Relentless Reckless Forever

Children of Bodom are back with their seventh album Relentless Reckless Forever. The band comprised of wonder guitarists Alexi Laiho and Roope Latvala set out on a mission to sonically bombard you and take no prisoners.

Not my funeral’s eerie intro sets the spooky vibe for the album. Mesmerising guitars guide you through this mixture of senses. One minute your hardcore the next you’re listening to poppy guitar leads. An unusual combination that seems to work well but might not be everybody’s cup of tea however there is one thing that you can rely on Bodom for, their insane guitar/keyboard duals. Shovel Knockout thunders into life with its pounding bass line and we are launched into an insanely fast song. The song is quite hard to get your head around and feels like it has been thrown together quickly and doesn’t flow very well. This might be what they are trying to achieve but it just doesn’t feel right but, as previously mentioned a great solo sustains the song.

Roundtrip to Hell and Back starts in a much better vain. The song takes you on a dark journey but again the vocals are awkwardly placed before ending abruptly. Pussyfoot Miss Suicide has a funky groove to start off before going back to a typical Bodom fast paced jaunt. This is a much better song and more what I had expected from the album. Relentless Reckless Forever takes you by surprise and draws you in with some catchy keyboard/guitar duals and then throws you off course amazingly reflecting its title well. Ugly is a welcome relief from the rest of the album. The song manages to be very heavy whilst also has a very progressive feel which is an interesting combination. It also has a very catchy chorus which will have you shouting “SO GODDAMN UGLY”.

Cry of the Nihilist has a great eerie feel to it which is comforting before the very quirky Was it worth it? The first single from the album was a delight to hear and was one of the things that got me interested in Bodom. The songs short sharp bursts and catchy guitar line get you hooked from start to finish with another insane solo, for me this is certainly the peak of the album so far. Northpole Throwdown is a fast paced song however, again not a strong point on the album.

Overall the album is very patchy and in some parts the songs don’t fit well. Pussyfoot Miss Suicide, Ugly and Was it Worth it? Are really what make this album good. There are no faults with the production everything is spot on apart from the songs with the exception of the above. Advice to those who liked the single Was it Worth it? Don’t go and buy the album on the strength of this song check out the others before buying to see if you like it to avoid disappointment. This album is certainly one for the hardcore COB fans.

Relentless, Reckless Forever – Children Of Bodom

6.5/10