Band: Children of Bodom

Album: Halo of Blood 

Release Date: June 11, 2013

Label: Nuclear Blast

Rating: 9/10

Any band willing to experiment with their sound must face an inevitable crossroads at some point in their career: do they continue catering to their original fans while retreading old material, or risk alienating them in pursuit of a new direction? Finnish melodic death metallers Children of Bodom have been facing accusations of “selling out” for the last decade, as recent releases have seen the band incorporating components of thrash and industrial metal, while partially abandoning their heavy emphasis on melody. With Halo of Blood, however, the band has reignited the spark that made their early work so brilliant, combining elements from both phases of their career to form their best album since 2003’s Hate Crew Deathroll. Continue reading →