I really get a kick out of Alexi Laiho, his lead vocals and lead guitar play are extreme to the Metal maximum. I know that sounds rather yahoo, only there is no other way to really explain it. I like this guys style, he is hell bent on playing some of the fastest Thrash Metal Music out there. On the new Children Of Bodom album, Skeletons in the Closet, (released on September 22, 2009), there are seventeen cover songs. Of the bands and musicians that are covered here, there is one song that I simply cannot get into or simply stomach. Hey, one lousy song out of seventeen isn’t too shabby. Consider the fact, that I really like the other sixteen songs on Skeletons in the Closet and I declare this album a Metal winner. Let’s cut to the Metal chase here and I’ll just state that the cover of the Britney Spears song, Oops… I Did It Again is equally lame as it is annoying. I have never been intrigued by Britney Spears, nor do I give her even one millionth of an ounce of respect for any music she has done in her life.
I don’t hold anything against Alexi Laiho and Children of Bodom for doing this crappy cover song, the liner notes spell out clearly as to why this song was covered in the first place. I will paraphrase the explanation found in the liner notes – apparently, Children Of Bodom, during a night of heavy drinking, were listening to a party CD they made and this crap song was looping over and over. The members of Children Of Bodom made a pact that someday they would cover this crap song, obviously they did, on Skeletons in the Closet. The explanation, (in the liner notes) for this crap cover song goes on to finish: “… and pissed a lot of people off! That’s just what we do”. In the Metal end, sure, after listening to this crap cover of Britney Spears, I felt pissed off – now I think it is damn funny, a song intended to be a joke, not to be taken seriously like it’s original artist Britney Spears.
As I stated, the remaining sixteen cover songs I like a great deal. The Thrash Metal representation of these songs explode with the power and aggression that I have always admired with Children Of Bodom. Many of my favorite Metal bands are covered extremely hard and heavy on this album: Silent Scream from Slayer, Aces High from Iron Maiden, Hellion from W.A.S.P., Don’t Stop At The Top from Scorpions, Mass Hypnosis from Sepultura and Waiting from King Diamond. Children Of Bodom give these songs their stylistic Thrash Metal stamp on them, I find myself appreciating their versions a whole lot. Whenever it comes to covering Slayer, man, that is a tough Metal task to take on.
Other cover songs on Skeletons in the Closet that are powerful Thrash Metal listens are: Rebel Yell from Billy Idol, Hell Is For Children from Pat Benatar and Talk Dirty To Me from Poison. These three songs standout for I like them a great deal more than the original versions. Ghost Riders In The Sky appears on this album too, (it appears on the Children Of Bodom album Blooddrunk as an unlisted ghost song, excuse the pun). Somebody Put Something In My Drink from the Ramones is excellent! Alexi Laiho sounds like he is really enjoying this song as I listen to him sing it. Still, nothing can ever top the original version of this song by the unreal great and legendary Ramones. Trust me, you will NEVER know that the song Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) is from Kenny Rogers. NO WAY, am I ever interested in hearing the original version either… especially since this cover version Thrashes like there is no tomorrow.
Overall, the Metal verdict is Skeletons in the Closet is loaded with fiery Thrash Metal passion from Children Of Bodom, with their trademark keyboards only enhancing the experience. I will listen to this covers album for years, hopefully decades to come. I am soon going to use the “F” word… watch out… here it comes… Children Of Bodom made a darn fun album here. Thankfully the crap song is the very last on the track list, making it easier to just end the album at song #16. I recommend Skeletons in the Closet and always highly recommend Children Of Bodom to all.
