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Children Of Bodom - Hatecrew Death Roll

Rating

RIYL

Slayer
old Metallica
Dark Tranquillity
Sentenced
Nightwish

Release Date

09/23/2003

Label

Century Media

Tracklist

1. Needled 24/7
2. Sixpounder *
3. Chokehold
4. Bodom Beach Terror
5. Angels Don't Kill *
6. Triple Corpse Hammerblow
7. Your're Better Off Dead *
8. Lil' Bloodred Ridin' Hood
9. Hate Crew Deathroll
10. Silent Scream (bonus track)

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Recent Ratings
jared	Rick Gebhardt

The kids from the bottom of Lake Bodom in Finland are back with their fourth full album of their own crazed mix of death metal, prog-metal, and small amounts of goth and punk. If you know who Children of Bodom are, then you know what to expect. Lightning fast fills interplayed with keyboard harmonies, raspy growling vocals, and quick paced drums. Only this album they have grown in all directions. The production is better, cleaner and there is more presence of bass on this record. American-style death metal has more influence in this record as the riffs are more heavy and lead the songs more often. Thats not to say that there isn't a fair amount of lead guitar/keyboard as on previous efforts, just a little less indulged.

Some will say its more commercial. If that means that its more matured, then yes it is. Songs are less eccentric on Hatecrew Death Roll (well, musically they are, lyrically they're still as silly). The keyboards and lead guitar don't steal the spotlight as much which allows for more flow in the rhythm. Alexi's vocals have grown more, sounding at times similar to Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad). He seems to flow with the music more and changes over to a dirty singing style often. Chants are common and there are a few sing-a-longs such as the chorus to "Sixpounder". Melody is more prominent though don't get the idea of pop that so many associate it with.

This is a natural progression for CoB. Feeling, well, more natural and balanced in song and form. As a whole Hatecrew Death Roll can become monotonous though less so than CoB's previous albums. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for these Finnish metal-heads as founding guitarist Alexander Kuoppala has left the band for personal reasons.

-Tim Link