Children of Bodom's 'Hexed' - Album Review

Finland's Children of Bodom have had a bit of an up and down career. From their 1993 genesis to around the mid-2000s, the five-piece melodic death metal act could do no wrong. From their razor-sharp guitar riffs, neo-classical keyboards, and rasping harsh vocals - Children of Bodom forged a sound which was both brutally heavy yet melodically accessible. The band's first five albums, in my opinion, are all extremely enjoyable modern metal releases. From the raw, black metal-influenced beginnings of 1997's Something Wild to 2005's leaner, more anthemic Are You Dead Yet? Children of Bodom released a run of albums that has stood the test of time and has cemented the band's reputation as a modern metal heavyweight. Sadly, after Are You Dead Yet? the band slipped into a creative decline. The four albums that followed, with the exception of 2013's Halo of Blood (which I reviewed here) which was something of a return to form, lacked the passion and fire of the band's early works. It did not help that bandleader and songwriter Alexi Laiho seemed to push the band away from the their core sound. Recent Children of Bodom albums have lacked the depth and musical diversity of their early albums, with Janne Wirman's keyboards in particular often suffering the brunt of this move towards a tougher, more alternative metal sound. 2011's Relentless Reckless Forever is arguably the nadir of the band's catalogue. It lacks any real memorable songs, and showcased Laiho's songwriting at its blandest. With Halo of Blood however, the band took a step in the right direction. That is still a memorable and enjoyable album, and 2015's follow-up I Worship Chaos (which I reviewed here) was also an enjoyable listen - but lacked the strength and staying power of the 2013 release. Four years on from I Worship Chaos, the longest gap between albums in the band's career, Children of Bodom are back with their tenth album Hexed. I think many people were expecting another mediocre effort, but the lead single Under Grass and Clover seemed to pique interest. The song was instantly-memorable, with plenty of excellent guitar riffs from Laiho and new second guitarist Daniel Freyberg (Naildown; Norther); and, importantly, a prominent role again for Wirman. The melodic keyboard flourishes and counter-melodies were back in a big way, and the other pre-release tracks only raised expectations further. Hexed was released earlier this month, and from the off it is clear the this is the band's best effort for quite some time. The band's older sound has, largely, been restored - but with some of the anthemic, stripped-back sound of Are You Dead Yet? retained when the song requires it. The songs here are the most memorable Laiho has written for some time, with a clear production courtesy of Mikko Karmila that really helps them to shine through.

The album kicks off with the thrashy, no-nonsense This Road, a track packed with the attitude of mid-period Children of Bodom. The riffing here from Laiho and Freyberg is as tight as anything, and a simple drum pattern from Jaska Raatikainen keeps everything moving with a fast-paced metronomic beat. The band will delve deeper into their history later on in the album, but this song is a perfect opener. There is nothing overly-complicated here, despite a few tricky little guitar leads, but an in-your-face anthem to rival albums like 2003's Hate Crew Deathroll and Are You Dead Yet?. It may be telling however that the first solo on the album comes from Wirman's keyboards. This song might not be the most keyboard-heavy on the album, but his fluid solo shows the fans that he is once again a big part of the band's sound after largely being relegated to a more supporting role in recent years. Lead single Under Grass and Clover is the song that initially drew me into the album, and it remains one of the stand-out cuts here. The main riff is filled with neo-classical flashes from both Laiho and Wirman, who play off each other perfectly as they used to, before a simple verse takes over that is largely driven by a pulsing bassline from Henri Seppälä. This is the perfect vehicle for Laiho's raspy harsh vocals, which sound as fierce as ever, but he really comes into his own vocally during the more melodic chorus. Children of Bodom are one of the few bands who exclusively use harsh vocals to write truly memorable choruses, and this song has a strong one that is filled with guitar leads and a punky vocal display. A lengthy instrumental section sees the band showing off a little too, something which is always great to see. Glass Houses opens with another fast-paced catchy riff that immediately gets the blood pumping and forms the basis of the song's verses. The keyboards provide a more atmospheric backing here, but they really help to flesh the piece out, with Seppälä's bass also adding depth as the two guitars lock in for the main riff. This is not as melodic as the opening two tracks, but it is packed full of attitude and technical ability. Laiho's lengthy guitar solo is a fluid flurry of notes, and the drumming display from Raatikainen is one of extreme metal perfection. Hecate's Nightmare is a slower track, and opens with a tinkling keyboard melody from Wirman that sounds like something from an old horror film soundtrack. Children of Bodom do not do ballads, so their slower songs are often some of their heaviest, with the bass providing a depth and Laiho using the inevitable space to unleash some truly guttural shrieks. Despite the heavier guitars taking over the keyboards early on, the keyboards help to bulk out the song and provide an atmospheric backing that really adds to the song's creepy feeling. I tend to prefer the band's pacier tunes, but this is a strong addition to the album and provides a change of pace early on to help keep things interesting.