I am a Slayer fan. Have been since I first held onto the Show No Mercy album and stared at the artwork in frozen awe. I bought that Slayer album back in 1984, back when I was picked on for the music I liked by the kids wearing turtle necks, with a stupid alligator on them. The Izod kids… they were so convinced that Slayer was not going to be around in five years. That same Izod crowd all were convinced that Metal Music was for the troubled kids, listening to Slayer is what made us trouble. Really, that junk was thrown at me about Slayer and I never flinched. It’s funny now as I look back on those ridiculous high school years, the hurtful remarks and snotty attitude that I put up with from so many of my peers are now a humorous memory for me. I’ve turned out alright for myself since 1984, I am proud of my life’s accomplishments thus far. I’m not about to reveal every good deed I have done throughout my life, it really would be boring to read. Being a Slayer fan and fan of Metal Music is a part of me, take it or leave it.
Contrary to so many of the Izod kids, the religious right and the PMRC, (The Parents Music Resource Center), I and countless other Slayer fans never became Satanists or serial killers. Nope, the Thrash Metal of Slayer never made me commit a crime. I know this probably disappoints some of the Izod crowd out there, yet Slayer never influenced me to become a lifetime criminal. To compare Metal Music to violent behavior is such a waste of time, there is no correlation. Drugs and/or mental illness is the obvious incubus for violent behavior. How do I know, you may ask? Well, for one, Charles Manson was a Beach Boys fan… Thrash, Death and Black Metal never existed when Charles Manson was roaming the streets. Anyone would be wrong to connect The Beach Boys to violent behavior as well. To say that even The Beach Boys provokes violent behavior is ludicrous and/or irrational. What type of Metal Music did Al Capone listen to? How about Napoleon Bonaparte? I have made my Metal point here… feels good too.
I always express just how thankful I am that so many veteran Metal
So, tomorrow I will make my 
Metal Odyssey’s Metal Album Recommendation For Your Halloween Listening Enjoyment: OBITUARY – DARKEST DAY – These Death Metal Legends are not fooling around with their June 30th, 2009 release. Darkest Day is without Metal hesitation, one of my top three albums of 2009… spanning all the Metal genres.
Plus, the Grim Reaper wants to warn you all… the brand new SLAYER album World Painted Blood gets released on Tuesday, November 3rd. I am counting down the minutes in my Metal mind to this great moment in Slayer history.
Slayer. Thrash Metal Legends without any doubt in my Metal mind. I caught onto Slayer from the very beginning. I ordered Slayer’s first album, Show No Mercy, through mail order – direct from Metal Blade Records, back in 1984. Since then, Slayer has been a band that I uphold as one of the greatest Thrash Metal Bands ever, (if not the greatest).I have seen Slayer live in a small club setting back in the late 1980’s, a fortunate Metal experience that I will never forget. Yes, Slayer is a core favorite of mine and that will never change.
The Book Of Slayer covers the band from it’s infancy in 1981 to present day. Anecdotes, interviews, tons of photos and details abound and it is 100% Slayer. Plus there are four feature articles included about Slayer, from past issues of Revolver. Revolver documents Slayer throughout their entire career in excellent Metal fashion. Kerry King, Tom Araya, Jeff Hanneman, Dave Lombardo and Paul Bostaph are all included in the story telling and interviews. This is one Slayer collectible worth picking up – the content within it’s pages and Slayer knowledge you will gain is well worth the $5.99 cover price. New fans can catch up on some great Slayer history and veteran fans should find it hard to put down. I know I will be taking it with me just about everywhere.
Highly recommended to all Metal fans all over the globe! That is just how unreal good Retribution from Shadows Fall is… that I start off by just bluntly recommending this new album. Seriously, Retribution is one solid chunk of Thrash Metal Music for me. On this new release, (released September 15, 2009), Shadows Fall sounds as if they are not holding back the hard and heavy for no one. I am not taking the easy way out by saying all ten songs are damn incredible. The all encompassing barrage of Metal fury, that highlights each turn and corner on Retribution, is like a Metal power rush to my brain that I do not want to end. In my Metal opinion, it very much seems as if Shadows Fall took a long and hard listen to the once in a millennium, Metal masterpiece from Slipknot called All Hope Is Gone… and decided they too wanted to raise their own Metal bar. The All Hope Is Gone influence I hear on Retribution, is deserving of a raucous Metal applause for Shadows Fall, for if this influence is to be true… Shadows Fall surely knows real Metal when they hear it. The unrelenting surge of Metal power both musically and vocally, (both lead and backing/gang vocals), found within Retribution, are the best ways I can describe my All Hope Is Gone comparison. 
