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