Kick in a Spleen is faster, and opens with a powerful main riff and some of the fastest drumming on the album. Laiho, who has sometimes been criticised for his vocals in recent years, sounds as good as he ever has here, and delivers the venomous lyrics with real passion. You can real feel the anger in his delivery, and the fast-paced metal assault that backs his words only helps to amplify things further. As with many of the band's songs, gang vocals are used here to occasionally add some extra power - something which is surely going to make this song a winner if the band decide to play it live. My favourite part of the song however is the instrumental section, which features a Laiho guitar solo bookended by two Wirman keyboard solos. So much of what makes the band's early work great is the interplay between these two musicians, and this song is a perfectly example of both of their talents. Platitudes and Barren Words is another more overtly-melodic track, with a soaring guitar/keyboard riff in the song's intro and a jaunty (by the band's standards) verse that has a bit of a punky feel while still carrying a strong melody. The chorus here is catchy also, with Laiho singing in a slightly less-harsh vocal style which works well. He is not singing clean, but it is certainly not his usual throat-ripping style. This helps the song to stand out a little, and makes the chorus one of the most memorable on the album. The little guitar flourishes between the vocal lines really help too, and only add to the overall melodic feel of the piece. The album's title track is up next and this is a song that feels like real mesh of the band's styles. The riffing here feels more stripped-back and in-your-face, but some excellent neo-classical guitar/keyboard duels help to recall the band's classic sound. It probably features the simplest chorus in the band's catalogue too, with the band gang shouting the song's title in between a couple of short vocal lines from Laiho, all while Wirman's keyboards add those gothic, dramatic stabs of melody that has become such a big part of the band's sound over the years. There are a lot of strong songs throughout this album, but this is probably one of the overall highlights for me because of how simple the song feels despite all that is going on within it. Relapse (The Nature of My Crime) is driven by an-almost NWOBHM-esque riff, which sounds a little strange but it does work. The song does not sound like Saxon or Tygers of Pan Tang, but the riff has that somewhat retro feel, which has been woven into the band's core sound nicely. Wirman is also a big presence throughout large portions of the song, with atmospheric keyboard leads backing certain parts of the piece as the riffing takes a back seat. This is especially true during the song's chorus, which features some excellent keyboard work which helps it to sound a little creepy as well as heavy.

Say Never Look Back is probably one of the album's weaker moments for me, but it is still an enjoyable enough piece with some strong keyboards and a relentless pace. Wirman's keyboards are constantly high in the mix here, and provide a melodic shadow to the main guitar riffs. My main issue with the piece is that I just do not find it as memorable as many of the other songs here. None of the riffs really stick in my head, and there is not really a chorus to speak of. As always there are a few flashes of instrumental brilliance, including an excellent breakdown section that includes some almost-jazzy free-form drumming from Raatikainen. The drumming on Children of Bodom albums is usually fairly clinical so it is fun to see him cutting loose a little here. It is the best part of the song, and makes it worth a listen despite it being on the weaker side. Soon Departed is more of a mid-paced piece (think Angels Don't Kill) but what it lacks in raw power it makes up for by having a strong groove throughout. The riffing here is quite simple, but the two guitars and the bass lock in so perfectly throughout to create a heavy bed, while Wirman's keyboards circle around them with leads and atmospherics. There are a few little dual-guitar riffs and leads throughout too which helps to give the piece a little bit of an Iron Maiden flavour at times. Laiho and Freyberg have clearly formed a strong guitar partnership on the road over the past couple of years, and that tightness really shows throughout this album. The second guitar position is the only position in the band to have changed hands throughout their career, with Freyberg the latest of a few faces to fill it. He seems to have fitted into the band very well, and I hope he has a great future with Children of Bodom. The album comes to a close with Knuckleduster, a new version of a song that was originally buried on the Trashed, Lost & Strungout single back in 2004. It is too good a song to languish in b-side obscurity, and this new recording of the piece sounds great. I am glad the song has finally found a proper home on Hexed, and from the opening mid-paced riff (with a fantastic keyboard counter-melody) it just oozes power. It is not the fastest song here, but is one of the most powerful. It also contains one of the album's best guitar solos too, with Laiho really letting rip. It starts off fast, with some crazily shredded licks, before moving into a more melodic, controlled territory. Laiho is, in my opinion, a vastly-underrated guitar player in modern metal, and this song should really change that. It seems strange to end the album with re-recorded song, but it works well in my opinion as the song is such a strong one. Overall, Hexed is easily the band's best work for quite some time. It straddles the line between heaviness and melody perfectly, and showcases the band's classic sound once again. After a few years in the creative wilderness, it is great to see Laiho and co. back with a bang.

The album was released on 8th March 2018 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Under Grass and Clover.