Slayer. Thrash Metal legends. The Webster Dictionary gives the definition of Slayer, it goes like this: to kill violently, wantonly, or in great numbers; to strike down – Suffice to say, in my Metal opinion, Slayer has struck down many a professionally paid Rock Music critic with their multiple Grammy Awards, album sales, relentless years of touring and a catalog of Thrash Metal albums that has never bent over for commercial appeal. 
Slayer has never written a ballad. Nope, Slayer never created a messed up song like, uh, One. Slayer has never put themselves into a predicament where they are telling their fans… just wait, our next album will be heavy again… we promise… just like we made our 1980’s albums. Slayer never covered a Bob Seger Rock Classic and ruined it. Slayer has always kept the Thrash Metal constant, they never needed to Load or Re-Load. Since December of 1983, when Show No Mercy was unleashed onto the world of Heavy Metal, there is no other Thrash Metal Band that I can think of, (with the exception of Over Kill), that has maintained the level of integrity and consistency such as Slayer. Slayer never revisited any damn garage days.
Slayer does not need a Guitar Hero game named after them. Slayer has never been jealous of Jethro Tull for winning a Grammy Award. (Or at least Slayer has never bad mouthed this legendary Classic Rock band in the press like another band constantly does to this day). Hint: the current Thrash Metal Band that has a Jethro Tull phobia, just recently had a Guitar Hero game named after them… plus they are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Shame. Jethro Tull never hurt no one… I defend them every Metal step of the way. Slayer does not whine or make excuses – they just make straight up Thrash Metal for themselves and their fans. Uncompromising to the Thrash Metal genre… Slayer.
I am Metal psyched about another great Metal album coming out in this month of September of 2009, Children of Bodom – Skeletons In The Closet
I cannot wait to get my hands on this new album and crank it up extremely loud, on September 23, 2009, I will. I am just very curious as to how the Britney Spears cover of Oooops! I Did It Again… is going to sound like. What about the Kenny Rogers song? Man, that should be a Metal hoot. Knowing the way Children of Bodom play their Metal, I am confident they will rage these songs into Extreme Metal bliss. Still, I cannot believe I am writing about Britney Spears, Kenny Rogers and Children of Bodom in the same post. One thing is for sure here, Children of Bodom can never be accused of not being diversified. The cover songs represent a darn cool list of bands here… Slayer, W.A.S.P., Iron Maiden, Alice Cooper, Scorpions, Ramones – these are legendary bands without question. Thank you, Finland, for the fine Metal export they call Children of Bodom.
Megadeth. Just the name alone sounds like true Metal. Thrash Metal. The name Megadeth alone, reaches out and stuns the uninformed as to the fact, that this band is seriously heavy about all things Metal. One of the kings of Thrash Metal. Dave Mustaine… a founding father of Thrash Metal and unreal good guitarist, a Metal legend. (Gee, did I leave out any other important accolades here?). Really, any Metal fan has to agree that Dave Mustaine has the Megadeth Metal machine running full tilt… for quite a long time too. I am Metal giddy that “Endgame” is coming out on September 15th… the month of September looks better already, for me. If you do not count today, (September 2nd), there are just 13 days left until the Megadeth Thrash Metal onslaught of new material becomes heard in it’s entirety. That is less than two weeks away. I am Metal psyched. I was fortunate enough to see back in the late 80’s, a Metal triple bill of Savatage, Megadeth and DIO. The New Haven Coliseum was never the same after that show… that structure no longer exists. What a night of Metal it was… Megadeth blew me away, Dave Mustaine earned a fan for life. Dave Mustaine… Thrash Metal Champion. Megadeth shall return… Endgame.
Metal Odyssey > Heavy Metal Music Blog 
You must be logged in to post a comment.