review by: Jez Andrews

After a slight Children Of Bodom overdose around the time of 1999's Hatebreeder, I began to tire of the seemingly formulaic songs. They were always impressive, but sometimes you can just have too much of a good thing. However, it would appear that with this offering, Alexi Laiho and company have returned with renewed fury. They just have more of everything; more crunch, more squeals, heavier drums, more varied synth accompaniment...and yet at the same time, more melodic sections, and some parts that just aren't the Children of Bodom I knew before. To put it bluntly, I would have to call this their best album left.

Mr. “Wildchild” has definitely put more thought into each display of fretboard virtuosity, opting more for the shorter, concentrated blasts of Malmsteen-esque showcase. The use of rhythm has also developed since I last heard them. Of course, there are some tracks that are undoubtedly better than others. Opener “Needled 24/7" for example is one of the finest pieces I've heard from the band in a long time, and indeed the same could be said of “Sixpounder” and “Chokehold (Cocked 'N' Loaded).”

Almost every track has a certain something about it that sticks out in the memory, be it the slow, nod-along stomp of “Angels don't Kill” (reminds me a little of latter-day Hypocrisy) or the gorgeous double bass drum snaps of “Hate Crew Deathroll.”

Despite these admirable qualities, there are still blatant comparisons to be made with In Flames, Nightwish, and the mellower moments of Dimmu Borgir. In that sense, Hate Crew Deathroll is best listened to only every once in a while to preserve its value within whatever genre you wish to place it. (7.7/10)