Follow the Reaper

Infobox Album
Name = Follow the Reaper
Type = studio
Artist = Children of Bodom


Released = October 30, 2000
Recorded = August — September 2000
Genre = Melodic death metal
Black metal
Extreme power metal
Length = 41:14
Label = Spinefarm Records
Nuclear Blast
Producer = Peter Tägtgren and Children of Bodom
Reviews = * [http://soundofmetal.se/ Sound of Metal] rating|7.8|10 [http://soundofmetal.se/index.php?page=childrenofbodomreview link]
*allmusic rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ol7zefrk2gf8 link]
*The Metal Observer rating|9.5|10 [http://www.metal-observer.com/articles.php?lid=1&sid=1&id=3360 link]
Last album = "Tokyo Warhearts"
(1999)
This album = "Follow the Reaper"
(2000)
Next album = "Hate Crew Deathroll"
(2003)

"Follow the Reaper" is the third album by Finnish melodic death metal band Children of Bodom.

The music continues the musical tradition of the previous album, Hatebreeder, only with a more straight-forward direction. Much of the black metal [symphonic metal elements were present (the keyboards, vocals, and production), as well as a stronger emphasis on power metal. Many songs on the album end as live setlist favorites, such as "Everytime I Die", "Hate Me!" and the title track.

Follow the Reaper was recorded and mixed at Peter Tägtgren's Abyss studio in Sweden, instead of the Finnish Astia-studio from Anssi Kippo, in which they had recorded all of their previous releases, including the demos from IneartheD. On this album Children of Bodom used the D standard tuning (D,G,C,F,A,D), which was also used on their previous studio album, Hatebreeder.

A deluxe edition featuring two bonus tracks was released in 2006.

Track listing

# "Follow the Reaper" – 3:47
# "Bodom After Midnight" – 3:43
# "Children of Decadence" – 5:34
# "Everytime I Die" – 4:03
# "Mask of Sanity" – 3:58
# "Taste of My Scythe" – 3:58
# "Hate Me!" – 4:44
# "Northern Comfort" – 3:48
# "Kissing the Shadows" – 4:32
# "Don't Stop at the Top" (Scorpions cover) – 3:24 (Japanese bonus track)
# "Shot in the Dark" (Ozzy Osbourne cover) – 3:38 (Japanese bonus track)
# "Hellion" (W.A.S.P. cover) – 3:02 (bonus track)

*The CD booklet contains the lyrics of "Everytime I Die", "Hate Me!" and "Kissing the Shadows".

Nuclear Blast Deluxe Edition Bonus Tracks
* "Hellion" (W.A.S.P. cover) – 3:02
* "Aces High" (Iron Maiden cover) – 4:28

Re-release Bonus Tracks
* "Hate Me!" (Original single version) – 4:47
* "Hellion" (W.A.S.P. cover) – 3:02
* "Everytime I Die" (Enhanced video)

Note: Numerous versions of "Follow the Reaper" were released, each with different bonus tracks.

Personnel

*Alexi Laiho – Vocals/Lead guitar/All lyrics except for Don't Stop at the Top (written by Rudolph Schenker/Klaus Meine/Herman Rarebell), Shot in the Dark (written by Ozzy Osbourne and Phil Soussan), Hellion (written by Blackie Lawless), and Aces High (written by Steve Harris).
*Alexander Kuoppala – Rhythm guitar
*Janne Warman – Keyboards
*Henkka Seppälä – Bass
*Jaska Raatikainen – Drums
*Peter Tägtgren and Children of Bodom – Production
*Anssi Kippo – Recording/Mixing
*Flea Black – Cover artwork

ong similarities

*The same melodic idea that features in the bridge of Hate Me! is used as an interlude in the song Follow the Reaper.
*The bridge of "Bodom After Midnight" is strikingly similar to the music from the 1996 movie, The Rock), which was composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, Nick Glennie-Smith, and Hans Zimmer
*The opening of "Bodom After Midnight" is bizarrely similar to King Diamond's song "From the Other Side".

Trivia

*The song "Kissing the Shadows" was hastily composed by Alexi Laiho on the day of recording.
*The introduction to the song "Follow the Reaper" is an excerpt from John Donne's "Holy Sonnet 10", quoted from "The Exorcist III."
*At the end of the song "Follow the Reaper," the quote "I was only 21 when I died" is from the movie "The Exorcist III."
*At the beginning of the song "Taste Of My Scythe" the quote "Rip, and cut, and mutilate the innocent. His friends and again, and again, and on and on" is a quote from the movie "The Exorcist III."