sure.
"Ancient God of Evil" is a very polished release for the time with the crystal-clear Dan Swanö production job giving Unanimated the best possible chance at succeeding in their quest for extreme metal stardom. It's also a touch more melodic than its predecessor with the black metal component being a little stronger & taking the form of some pretty cool keyboard-backed atmospheric sections. It's worth noting that these guys were amongst the first to attempt the more melodic black metal sound & were quite influential on that subgenre so they were old hands at it by this point in their careers. Raspy vocalist Micke Jansson (Damnation) does an excellent job as the band's main focal point while the all-star rhythm section of bassist Rickard Daemon (Dismember/Murder Squad/Carbonized/Damnation/General Surgery) & drummer Peter Stjärnvind (Merciless/Murder Squad/Black Trip/Damnation/Entombed/Krux/Nifelheim/Pest/Regurgitate) hold down the back end with aplomb, leaving plenty of room for their band mates to build their instrumental hooks. While guitarists Jonas Mellberg (Therion) & Johan Bohlin (Desultory) may present a plethora of memorable melodic ideas between them though, they aren't exactly virtuosos & struggle to achieve anything above a very basic guitar solo so I think they often would have been better off going without & focusing purely on the riffs.
The song-writing on "Ancient God of Evil" is very consistent in that there are no weak tracks included, mainly because Unanimated were a class act so, even during the songs that sit furthest from my comfort zone, I generally maintain some level of admiration for the scope & execution. Despite the undeniable class & consistency though, "Ancient God of Evil" isn't exactly chock full of highlights. Like most melodeath, I find popular, hook-laden songs like opener "Life Demise", "Oceans of Time" & "Dying Emotions Domain" to be more agreeable than they are exciting. It's the short instrumental "Mireille" & catchy closer "Die Alone" that hit me the hardest & show the full potential in the mid-90's Unanimated sound. There's no doubt that Unanimated knew what they were doing. I'm just not quite sure this sound & style is something that I can get completely onboard with though so I'd probably position "Ancient God of Evil" slightly behind its older sibling "In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead" in terms of my overall enjoyment of the package. It's still one of the better examples of blackened melodeath that you're gonna find though so I've managed to find some space for it at the bottom of my top ten melodeath releases as well.
For fans of Dissection, Necrophobic & Thulcandra.
3.5/5
Here's my adjusted Top Ten Melodic Death Metal Releases of All Time list:
01. At The Gates – “Slaughter Of The Soul” (1995)
02. Stortregn - "Finitude" (2023)
03. Carcass – “Heartwork” (1993)
04. Sentenced – “North From Here” (1993)
05. In Mourning – “The Weight Of Oceans” (2012)
06. The Breathing Process - “Odyssey (un)Dead” (2010)
07. Unanimated - "In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead" (1993)
08. Amorphis - "The Karelian Isthmus" (1992)
09. Unanimated - "Ancient God of Evil" (1995)
10. Amon Amarth - "With Oden on Our Side" (2006)
That's one I checked out while looking for some melo-black that would really wow me. This was counted as both death and black, so I hoped the combo would do it some favors. It has a wonderful sound to it and some clever riffs, but its production didn't quite hold up and some ideas were recycled. I didn't even finish it because I was on a desparate search for a melo-black album that would wow me to absolute death. You know, one that has...
Ben's suggestion of Sear Bliss filled that gap beautifully.
Carcass - "Surgical Steel" (2013)
My old review of the 2013 comeback album from these Liverpool extreme metal legends still holds up pretty well. "Surgical Steel" wasn't a bad return to the scene but it's not nearly as captivating as their classic releases (see "Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious" & "Heartwork") which is no doubt why I haven't returned to it in thirteen years. A lot of the instrumentation is essentially heavy metal & thrash metal with Jeff Walker's signature raspy vocals commanding the listeners attention. The production job is excellent & Bill Steer's lead guitar work is amongst the most memorable in recent times (ooohhh... that vibrato is to die for) but I'm afaid that the song-writing simply isn't as compelling as it once was. This isn't a bad record but it's far from essential. The fact that the quality drops so significantly over the last couple of tracks doesn't help either.
For fans of At The Gates, Arch Enemy & Intestine Baalism.
3.5/5