Has anyone here ever heard Children of Bodom?

JBC · Post by **JBC** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 3:25 am

I've been having trouble lately finding other gamers who listen to them. They don't really have anything to do with games (except that the band members play games all the time) but the music fits very well over them - especially shmups or castlevania. Anyone here know what i'm talking about?

TWITCHDOCTOR · Post by **TWITCHDOCTOR** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 3:35 am

^Follow the Reaper.
Its a good album, then again, so is the one before that, HateBreed.

I don't listen to music while I'm playing games, as I find it distracting. (sound effects off etc)
But HateBreed sounds kickass while racing through the city streets in the Xbox version of Test Drive. (custom soundtracks and all)

Post by **Ghegs** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 5:49 am

I probably should know more about them since I listen to metal and they're Finnish as well, but I just don't...

Herr Schatten · Post by **Herr Schatten** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 8:36 am

I know them, but I don't like them a lot. There's too much Malmsteen-ish guitar masturbation in the songs and the keyboard sounds put me off. They sound so cheap somehow. Couldn't they use more expensive sounding samples?

Besides, IMO, there are bands in the genre of melodic death metal that do what COB do, but much better. My favourites are Arch Enemy (especially the newer records with the grunting girl

), older In Flames (roughly from The Jester Race to Clayman (with Colony being an overall nice record, but in comparison an awfully redundant disappointment)) and Dark Tranquillity.
Especially Dark Tranquillity! That band is very underrated. Every record they put out from The Gallery up to this day was utterly brilliant. They are an astonishing live band, too.

And of course you can always go back to classic At The Gates or Carcass's masterpieces Heartwork and Swansong, although those have a different flavour to them than the younger breed from Göteborg.

CMoon · Post by **CMoon** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 10:42 am

I know a lot of people who like them, but I haven't actually heard them myself. What are they...black metal? (versus Metal Black)

Brian · Post by **Brian** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 11:57 am

If you like the melodic Goth sound, check out Tiamat. The sound is lush with Eldrich type vocals and female backups. Good stuff.

Valgar · Post by **Valgar** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 1:19 pm

Dear fuck yes, COB are my favorite band and every one of their CDs rocks from start to finish.

sven666 · Post by **sven666** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 1:32 pm

cob are pretty good.. lets you listen to those powermetal riffs without the oh-so-horrible castratesinging.

i wouldnt say they sound anything like at th egates, dark tranquiliy or carcass tho..

btw, for all those who KNOW that "slaughter of the soul" is the best death album ever made (cause it is) check out "corporation187 - perfection in pain" i swear.. it sounds like a sequel or something.. fucking amazing!

bring out the rubberman!!! \m/

Strychnine · Post by **Strychnine** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 4:29 pm

sven666 wrote:cob are pretty good.. lets you listen to those powermetal riffs without the oh-so-horrible castratesinging.

btw, for all those who KNOW that "slaughter of the soul" is the best death album ever made (cause it is) check out "corporation187 - perfection in pain" i swear.. it sounds like a sequel or something.. fucking amazing!

bring out the rubberman!!! \m/

I haven't really listened to metal consistently since highschool (I pretty much listen to experimental electronic music and variations of noise [powernoise, rhythmic noise etc.] I can't stand lyrics anymore]

BUT

I do know! Slaughter of the soul is one of the few metal albums I still listen to. I will now have to check out this album that you speak of.

And CoB are pretty much poo. Their first album and part of their second was decent but...power metal...even the faintest relation is unacceptable.

Powermetal in general is horrid. Like "Rhapsody". That band is horrible. Any band that takes out a track to talk about how they're sad because their "dragon" died in some imaginary battle...well. And lisp and manage to sound like a gay elf at the same time (hmm..sound like Cradle of Filth before they went all listener-friendly).

Valgar · Post by **Valgar** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 4:51 pm

I only hear the power of love and awesome guitar/keyboard solos.

brand1bil · Post by **brand1bil** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 5:11 pm

CMoon wrote:I know a lot of people who like them, but I haven't actually heard them myself. What are they...black metal? (versus Metal Black)

Noooo!!!.... ahhhhrrrrggg.....

Go with Darkthrone if you want blackmetal:

CMoon · Post by **CMoon** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 3:55 pm

brand1bil wrote:
CMoon wrote:I know a lot of people who like them, but I haven't actually heard them myself. What are they...black metal? (versus Metal Black)
Noooo!!!.... ahhhhrrrrggg.....

Go with Darkthrone if you want blackmetal

Don't worry, I'm not saying this as one who listens to COB or black metal. I just hear the names thrown around. I guess all the music I listen to is for pussies

Acid King · Post by **Acid King** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 4:03 pm

I can't stand CoB. I'd hardly call Swansong one of Carcass' masterpieces, I think that's easily their worst album. Symphonies of Sickness or Necroticism is the way to go for Carcass.

