Lineup:
Alexi Laiho – Lead guitar, vocals
Alexander Kuoppola – Rythm guitar
Henkka T. Blacksmith – Bass guitar
Janne Warman – Keyboards
Jaska Raatikainen – Drums
Hatebreeder is Children of Bodom's second album, the album that started developing
the band's fanbase. Published in 1999 under Spinefarm and recorded in the ASTIA-Studio
in Helsinki, Finland, Hatebreeder is one of my personal favorite albums. This album has a style
of music which cannot be quite explained under any genre. The vocals are in the style of black
metal, the keyboards encompass many different sounds, even a harpsichord style synth.
Guitars are similar to power and speed/thrash metal, and the band as a whole sounds similar
to melodic death metal. Overall, it's a great mix and bands such as Norther have followed
in Children of Bodom's footsteps.
The name Children of Bodom refers to an infamous triple-homicide that took place on the
beach of Lake Bodom in Helsinki, Finland. The band often has songs whose lyrical content is about
these murders, in addition to their grim reaper mascot that is present on all album covers. Speaking
of songwriting, Alexi Laiho is the primary songwriter of the band on this album. The other members
had much less influence on the melodies and rythms of the songs, and instead contributed to song
structure. Mr. Laiho also writes all the lyrics on this album, with the exception of Silent Night,
Bodom Night where the lyrics were written by Kimberly Goss, frontwoman of Sinergy (Alexi's side
project). The song length is primarily midrange, being neither short nor long.
On the melody side of songwriting, Hatebreeder is ridiculously melodic. The vocals are
rarely used as conveyors of melody, instead providing more rythm in the vein of death or black
metal. The lead and rythm guitars usually provide the main melody, and keyboards are often used
as an extra layer to complete the song. One drawback is that bass is very rarely audible, partly
because of the mixing and style of the music and partly because of the distortion. It has just
enough effect on the music for you to realize when it's not there, but have no conscious awareness
of its existence. The drums are also less integral to the music than in most other metal bands,
and are primarily used for rythm. Double bass drumming is common, and cymbal work isn't
as prevalent as in death or thrash metal.
Tracklist:
1. Warheart – 4:06
2. Silent Night, Bodom Night – 3:12
3. Bed of Razors – 3:55
4. Towards Dead End – 5:07
5. Black Widow – 3:45
6. Wrath Within – 3:52
7. Children of Bodom – 5:14
8. Downfall – 4:33
Overall, I would reccomend this to any fan of metal, in particular fans of black metal with keyboards
and power metal junkies. Definately one of the top 5 albums of 1999.
