Children of Bodom mastered the blend of lightning speed, sharp melodies and raw aggression. Their third studio album “Follow the Reaper”, dropped on October 30, 2000, pulling these forces together to become a defining milestone in their career.
Following “Something Wild” and “Hatebreeder”, the Finnish metal icons returned with a record that preserved their fierce, rapid-fire edge while pushing Janne Wirman’s keyboards right to the frontline.
For this album, the band worked with Peter Tägtgren as producer, moving away from their previous producer, Anssi Kippo. Recording took place at Abyss Studio in Sweden and the change brought a cleaner, heavier sound with more room for Janne Wirman keyboards.
The album opens with a sample from the 1990 horror film “The Exorcist III”, making the mood before the band enter musically. After this you get a mix of fast riffs, neoclassical guitar solos, solid drumming and keyboard harmonies as important as the guitars.
The lineup featured Alexi Laiho on vocals and lead guitar, Alexander Kuoppala on rhythm guitar, Janne Wirman on keyboards, Henkka Seppälä on bass and Jaska Raatikainen on drums.
The tracks that make “Follow the Reaper” special
“Hate Me!”
One of the album biggest songs and its lead single, “Hate Me!” has everything that made Children of Bodom stand out. The guitar and keyboard duel between Alexi and Janne is the main attraction, with both musicians pushing each other through the song. It’s fast, catchy and still one of the band best known tracks.
“Everytime I Die”
There is something special about this one. The fast tempo, strong melodies and memorable chorus make it easy to understand why it became a regular part of the band live shows. It’s aggressive but also has a melody that stays with you long after the song ends.
“Children of Decadence”
This is one of the longer and more ambitious tracks on the album. The song gives the band room to show their technical side, with aggressive riffs, changing sections and plenty of guitar and keyboard work. It brings together the heavier and more progressive parts of their sound.
“Bodom After Midnight”
The second track hits hard and keeps the energy high. Its aggressive riffs and dark atmosphere make it one of the album standout moments. The song also has an interesting place in Alexi Laiho story, as it later inspired the name of his band Bodom After Midnight.
“Mask of Sanity”
Fast, sharp and full of energy “Mask of Sanity” is another great example of how the band mixed extreme metal with strong melodies. It also has a connection to their early days, sharing musical similarities with “Talking of the Trees” a song from the period when they were still known as Inearthed.
“Kissing the Shadows”
Closing the album with one of its fastest and most technically demanding songs was a great move. The guitar and keyboard solos trade places at high speed, giving both Alexi and Janne plenty of room to show what they can do. It’s an intense ending that leaves you wanting to play the album again.
An album that helped Children of Bodom reach the world
“Follow the Reaper” became an important step in Children of Bodom’s international growth. Although the band would not tour the United States until the “Hate Crew Deathroll” era in 2003, this album helped build a strong following across the Atlantic.
It also became one of the records most closely associated with the band’s sound: extreme metal speed, black metal-style vocals, power metal melodies and neoclassical keyboard work.
The album’s dark atmosphere also fits the band’s name and imagery, which draw inspiration from the infamous Lake Bodom murders in Finland.
More than just a collection of fast songs, “Follow the Reaper” shows how Children of Bodom could combine technical playing with memorable melodies without losing their aggression.
Twenty-six years later, tracks like “Hate Me!”, “Everytime I Die” and “Kissing the Shadows” still remind us why Alexi Laiho and the band made such a strong impression on melodic death metal.
Now it’s your turn: Which song from “Follow the Reaper” is your favorite?
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