Strychnine, check out http://www.angelfire.com/psy/thewounded/ and tell me what you think.

TWITCHDOCTOR · Post by **TWITCHDOCTOR** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 11:00 am

[quote="Acid King"]I can't stand CoB. I'd hardly call Swansong one of Carcass' masterpieces, I think that's easily their worst album. Symphonies of Sickness or Necroticism is the way to go for Carcass.

Strychnine, check out http://www.angelfire.com/psy/thewounded/ and tell me what you think.[/quote

I agree with about Carcass... still, HeartWork is pretty good too.

In Flames always reminds me of Carcass for some reason.
I guess I consider Carcass the "godfather's" of this genre.

Cmoon... Children of Bodom are excellent musicians, if you can stomach "guteral/growling" vocals then give HateBreed or Follow the Reaper a fair chance.
Alexi (lead guitarist) is heavily influenced by classical music, so if that sounds interesting...

kemical · Post by **kemical** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 11:05 pm

i like children of bodom, but it's definitely not the only type of music i listen to, more into industrial//etc stuff, I can't really take COB seriously, but I just love the fast guitar and ridiculous lyrics + keyboard, Nightwish is another good band I class as similar to bodom, but I'm able to enjoy them much more seriously.. after forever's older stuff is good too.

JBC · Post by **JBC** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 12:50 am

Wow, sounds like a half-and-half deal for people here liking CoB. Most of the other bands mentioned here i've heard but am not into. Then again - i am very picky about music. It's just gotta have that balls to the wall pace and complexity like CoB for me to like it these days. Everything else seems so very... tainted by today's plastic society.

Or something...

Andi · Post by **Andi** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 1:39 am

circuitface wrote:Everything else seems so very... tainted by today's plastic society.

That's rich. Aqua's song Barbie Girl spoke out against that too.

sethsez · Post by **sethsez** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 2:19 am

Children of Bodom is ear candy. It sounds nice and it's about as shallow as can be. Personally I think it's nice to hear a band of this style (melodic death, though as pointed out earlier a lot of the riffs are power metalish) that doesn't take itself so damn seriously. It's like metal's version of something you'd sing at a karaoke bar while drunk with friends.

TWITCHDOCTOR · Post by **TWITCHDOCTOR** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 6:52 am

sethsez wrote:Children of Bodom is ear candy. It sounds nice and it's about as shallow as can be. Personally I think it's nice to hear a band of this style (melodic death, though as pointed out earlier a lot of the riffs are power metalish) that doesn't take itself so damn seriously. It's like metal's version of something you'd sing at a karaoke bar while drunk with friends.

In some ways Seth, your "Dead On", in other ways, you're "Dead Wrong". (Karaoke?)

Whats wrong with Power-Metal anyway?

I enjoy all types of Metal...all except for "Nu-Metal". Well, even in some RARE cases, it ok, or tolerable. (P.O.D maybe)

sethsez · Post by **sethsez** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 8:50 am

TWITCHDOCTOR wrote:In some ways Seth, your "Dead On", in other ways, you're "Dead Wrong". (Karaoke?)

By that I mean that it's the closest thing metal currently has to dumb, fun, shameless music with no sense of pretention whatsoever. Not that you'd actually want to sing along to them.

TWITCHDOCTOR · Post by **TWITCHDOCTOR** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 8:59 am

I like COB and all, but I couldn't sing along if my life depended on it, as I can't understand a single word Alexi is howling!!!

I don't care though...its the music that counts!
Alexi can whistle Dixie for all I care, its the progressive structure, and the SOLO's man!!!!!!!!!

Please remember that TWITCH is a guitar solo whore.

Valgar · Post by **Valgar** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 1:34 pm

I ask who doesn't love a guitar solo? December Flower is sex.

TWITCHDOCTOR · Post by **TWITCHDOCTOR** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 2:14 pm

Valgar wrote:I ask who doesn't love a guitar solo? December Flower is sex.

If I may be so bold, check out Vodkatron's, "Scenes of Painted Sorrow"...its some of my best work to date. imo

PS: The full album/CD is coming out soon!

Acid King · Post by **Acid King** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 2:51 pm

circuitface wrote:Wow, sounds like a half-and-half deal for people here liking CoB. Most of the other bands mentioned here i've heard but am not into. Then again - i am very picky about music. It's just gotta have that balls to the wall pace and complexity like CoB for me to like it these days. Everything else seems so very... tainted by today's plastic society.

Or something...

Complexity shmomplexity, whatever happened to writing a good song? I like complex, crazy music as much as the next guy but I think sometimes it gets in the way of wriiting a song and just becomes showy. CoB is just too flashy for me.

