The funny thing is Alexi Laiho himself said in one interview from 2005 that he didn't care what metal genre their music was called as long as it was not called power metal. R.I.P Alexi Laiho.
I mean before he *actually* committed Sudoku he was threatening it just after the first album was dropped.... I get being "down" and everything....but to me that means I don't want anything, like how does one write bangers after bangers when depressed to the point of suicidal ideation Definitely not the same brain in my own noggin compared to him
I think Alexi's drinking really hurt those later albums. During Hexed he had gone through one of his not drinking as much stages. Love Alexi his passing got me too.
tbh I think a lot of it was less Alexi's drinking and more Latvala not being as great as everyone thinks. The decline in quality started when he joined, and then after a low period, we got the triple punch of Halo, Chaos and Vexed. And yes i'm aware Latvala was still in the band during Halo, but he didn't really do anything on that album.
I actually love "All For Nothing" on I Worship Chaos. It's worth it for the dueling guitar and keyboard solos at the end where they mix in and out and start to blend in with each other. I think that's a great moment.
It's like became their trademark, dueling guitar and keyboards solo and sometimes they mix it into harmonies beetween guitar and keyboards. Follow The Reaper my fav album, my fav song is Living Dead Beat
The "Orchestral Hit" that you mention during the assessment of "Something Wild" reminds me of sound effects from a classic Super Nintendo game, like Super Castlevania. I in general love that sound effect, because of the nostalgia attached to it via retro game soundtracks.
Say whatever you want about Relentless. Not my funeral probably has one of the best children of bodom solos of all time. And one of the best metal solos in general
Yeah, it continuously boggles my mind how so many people seem to hate that album, like what the heck, every song is full of sick riffs and great solos.
I first came across Alexi when he was on EMG TV playing Not My Funeral. I'm from a thrash/NWOBHM background and had never heard of CoB. I understand why die hard fans might be disappointed with the band's move in a thrashier direction but, objectively speaking, the album is very accomplished. The build up in the intro for RRF, the epic guitar/keyboard solo at the end of Shovel Knockout, the uber-thrash riff in Ugly... Endless great riffs.
Thumbs up man! I have one favorite song from this album. It's "All Twisted" @BrdadleyHallGuitar check it. It has all best COB features. And guitar parts also hard to play.
Hate Crew Death Roll is probably my favorite COB album overall for all the reasons you said - it's the most "fun" album, accessible, and I always end up recommending it as the record to start with. Plus it has Angels Don't Kill which is probably my favorite Bodom song overall.
I remember when Are You Dead Yet came out and felt underwhelmed. I guess because it was more rhythm-based but it ended up growing on me and aged really well. Hatecrew and Reaper are my 2 favorites but you really can't go wrong with their first 5 records. RIP Alexi, you're a major guitar hero of mine.
3:44 of course the first song you play on the album is Hate Me... One of my all time favourite songs, I spent SO many hours watching live performances of that song on RU-vid during my teenage years
Every single bodom album rules. I used to think the blooddrunk era and the couple albums around that time weren't quite as good but i was won't, they're all great.
Really happy to see this video actually. CoB has been my favorite band since I was 14. Alexi's guitar shredding blew me away. Follow the Reaper is a fucking banger album as well as my personal favorite! Thank you Bradley for covering the discography of CoB!
The solo at the end of Towards Dead End was always my favourite, but right next to it was always the solo from "Next in line" and no one ever seemed to talk about it, I feel so validated that you did! Virtual high five !
Opinions are strange, because I really enjoyed I Worship Chaos more than Hexed and I was a bit disappointed with Hexed. And I feel like Halo of Blood was fantastic. Love them all though, so I don't really care!
Their worst with Relentless no doubt for me, still I like Widdershins, All for Nothing, Horns and Morrigan. There’s something great in every COB album.
