New Loud Rock Adds: Children of Bodom, Trivium

Children of Bodom - I Worship Chaos: When I saw that new Children of Bodom was coming out this week, my heart skipped a beat. I’ll never forget when my friend Jimmy Zhao explained “melodic death metal” to me for the first time in 7th grade. He was telling me about this sick Finnish band he had started listening to that had these insanely heavy instrumentals and vocals, but also incorporated these technical guitar solos and synth melodies. Since that day, Children of Bodom has filled a niche in my musical taste that no other band fills. If pop-punk is a more melodic, accessible form of punk, then Children of Bodom is definitely pop-deathmetal! One song in on I Worship Chaos, I could already tell that it would live up to my expectations as a Bodom record. Beautiful solos combined with head banging breakdowns are scattered throughout. Will any of their albums ever melt my face like 2005’s Are You Dead Yet did? Maybe not, but I Worship Chaos is a damn good attempt! Definitely give the title track a listen. It shreds. CHRISTIAN

RIYL: Arch Enemy, Mastodon, In Flames (older stuff)

Recommended Tracks: I Hurt (1), I Worship Chaos (6), Suicide (8)

Trivium - Silence in the Snow: American heavy metal veterans Trivium are unlikely to disappoint with their latest release, Silence In the Snow. Personally I only "like" the album, but I really want to love Silence In the Snow, because it’s so close to being a total metal anthem. The djent-style breakdown at the beginning of “Dead and Gone” got my adrenaline pumping but then, 20 seconds into the song, he comes on. Lead vocalist Matt Heafy sort of kills my vibe. Trivium has this really clean but aggressive instrumental style and then Matt Heafy comes in with these weak, Five Finger Death Punch/Godsmack -ass vocals. If you’re not familiar with these bands, it’s this crooning American bullshit that I can only describe as heavy metal Nickelback. Silence In the Snow, luckily, is carried to higher planes of existence by some furious fretwork by the real hero of the band, lead guitarist Corey Beaulieu. Beaulieu also does “unclean” vocals for the band, AKA not pussy nickelback shit. I really enjoyed listening to Silence In the Snow, but it’s due to the efforts of the rest of the band in spite of the sore that is Matt Heafy. CHRISTIAN

RIYL: Breaking Benjamin, Dream Theater, Five Finger Death Punch (but not this)

Recommended Tracks:  Dead and Gone (4), Breathe In the Flames (11)