Artist: Children of Bodom Album: Hate Crew Deathroll

Year: 2003
Duration: 40:13

A Critical Review of Children of Bodom's Hate Crew Deathroll: An Album that Defies Convention

Hate Crew Deathroll is the fourth studio album of Finnish heavy metal band, Children of Bodom. Released in 2003, it received critical acclaim for blending the fast and aggressive elements of thrash metal with the melodic and harmonic sensibilities of power metal. This album cemented the band's status as one of the pioneers of the melodic death metal genre, which they helped shape since their formation in 1993. In this blog post, I will give a comprehensive review of the album, share its best songs, highlight its most innovative parts, and give my critical thoughts on some of its aspects.

Songs: The album begins with the explosive title track, Needled 24/7, which sets the tone for the rest of the record by combining the manic riffs and solos of Alexi Laiho with the powerful drumming of Jaska Raatikainen and the intricate bass lines of Henkka Seppälä. The next standout track is Sixpounder, which showcases the band's ability to blend catchy melodies with brutal breakdowns. Angels Don't Kill is another standout track, with its anthemic chorus and emotive lyrics that deal with social and environmental issues. Other solid tracks include Bodom Beach Terror, You're Better Off Dead, and Triple Corpse Hammerblow.

Innovative Parts: What sets Hate Crew Deathroll apart from its contemporaries is its ability to seamlessly blend different subgenres of metal without losing its identity. For example, the song Living Dead Beat begins with a classical piano intro before launching into a blast-beat frenzy, and Hate Crew Deathroll features a mesmerizing acoustic interlude that adds depth to the song's structure. The band's use of harmonized guitar leads, complex time signatures, and symphonic keyboard passages also show their willingness to incorporate different musical elements into their sound.

Critique: One of the drawbacks of Hate Crew Deathroll is that some of the songs tend to sound too similar to each other. While the band's technical proficiency is impressive, it can also be overwhelming at times, with the music feeling more like a showcase of skills rather than a cohesive musical experience. The album's production also has its flaws, with the mix occasionally burying some of the instruments in favor of the guitar tone. However, these minor issues do not detract from the overall quality of the album.

Hate Crew Deathroll is a testament to Children of Bodom's musicianship and creativity, as they manage to deliver a sound that is both heavy and melodic, technical and accessible, and complex yet cohesive. With standout tracks like Needled 24/7, Angels Don't Kill, and Living Dead Beat, the album remains a classic in the realm of modern metal. While it may not be flawless, its boundary-pushing songwriting and fearless experimentation make it a must-hear for fans of extreme music.