@@metalanthology agree with relentless, i worship chaos has such a unique vibe, rly dark with guitars tuned down to drop B, alot of black metal riffs. And Alexi ones said that IWC one of his favorites
CoB was there with Nightwish as my gateway bands to metal as a wee Finnish pre-teen boy. 'Are you dead yet?' was something I hadn't ever heard of until then and blew my mind. Alexi was one of my heroes too and his passing broke my heart. I was kinda hoping to hear what you thought of Bodom After Midnight, the little they got out before we lost him. Paint the Sky with Blood was a proper banger IMO. Still, thank you for the video. Got me to reminisce some really good, easier times.
One of my favorite bands back in the day. First record i bought was Follow the reaper and it was something i never heard before and absolutely loved it! Hatecrew was the last record i bought and stopped following them after that. Alexi was really a guitar god. I still remember i saw them live (2003 and 2006) next to my home town. Something ill never forget. I think we need a lesson on the guitar school. Only thing i would change is hexed one tier lower. And follow the reaper Roytier
I know you say "I Worship Chaos" is their worst album, but "Hold Your Tongue" intro riff is killer & the song in general is really fun to play on guitar.
They were the first proper band I went to London to see, on the Hatecrew tour I think. They played with Soilwork and Shadows Fall supporting. The classic Children Of Bodom sound, the blend of all the sonic flavours I love, especially the classical flavour coming from Alexi and his violin influenced playing, just shredded my brain. I adored their sound so, so much. Every time I think I'm OK, something reminds me that I'll never hear those soaring, acidic riffs live again, and then I become no longer OK. Still, Alexi, even in death, you're still inspiring me. I quit the booze this year, for a lot of reasons, and one of them was because I don't want to go out that way. Gone too soon, but what a legacy to leave behind.
My first bodom song was "Touch like an angel of death" from tokyo warhearts. I randomly got it from someone's t̶o̶r̶r̶e̶n̶t̶ legal music sharing collection and it melted my face. The chanting and "the rock" theme in the intro lulled me into a false sense of security, then the song starts for real. Instant love!
I haven't listened to all of their material, but Under Grass and Clover seems like one of the few Bodom songs that's more emotional and moving in the sense that Alexi was coming face to face with his own mortality and pondering what comes next.
Back in the day I bought Something Wild when I was about 9 years old. And fell in love straight away. Been a metal head ever since. To me, that is propably one of the best albums ever made
I remember my first CoB concert back in 2011 (still have the ticket dedicated). One of the best shows I went ever. With Ensiferum as a guest, it was a 20 out of 10.
I miss metal magazines. I used to get Terrorizer, Metal Hammer, and Metal Edge at the bookstore. Those little sample cds changed my musical tastes until today. A lot of those bands are just gone and disbanded as well.
I never poctked up a Bodom album I didnt love. These guys are my favorites. I'll never forget listening through follow the reaper the first time. It changed me. Cool video.
👏 I have to say cheers for this video as it made me curious to listen to Hexed. As a fan of COB since "something Wild" who lost interest after "are you dead yet" as the follow ups were just not that interesting, I had no idea this return to form even existed 🎉
I was always a little iffy on Hate Crew Deathroll and Are You Dead Yet because I loved the power metal/black metal sound they had on the previous albums. I always thought HCDR and AYDY were a little too American sounding for lack of a better term. But I still blast them to this day, so obviously they're not that bad.
Same, and I remember vividly that this was the generell consensus among CoB-fans of the first three albums. Calling AYDY the „most complete“ album would have caused a riot, haha. Still can‘t connect with it, but by now I at least think HCDR has the very best sound of them all, first albums included.
I were fan since first album released in 1999, so it's hard to choose between the first 4 albums. I bought all their albums, all Maxi CD's and other releases. Their Maxi CD's had songs not on main album.
It is crazy that Alexi was just 19 when they recorded that album, "Hatebreeder"...and perhaps even crazier, that he had just turned 18 when they recorded "Something Wild".
