Does Metal Benefit From Analog Remastering?
Children Of Bodom - Hate Crew Deathroll (2020 Remaster)
During their active years, Children of Bodom could be considered one of the most influential bands in the Metal communities. A couple of years back, the early and most influential Children Of Bodom albums were released, remastered done on analog master tape by none other than Anssi Kippo, the recording engineer who recorded many of the band's impactful albums during the late 90s and early 2000s and who has moved heavily into analog recording in his studio since the mid-2010s. As most metal albums starting from the late 80s to this day are purely digital recorded, it begs the question whether or not an extreme metal album benefits from a full analog remaster from a listener’s point of view compared to its digital counterparts. Out of the albums that were remastered in an analog way, I have chosen to review Hate Crew Deathroll, which was originally released in 2003.
Before we dive into all things music and sound, let’s introduce Children of Bodom for those who are not familiar with the band. Children of Bodom was founded originally in 1993 under the name InEartheD, which was later changed to Children of Bodom. The new name references an unsolved murder case at Lake Bodom near Espoo, Finland, the band’s hometown. In 1997, the band released their first album Something Wild!. Over the years Children of Bodom became known for their fast, guitar- and keyboard driven, metal sound that is quite unique to this day. In 2019, after a final concert at Helsinki Ice Hall in Finland’s capital, the band dissolved. Over the years, the band had been highly successful worldwide and sold about 250,000 records in Finland alone (a 5 million people country!). In 2020, Alexi Laiho, who composed most songs and whose guitar play and vocals were essential to the sound of the band, passed away at age 41.
The music itself falls into the category of extreme metal, but beyond that, Children of Bodom has a very unique sound which is hard to place in a box. Musical influences come from various different angles and subgenres, leading to their music being referred to as either Death Metal, Thrash Metal or Power Metal. While the band takes on inspiration from all of those genres, it does not fit one or the other fully. It is probably best to go with vocalist and guitarist Alexi Laiho’s own answer to this question, to which he said, “It’s just metal and that’s it”.
The music is dominated by keyboard and guitar. Both instruments are driving most songs played at a fast pace. Vocals are always harsh, which can be an acquired taste for some, but it fits the instrumental foundation well and provides a beautifully brutal soundscape for fans of this style of music. The opener “Needled 24/7” is one of the harshest tracks on the entire record, including intentional overmodulation and a lot of power. A particular highlight, in my opinion, is the track “Angels Don’t Kill” as it falls out of line due to its mid-tempo. Nonetheless the track features some of the most memorable riffs and interplay between guitar and keyboard. The last track on Side B, “Hate Crew Deathroll” rounds up the entire record nicely while not losing any steam along the way. Overall, there is no track on this album that felt like filler. During the listening session, the record felt unique while still following the distinct style the band is known for.
The reissue includes two bonus tracks on Side C covering popular rock and metal artists. The covers are Slayer’s “Silent Scream” and “Somebody Put Something In My Drink” by The Ramones. While these tracks are a “nice to have”, they do not really add to the overall album experience in my opinion.
Children of Bodom’s lyrics were mainly written by Laiho while Kuoppala and Seppälä contributed on one track. One almost all tracks, Laiho’s lyrics deal with death, hatred and aggression. The reaper is a returning symbol on the band’s covers and on tracks. “Hate Crew Deathroll” falls out of line in this regard as it is tribute to all supporters and listeners of the band, referred to as by the band the Hate Crew.
Finally, it’s time to examine the headline question: Does metal actually benefit sound wise from an analog remaster? The baseline here is that the album was originally recorded digitally. Luckily for us, the album was remastered on analog master tape by the original producer and recording engineer Anssi Kippo at Astia-studios in Finland. My impression of the remastered record is that Children of Bodom has never sounded better and this version of the album is the best you can get your hands on. Sure, it does not have the magic of a record that was done fully analog with no digital interference but comparing it to previous releases, the album has some of that analog charm and “fullness” of sound. This characteristic is lacking in other versions of Hate Crew Deathroll. While we can argue whether or not such an album deserves a 10 out of 10 score in Sound, due to the fact that it plays in its own league among comparable releases in the genre of extreme metal, I would say it is justified.
In conclusion, COB’s Hate Crew Deathroll is one of the masterpieces of Extreme Metal and the band’s magnum opus. Pairing this with a touch of analog sound through the remaster, you get a complete package that is highly enjoyable to listen to. The only drawback to all of this is the fact that this particular rendition is hard to come by, so you will have to browse Discogs every now and then. But if you manage to pick one up, you will get the chance to hear Children Of Bodom at their finest, both music and sound wise.
