Bodom is back with their bigass scythe!!
I havent felt compelled to write a review on an album in a long time. After the rather disappointing album Are you dead Yet? this gets back to what made Bodom a band to reckon with a few years back. The guitar solos are back in full abundance, the keys are more upfront, and the drums are completely in your face, most of the songs are much faster paced than on Are you dead Yet. Alexi's songwriting is just better and more imaginative, even the lyrics are way better. The hardcore/metalcore-isms on Are you dead Yet are gone and theres more melodic breaks that remind me of earlier albums like Follow the Reaper and Hatecrew deathroll. Actually you could think of this as a mix of those two albums. From reading the other reviews, it seems like this will be an underrated album which is too bad cause alot of people are dismissing Bodom after the last album which I do admit wasnt great, but give this one a chance, it rules!!! And oh yeah, the surround 5.1 mix is pretty awesome too, you can hear the raw drum tracks and keyboard tracks in the surround speakers which gives them a little more definition, and then when Alexi rips into a solo it comes in loud and clear up front.

Still Wild!
It's hard to believe Finland's wildest export Children of Bodom are already on their sixth studio album. Even though Something Wild debuted more than a decade ago, and COB has been around long enough to have inspired several imitators (Norther and Skyfire to name a couple), they still seem like the same brash young upstarts who so dynamically challenged the metal status quo with their unique blend of death, black, thrash, and power metal.

Part of what keeps this image alive is that every new COB album still captures the energy and fire of this amazing band, and 2008's Blooddrunk is no exception. Blooddrunk is a completely intense album full of lightning fast riffs, amazing solos, those trademark Wirman keys, and Alexi Laiho's screaming vocals. It absolutely holds up to previous COB albums, and reminds me of Hate Crew Deathroll in particular. Same COB sound, same COB attitude. Of course this consistency means you really aren't seeing that much progression in the band's style from album to album, but this is one of those bands where you really don't need a lot of progression. They figured out a winning formula early and it continues to work for them to this day.

I can't see how any Children of Bodom fan could be disappointed in Blooddrunk. It is vintage COB, and proof positive that this band is still a force to be reckoned with.

NOTE: I'm a collector at heart, so I had to spring for the more expensive Deluxe Edition of Blooddrunk, which comes in a nifty digipack with a bonus DVD, even though I'll probably never watch the DVD more than once. The main reason I bought the Deluxe Edition is that the regular CD contains another soon-to-be- legendary Children of Bodom cover song. This time it's an absolutely furious version of the old cowboy classic Ghost Riders in the Sky that I don't think anyone could have seen coming! There was also an insert with a code to download some free COB songs from previous albums, which I thought was an especially cool bonus for new fans that might not be familiar with the band's earlier albums.

Blooddrunk: Still essential Bodom!
Children Of Bodom's sixth studio album proves to be quite a treat. "Blooddrunk" follows the release of "Are you Dead Yet?" with amazing intensity. Many long time fans will argue that "Are You Dead Yet?" took Bodom into a new mainstream direction with mostly catchy mid-tempo tracks and lacked the intensity of earlier releases such as "Hatebreeder" and "Follow the Reaper". Well the intensity is back but the vintage neo-classical style is still gone. Never the less there is a lot to like here with some really impressive tracks that hold up well even when up against the juggernauts from the aforementioned "Hatebreeder" or "Follow The Reaper" albums which set the standards extremely high.

Hellhounds On My Trail - Excellent opener that sets the mood for the rest of the album. It did not appeal to me at first, but it does grow on you. Thrashy beginning which develops into a menacing beat after the great solo. 4.5/5

Blooddrunk - First single off the CD. 4/5

LoBodomy - Technical track which has some depth to it. Nothing spectacular though and seems to be one of the weaker tracks on the CD despite the great solo and interludes between Alexi's guitars and Janne's keyboards. 3.5/5

One Day You Will Cry - One of the best songs on the CD. Amazing atmospheric intro which develops into a great beat and continues onto one of the most impressive solos on the whole album. 5/5

