And we’re back. What better song to christen the magnificent return of Mouths For War than with than a new release from Finnish melodic death metallers (try saying that ten times faster!), Children Of Bodom. This is our first taste of the newly announced Bodom record, “I Worship Chaos” as well as the first not to feature long-time guitarist Roope Latvala. Is his absence noticed…well…not really. Let’s be honest, Alexi Laiho has always the lead axeman of Bodom, and much like Trent Reznor, Ozzy Osbourne or Dave Mustaine (not that I’m trying to draw parallels, Alexi isn’t a crazed conspiracy spouting republican…or a bat eating madman) it will be his leadership that drives the band forward.
Enter “Morrigan”, a song that is what is says on the tin, as well as an indicator that lead axeman Alexi Laiho has been playing far too much Dragon Age. Here is where we dig out the old COB bingo card, and we check off melody, atmospheric keys and guitarwork so shreddy that they’ll be a breakfast cereal in a month’s time. 
“Morrigan” is slightly predictable, but that doesn’t stop it being a good song. The guitar work is excellent, the keyboards amp up the melody and provide a darkened atmosphere to Bodom’s power-influenced brand of melo-death, like a Mozart piece and a Castlevania game were thrown into a metal threshing machine. In short…this sounds like Children of Bodom, which can only be a good thing at this point, seeing as the band apparently fixed what was broken with their previous record, and are churning out more of the same. I’ll hold of final judgement until the record is out obviously, but if the rest sounds like “Morrigan” then I would say that melodic-death metal fans have a lot to look forward to. I’m giving “Morrigan” a:
“Morrigan” – 7/10
“I Worship Chaos” is out October 7th via Nuclear Blast
Mouths For War 