Bradley you introduced me to this band in one of your videos titled "what every metal band sounds like to people who love them compared to people who hate them" the song you chose was needled 24/7, not my personal favorite but I listen to others like "Are you dead yet" and "in your face" I thank you
Saw them on both the HCDR and AYDY tours and the play-offs between Alexi and Janne were so entertaining. Not sure there's another metal band out there that has that kind of fun on stage these days.
God I miss these guys. Such an original style. I also grew up with Alexi as my ultimate music hero and was gutted when he left us. He finished on a high note with Hexed. RIP
"Like this bit is pretty cool:" 5:55 . The song part that sounds a little like it came from Rust in peace.. I see what you did there 😉 Great video, as always!
First time i heard Bodom, i seen thw Are you dead yet music video on the music channel (muchmusic) late at night, like 18 years ago, i went to the computer ( during the limewire days) downloaded songs, they were Lake Bodom, Hate me everytime i die. I knew right away i struck absolute gold. My favorite band to this day. COB forever. RIP Alexi.
CoB got me into metal in the mid 2000's, I listened to those 4 S-tiers so much. HCD is still my favorite to this day, it has this mean vibe to it that I love but can't explain. As many, I couldn't connect with any of their later albums and gradually lost interest. After Alexi's passing, I looked forward to the release of the Bodom after Midnight EP not expecting much really. But man, after so many years, Paint the Sky with Blood just hooked me a few seconds in. It felt like a return to the CoB I loved, I had it on a non-stop loop for hours. Still wonder what the complete record could have been... I guess I can only dream and feel frustrated that we will never know.
I can finally say I have a favorite band. I love classical and metal, so this is a perfect combination. And I've never actually "felt" music, but Towards Dead End went straight to my "Happy Songs" playlist.
I discovered CoB when Something Wild came out, and since then I've been listening on-and-off to their music... Relistening and rediscovering things - and still discovering new details after so many years. This band had always been evolving throughout their career, in my opinion and there are so many layers and tiny details that play a crucial role in their songs that I find it extremely difficult to find a bad album. With all the respect I have for you, Bradley, I disagree with you on Blooddrunk, Relentless, Halo of blood and I worship Chaos. I don't think that the songs are uninspired or that the band has run out of ideas/not worked on the details. Being emotionally attached to Something Wild, which was prodigious for the time, I still tend to listen more to Blooddrunk, IWC and Hexed... They are different from their first albums, and that's absolutely perfect, as it should be! But they do bear the unique CoB stamp. Saying this, I'd pick out my favorite song - Next in Line, which is so underrated but the solo is....👌
CoB is the band that makes me into Extreme Metal. First time I've heard of this band was in 2004, when I was 15, with the album Hatecrew Deathroll, and I remember quite well the slap I receive with the song Chokehold (Cocked 'n' Loaded), especially the keyboard solo, what a masterpiece 🤯. My fav album is Something Wild, followed, on this order, by Hatebreeder, Blooddrunk, Hatecrew Deathroll, Are You Dead Yet and Follow the Reaper. After that, I didn't really listen to the rest of their albums. But their 6 first albums are in my playlist and I often listen to them. RIP Alexi Laiho, and long live CoB 🤘 PS : Yes I agree, solos (guitar and keyboards) of Next in Line are probably the best of the entire Metal 🤘
I still remember them being the new thing here in the states. It was mind blowing. I was hooking instantly. Got to see them front row open for Zakk wylde in New Orleans. Alexi seemed like he didn’t want to be there but they still kicked ass! Happy to have gotten the chance to see them.
I can relate with being truly affected by his death, all the time famous people die and go just "oh that sucks, moving on..." but his death really hit hard for me, I truly love his work and his playing. RIP #AlexiLaiho
This video brought lots of memories back! Got into bodom back in.... 07... I think and kept with them till 10ish I think. Great band that influenced my taste in metal a lot!