Smile Pretty For The Devil - The first song that was recorded for the CD. Straightforward Bodom song that develops into a great keyboard groove at the end after the lengthy battle. 4.5/5

Tie My Rope - Great song with complex guitar work. 4.5/5

Done With Everything, Die For Nothing - One of my favorites off the album. The song has a scorching beat to it and showcases Alexi's vocals very well. There are some really deep growls and a phenomenal chorus. 5/5

Banned From Heaven - The slow song on the album similar to "Angels Don't Kill" or "Everytime I Die" from their earlier albums. Has a very eerie feel to it and provides an excellent change of pace. 5/5

Roadkill Morning - Very fast track yet still melodic. Great album closer. 4/5


There are evident influences from the several bands that Children of Bodom have toured with in the last few years. Lamb of God and Slayer instantly come to mind when looking at such tracks as "Hellhounds On My Trail", "Blooddrunk" and "LoBodomy" where their influences can be heard throughout the entire songs. This is where the album develops a certain feeling of thrash. As a whole "Blooddrunk" feels a lot thrashier compared to their earlier works which were a lot more neo-classical. Whether this is a good transition or not depends on the listener, but it does loose some of their unique style and feel.

Although this review may come off as negative, it is only in the context of Bodom's previous work; any other band this would be a five star album! Give it a chance you might like it if you approach it with an open mind, but most importantly give it time as most great thrash albums take a lot of listens to grow on you.

Stop reading this and Buy It!
Unlike many of you I just got into Bodom about two years ago. I can honestly say that after listening to heavy music since I was kid there are very few innovators in this genre of music. Everyone sounds the same, everyones screaming and every drummer has to play at the speed of light.

Thats why Bodom's new album is so awesome. Alexi's and Roope's guitar playing just blows about everyone else out of the water. This band can play lightning quick (Tie My Rope, Hellhounds on my Trail) but they're most at home playing a lil slower but ripping your face off with their riffs as heard on Lobodomy, Blooddrunk, and Banned from Heaven. The first time listening the album in its entirety, one of the things that set this band apart from the rest of the pack is their unpredictability. Their drummer just comes from out of nowhere and dont even get me started on their keyboardist. They somehow do everything right on every song. Nothing seems out of place even, the solos between Alexi and Janne.

If you are looking for a ridiculously good metal album and are getting sick of the usual stuff check this out. The best way to describe Alexi's playing is one part Eddie Van Halen, another Dimebag Darrell and another Zakk Wylde. These guys are becoming the new kings of metal with this release. Kerry King from Slayer said it best "These guys can really jam. They did their homework".

Just Okay... Nothing Special
In 2000, Children of Bodom struck gold when they recorded their best album "Follow the Reaper" and followed it with the equally impressive "Hate Crew Deathroll" in 2003. Since that point, however, their two releases have been sloppy and uninspired in comparison.

"Blooddrunk" does a great job in retaining the stunning guitar and keyboard solos that Children of Bodom have used throughout their recording career, but have surely sacrificed other portions of their writing. The song tempos have slowed down, the drumming gets weaker by each release and the lyrics are still as poor as they always were (but the delivery is amazing).

The standout tracks on the album are Hellhounds on my Trail, Blooddrunk, Banned From Heaven & Roadkill Morning which all offer the more classic Bodom stylings. One Day You Will Cry and Tie My Rope are decent songs that have good instrumental mid-sections but lack the assault that you are used to from Children of Bodom. The rest of the songs on the album are simply filler that would have been left on the cutting room floor on other releases.

As to the DVD that comes with the CD, it is very weak. The 5.1 Surround mix is, like the music, okay at best. The video for Blooddrunk is kind of interesting but the making of the video portion might as well not even be on there. It is a couple moments of talking, then clips from the video itself followed by people blowing baking flour on things to make them look old. To watch that, you might as well just watch the video itself again.

As difficult as it is for most bands to evolve with their music over time and still sound good, Children of Bodom are doing it but are barely getting a passing grade in doing so. This ability escapes most metal bands, but maybe Bodom can be more convincing on their next release.