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CHILDREN OF BODOM ‘Are You Dead Yet?’ Spinefarm/Universal (2005)
'Are You Dead Yet?', is Children Of Bodom's fifth full album of studio
material and sees them consolidate their successful sound, and refine
it by adding a few new and different touches.
Whether you want to call them death metal, black metal, or power metal
with rough'n'gruff vocals? Children Of Bodom have been the leader of the pack for quite a while now
and this album sees them with no signs of slipping.
Alexi Liaho's vocal style is not for everyone, it's often tough, rough and
inaudible at times, but therein lies the fun and beauty of Children Of
Bodom. As a musical unit, this band are as technical as any progressive
band you might want to name.
This time there is less than the usual emphasis on the technical side of
things, less shredding, not many keyboard and guitar unisons as found on
previous albums.
Are You Dead Yet? is another chapter in Children of Bodom's musical
evolution, This time the music is heavier, almost metal core and
industrial in places.
Liaho knows how to pen a catchy tune or two. While his vocals are
nothing to hum home about, even when he's screaming and screeching
around the latest set of tales - destruction, mayhem and the tales of
the mysterious Lake Bodom - there's always a melody lurking beneath the
surface. With fellow guitarist Roope Latvala making his full album
debut, Liaho now has a fully competent partner who can match him lick
for lick and duplicate his leads for some serious fretboard gymnastics.
So the usual Bodom style, albeit a little rougher round the edges,
the usual 9 songs and the running time of 37 minutes, seemingly to be
rather short in this day and age. But it seems to work, any more and you
might be tempted to reach for the stop or fast forward button.
If your wallet allows you, I'd recommend investing in the Japanese import
of Are You Dead Yet?. It contains an outrageous cover of Britney Spears,
'Oops I Did It Again', which has to be Bodom's best ever cover. They
take the original and twist it upside down and Bodomize it! It also
contains a not-so-good cover of Poison's, 'Talk Dirty To Me'.
****
Review by Graham Boyle
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