Blooddrunk (Blooddrunk - Children of Bodom)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	Blooddrunk - Children of Bodom
Date:	17/05/08 (64 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Solid performance.

Disadvantages: Lacks individuality.

Children of Bodom have reached a new low with their latest studio album, but this won't surprise anyone considering their general sloping trend in recent years from creativity and integrity towards something more suited to the unadventurous tastes of 'Kerrang!' readers.

'Blooddrunk' is an even worse hybrid of melodic death metal and groove metal than its mediocre forebear 'Are You Dead Yet?', and this time there aren't even any nostalgic passages in its favour. Once again, the band perseveres in its attempt to mix the sound of Bodom old and new, but Janne Warman's keyboards have never sounded this insincere and discordant, as the album entirely lacks the sense of harmony that prevailed on older releases such as 'Follow the Reaper.' This is most evident in the slower and more consciously melodic song 'Banned from Heaven' that blatantly attempts to recapture the Reaper magic, but fails spectacularly.

Alexi Laiho's vocals are now indistinguishable from the other angry kids shouting in metalcore bands, and this makes the songs even more frustrating. 'One Day You Will Cry' is the first song Bodom has ever put out that I could mistake for another band, lacking any distinctive traits in its mass-produced metalcore approach, while songs such as the title track rely almost entirely on the power of groove riffs that aren't even memorable afterwards. I don't know or particularly care how this album goes down with mainstream metal fans, but Bodom are doing a fine job in appealing to them exclusively by alienating their old-time fan base.

1. Hellhounds on My Trail
2. Blooddrunk
3. LoBodomy
4. One Day You Will Cry
5. Smile Pretty for the Devil
6. Tie My Rope
7. Done With Everything, Die for Nothing
8. Banned from Heaven
9. Roadkill Morning

Summary: Children of Bodom's sixth studio album (2008).