Children of Bodom – Hexed

Next number one on the Finland peak charts? 

As one of the best-selling artists of all time in Finland, the extreme metal band, Children of Bodom, continue to produce top peak albums. Out of their nine studio albums, their past six have been in the top and second best spot on the peak charts in Finland. Although they don’t rank the same in USA charts, they’ve made their presence known across the world. Since they formed in 1993, the band has released two live albums, two compilation albums and nine studio albums with Hexed going to be their tenth.

With this being their first album since 2015, it will be the first to feature Daniel Freyberg, who joined in 2016, on rhythmic guitar and back-up vocals. Throughout the album, it’s easy to hear and appreciate the different melodies produced from the array of instruments present. From rhythmic guitar to regular guitar, from keyboards to the piano, this melodic death metal band knows how to keep things fresh and entertaining.

Among the eleven tracks, “This Road,” “Hecate’s Nightmare” and “Hexed” are standout songs that each display shining guitar moments. In the first song of the album, “This Road,” the guitar has a strong presence from the beginning, and in the middle fans can enjoy captivating riffs. While in the title song, the end leaves listeners on an eerie note that contrasts the lyrics and lead guitar in a beautiful way. Ultimately, the deliberate slowing of the song allows listeners to appreciate what they’ve just listened to while staying in a trance.

With 26 years of experience, Children of Bodom have a clear harmonic formula between the elements of their band. Sometimes the mixture of loud instruments and screaming vocals can mask the actual lyrics, but this band doesn’t have a problem with that at all. Alexi Laiho’s vocals and the volume of auxiliary elements play off each other instead of fighting for dominance.

Overall, the clarity and accumulated skills of this Finnish metal band shine in Hexed. Fans from the start and those that are new can continue to appreciate them and see their success grow.

Erin Winans: Hello! I recently graduated from James Madison University. From JMU, I received a B.A. in English & Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication (WRTC). In English, I concentrated in creative writing and in WRTC, I concentrated in writing and rhetoric. So, in my mind, they balance each other out. Since the middle of summer, after I finished my internship at Study Breaks Magazine, I've been writing for two sites. They both operate based on sending in a pitch if you have an idea. For one site, I write about movies and for the other, I write about personal topics and experiences. Now, joining mxdwn will let me expand my horizon by writing about music!
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