Herr Schatten · Post by **Herr Schatten** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 3:10 pm

Acid King wrote:I like complex, crazy music as much as the next guy but I think sometimes it gets in the way of wriiting a song and just becomes showy.

You know, this is exactly the way I always felt about Dream Theater. As a musician, I can't help standing awed in front of the speakers, but as a music-loving individual I can't stand any of their songs except "Pull me under", "The silent man" and "Space dye vest".

FRO · Post by **FRO** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 5:59 pm

Awesome music, sick/demented/disgusting lyrics. I owned Something Wild until I found the lyrics on the `net and realized that the stuff Lahio was singing was pretty nasty. I subsequently sold the CD. If the lyrics weren't so aweful, I'd say they're an awesome band, but for me, they don't have the whole package. I'd rather listen to something a little less mysoginistic. <waits for flames>

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 6:27 pm

Herr Schatten wrote:
Acid King wrote:I like complex, crazy music as much as the next guy but I think sometimes it gets in the way of wriiting a song and just becomes showy.
You know, this is exactly the way I always felt about Dream Theater. As a musician, I can't help standing awed in front of the speakers, but as a music-loving individual I can't stand any of their songs except "Pull me under", "The silent man" and "Space dye vest".

totally off topic, but years ago R.H. Bear, of Bile fame, was voted to be one of the best keyboardists in Manhattan, just above what's-his-name in Dream Theater. i remember reading this on Biles homepage a couple years ago but didn't quite believe it until i asked him myself.

FRO · Post by **FRO** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 1:50 am

^^

I met the guys in Bile back in `95 - they stopped in at the McDonald's I was working at in high school. I vividly remember that one of the members had these really old Slayer sweatpants he was wearing that he seemed really proud of. They were all pretty nice guys and gave us all sampler cassettes w/ "I Reject" and "Technowhore" on them. I still have that cassette.

As far as the Dream Theater thing goes, regardless of which keyboardist it was in reference to, I don't think RH can hold a candle to any of them, though I think Jordan is their best.

OmegaFlareX · Post by **OmegaFlareX** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 4:49 pm

I didn't feel like playing video games last night, so I turned on MusicChoice - Metal on teh digital cable, put it through the receiver on my headphones, and cranked it up. Aside from a few crap songs here and there (Danzig-Mother, ugh), but there was a lot of really cool stuff.

Kreator - I can't remember the song name, but it was an awesome song

The Haunted - Shadow World - this song fucking shredded. I loves me some thrash.

Children of Bodom - Trashed, Lost, & Strung Out - I've heard the name thrown around the internet before, but this is the first time I actually heard anything from them. It was okay at best. I didn't care for the sonic-y keyboard-sounding guitars (hell, maybe they were keyboards, I dunno).

Dry Kill Logic - Paper Tiger - I listened to the channel for a couple hours, and there was a lot of American nu-metal, but this was only song I liked out of all of them

Vision of Disorder - older, early-90's metal band. Can't remember the song, but it was pretty cool. The riffs were great, but the vocalist was terrible

Cradle of Filth - Hallowed be Thy Name - Okay, it's official - I fucking hate women metal singers. The chick from Kittie is okay, but this bitch just sucks. The last time I heard CoF was in '99 when I used to listen to the 2-in-the-morning MetalFile show on XL102 from Richmond, VA, and I remember them being black metal, but this song sounded more progressive/melodic than that. Pass.

Kittie - What I Always Wanted - This was a surprisingly cool song. Surprisingly cool riffs, surprisingly cool vocals, although like I said above, I don't care for girl metal singers. Didn't they go somewhat mainstream a few years back? I remember seeing them play on Letterman.

Mystic Cirlce - Nortrum, The Sword of Might - heh, this wasn't on MusicChoice, and I don't even like the rest of the stuff on the album (Drachenblut), but this is an absolute fucking masterpiece as far as black metal goes. I just love this song. Beezelbub Von Graaf's (or whatever the fuck name he gave himself) vocals are just outstanding, both his high-pitched Skeletors and low-end Cookie Monsters.

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 7:10 pm

FRO wrote:^^
I met the guys in Bile back in `95 - they stopped in at the McDonald's I was working at in high school.

i met RH a few months ago when Bile had a show here in town.he was also very nice, and not at all how i thought he would be, considering appearance wise, he looks like an older, hairier Danzig. i bet i might have been able to meet others in the band, but i don't drive and had to go wait for my ride. that show is the loudest thing i have ever heard, and it was awesome. hearing "Sex Reflex" made me want to beat the crap out of someone (and i almost did, when someone dancing knocked my new glasses off my face. haha i was wearing glasses

).

as far as agreeing with the Dream Theater factoid, i can't say, because honestly, i never liked them. so i imagine my views would be skewed.