Monday, February 21, 2011

Children Of Bodom – Are You Dead Yet?


Review# 55

This is the fifth album from these Finnish shred masters. Even though it is an album with some serious themes it feels quite fun, the band seem to be having fun. The title comes from a drunken incident where singer/guitarist Alexi Laiho got freaky drunk and fell off a car while trying to climb it, he ended up in hospital with three broken bones in his wrist and when he woke the next morning he looked in the mirror and asked himself “Have you had enough? Are you dead yet?”.

Personally I found this album instantly addictive, I had gone into real groovy not long after it's release and while perusing through I noticed this on the listening post. Remembering something I had seen on the Metal Hammer web site about their general awesom-ness I decided to check them out. Halfway though Living Dead Beat I had decided to buy the album. There are elements of all sorts of genre's here, Thrash, Power, Groove etc there are even some “ballads” here... although songs like Punch Me I Bleed is really only a ballad in the slow pace and widdly solos the brutality of the song kinda detracts from any wanky ballad. The cover of the Ramones Somebody Put Something In My Drink is a pretty rad cover too.
This is an album full with aggression and power, it has some fantastic guitar work as well as great touches with the keys and drums to keep it moving along. Are You Dead Yet? Is an album showcasing what Bodom are capable of, it is really a shame that the follow up to this is the underwhelming Blooddrunk but still I have high hopes the next album will be just as good, if not better than Are You Dead Yet?

Trashed Lost And Strung Out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVifw7Atg2Y
Are You Dead Yet?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATIVuynOPTM

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