Children of Bodom - Hexed (2019)

Swiftly recovering from a spell of forgettable releases, CoB continues their return to form with the scorching “Hexed”. Unleashing over 45 minutes of melodic brilliance, the band delivers 11 fast-paced songs that feature their signature style and instrumental wizardry. Incorporating new guitarist Daniel Freyberg, to the fold the band focuses on crafting memorable tunes filled with killer solos and melodic passages.

Wasting no time, the high-octane opener “This Road” unleashes a barrage of pummeling riffs and a very playful tempo. The subtle atmospheric keyboards make sure this is a signature CoB anthem, but the pace is what incites moshing and excitement. The dueling keyboards/guitars are in top form as “Under Grass and Clover” rolls in, we are suckers for musical acrobatics and Janne Warman and Alexi Laiho don’t fail to the deliver in this release, as we can also hear in “Glass Houses”.

If you are looking for more playful songs, “Hecate’s Nightmare” has a nice funky tempo that is slowly builds up into a killer guitar solo and its respective keyboard response. The Thrash-esque “Kick in a Spleen” is a nice breather track that changes the pace a bit as the band warms up to the melodically brilliant “Platitudes and Barren Words”. We have always been great fans of the band’s ability to shake things up between tracks and create very catchy and technically challenging pieces.

A personal favorite is the moody “Say Never Look Back”, featuring superb drumm patterns and incisive guitars. This song is one of those classic CoB headbanging anthems. The regular release comes to a close with a new version of their 2004 track “Knuckleduster”, which nicely puts this release to rest with dramatic keyboard arrangements and pummeling guitars. Overall, “Hexed” is quite an engaging release that continues the legend of Children of Bodom. With eleven catchy and well crafted tracks, this release is certain to have constant playing time in our permanent playlist.

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Release: March 8th, 2019

Genre: Melodic Death Metal

Country: Finland