Going Out with the Biggest Possible Bang - A Review of Children of Bodom's A Chapter Called Children of Bodom - The Final Show in Helsinki Ice Hall 2019

Some people might perceive Children of Bodom's A Chapter Called Children of Bodom - The Final Show in Helsinki Ice Hall 2019 as a lame attempt to grab some cash from faithful fans. Such a statement would however be everything but fair. The band had not released a proper live record in seventeen years and only counts three actual live releases in its vast discography. Even though this live show meant the end for the legendary band, its sound back then was absolutely phenomenal. Having attended two concerts by Children of Bodom myself in 2017 and 2019, I can tell you that the band delivered the goods until the very end and was one of the strongest live bands in the entire metal scene.

Everything about this output deserves much praise. The fact that it even saw the light of day four years after having been recorded is a positive surprise. The remaining band members deserve praise for this remarkable decision.

The cover artwork fits absolutely perfectly as it's typical for the Finnish melodic death metal pioneers and suits the context of a concert splendidly.

The set list including eighteen songs is absolutely brilliant since every single studio record gets at least one spot on this output. Classics from the band's early years meet forgotten deep cuts and material from the last very decent studio album. The running time of seventy-eight minutes is particularly generous. This release includes all killers and no fillers as there are no redundant speeches, drum solos or cover songs watering this release down.

The instrumental performances are absolutely outstanding. Drums and precussion are tight, precise and fast as they should be. The bass guitar sounds dominant, rhythmic and vibrant as should be the case for a metal concert. The melodic keyboard sound is absolutely essential for the identity of this band and adds atmosphere, elegance and melody all at once. The guitar play is absolutely outstanding as it's perfectly skilled, particularly melodic and incredibly fast without inducing any headaches. It shall never be forgotten that Alexi Laiho was one of the greatest guitarists in the world in any genre. The harsh vocals blend in very well, adding heartfelt grit to the stunning melodies.

The few oral interactions between the band and the crowd prove how great the atmosphere was during the show and that the band was still enjoying what it was doing until the very last day.

The production of this output also deserves much acclaim. It's detailed, gritty, organic, rich and rough. It makes listeners feel as if they were standing in front of the stage right there and then.

It's no exaggeration at all to claim that Children of Bodom went out on the highest possible note. This record should be spun time and again for years, decades and centuries to come. This is melodic death metal at its very best. This album should find its way into the collection of any metal fan and I would even recommend it to anyone who isn't listening to metal yet. Give yourself the opportunity to discover something amazing.

The only element one could criticize here is that there is no visual support to this outstanding show. Considering the circumstances, I can understand the decision but it would nonetheless have been a better option to let fans make this decision on their own.

As it is, this record is the best live release of the past year and one of the ten most important live records in the history of heavy metal music.

Final Rating: 95%