Well, this is a novelty. Ryoji Shinomoto has already made a name for himself as the shred-wizard leader of Japanese metal crew RYUJIN (formerly GYZE): a band that deftly blend the atmospheres and embellishments of traditional Japanese music with a bombastic, maximalist form of deathly power metal. Unless you have ears of cloth, you will rightfully infer that Shinomoto is a big fan of CHILDREN OF BODOM, and so this unexpected tribute record, to be released on the late Alexi Laiho’s 46th birthday, is less surprising than it might have been coming from, say, KNOCKED LOOSE.
Nonetheless, the BODOM catalogue is eminently worth plundering and recreating in a fresh context, and few people have such an obvious kinship with the band’s sound, or with Laiho‘s flamboyant guitar playing. If RYUJIN‘s recent, self-titled album is any indication, Shinomoto has plenty of excellent ideas to play with, and his decision to cover seven CHILDREN OF BODOM songs, rebuilding them from the ground up with esoteric, Japanese instrumentation and a noticeable shift in melodic focus, is certainly a great idea in theory. The only problem is that “Children Of Bushido” never goes quite far enough.
Firstly, these are great songs, which makes the first part of the whole process entirely risk free. Shinomoto has chosen wisely, with obvious, heavyweight hits like “Hate Me!” and “Living Dead Beat” balanced out by cherished deep cuts like “Mask Of Sanity” and “Bodom After Midnight”. There is no faulting the performances, either. Shinomoto is a phenomenal guitarist, and he strikes the perfect balance between note-for-note mimicry and his own strain of six-string showmanship. The intermittent use of Japanese taiko drums adds a certain exotic charisma to several tracks, a furious reading of “Follow The Leader” included.
But while “Children Of Bushido” is clearly an admirable attempt to pay respects to a true great of modern metal, it is also an album that refuses to take any real risks. A few changed chords and regular flurries of dragon flute and shamisen aside, these are covers that stick rigidly to the script. Only a tooth-rattling reconstruction of “Needled 24/7” comes close to the transcontinental insanity that this album might have provided. With thunderous Japanese drums, riffs transposed to mysterious stringed instruments, and orchestral interventions that seem to speak of the connection between the mists of Finland and Northern Japan, it offers one solid reason to check out this flawed but noble enterprise. BODOM fans, it barely needs saying, will want to get involved regardless.
Source: blabbermouth.net
