''Relentless Reckless Forever'' is the seventh studio album by Finnish

melodic death metal Melodic death metal (also referred to as melodeath) is a subgenre of death metal that employs highly melodic guitar riffs, often borrowing from traditional heavy metal (including New Wave of British Heavy Metal). The genre features the heavines ...

band

Children of Bodom Children of Bodom was a Finnish melodic death metal band from Espoo. Formed in 1993 as Inearthed, the final line-up of the group upon their split in 2019 consisted of Alexi Laiho (lead guitar, lead vocals), Jaska Raatikainen (drums), Henkka Sep ...

, released on 8 March 2011 through

Spinefarm Records Spinefarm Records is a Finnish independent record label focusing mainly on heavy metal artists. It is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. History Spinefarm Records was originally founded in 1990 by Riku Pääkkönen as a mail-order distrib ...

Fearless Records Fearless Records is an American independent record label that was founded in 1994. Fearless is based in Culver City, California, and is best known for its early pop punk moments captured in the ''Fearless Flush Sampler'' and ''Punk Bites'' releas ...

and

Nuclear Blast Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...

. It is the first Children of Bodom album to not have a song with "Bodom" in the title.

Background

''Relentless Reckless Forever'' was recorded at Finland's Petrax Studios, during August and September 2010. "We worked super hard on this album, at least for me it was pretty much no sleep or rest for six weeks," stated

lead vocalist The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselv ...

Alexi Laiho Alexi Laiho ( IE-ho born Markku Uula Aleksi Laiho; 8 April 1979 – 29 December 2020) was a Finnish guitarist, composer, and vocalist. He was best known as the lead guitarist, lead vocalist and founding member of the melodic death metal band C ...

. "But we were determined to make the best COB album ever, so we were willing to do whatever it took. Of course, having our producer

Matt Hyde Matt Hyde (born June 19, 1964) is an American producer, engineer, mixer and musician. From 1982 to 1985 he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. While still at Berklee in 1984, he obtained an internship at Pyramid Recording Studio in Bost ...

kicking our asses 24/7 definitely made the results even better, so obviously we're more than anxious to get this album out there." The song "Ugly" starts with a quote from the television show ''

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

'', taken from episode 12 of season 6 titled "

Remorse Remorse is a distressing emotion experienced by an individual who regrets actions which they have done in the past that they deem to be shameful, hurtful, or wrong. Remorse is closely allied to guilt and self-directed resentment. When a person ...

". The quote is, "You're feeling something, what is it, what do you feel? I don't know, it hurts. It will." A music video has been shot for the single "Was It Worth It?" with

skateboarder Skateboarding is an action sport originating in the United States that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. S ...

Chris Cole as well as noted pro skaters

Jamie Thomas Jamie Thomas (born October 11, 1974) is an American professional skateboarder and skateboard industry entrepreneur. Thomas is the owner and founder of Zero Skateboards and Fallen Footwear, until he announced its closure in January 2017. Thomas ...

, Garrett Hill and Tom Asta. "The single 'Was It Worth It?' is a total party song," said Laiho. "It's not your typical Bodom sound, but it's one of my favorites and heavy as hell." The video was shot in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

's residential Action Sports compound Camp Woodward and it was directed by

Dale Resteghini Dale Anthony Resteghini (born August 28, 1968), better known as Rage, is a music video and film director and record producer. Rage has helmed hundreds of videos for well-known acts from the global superstars to the emerging acts to the niche b ...

for Raging Nation Films. Regarding the subject matter covered in the "Pussyfoot Miss Suicide" lyrics, Laiho told

Revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...

, "I've been involved with stupid chicks who were trying to get attention by being, 'Oh, I'm so fucking depressed. I'm gonna slit my wrists with a cheese grater...' And it's so fucking boring, like, 'Just let it go. You're really not gonna do it, anyway.' It's kind of harsh, but it's fuckin'

black humor Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...

." "Ugly", on the other hand, is "really just venting and screaming stupid stuff. Nobody should expect anything deep and poetic and sensitive and intelligent, y'know?" The single "Was It Worth It?" was made available for streaming on 13 January via

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

, and "Ugly" was broadcast for the first time on 4 February 2011 on FullMetalJackie's radio show. The album is available in several editions: CD, CD+DVD Limited Digipak, Vinyl LP and limited Super Deluxe Edition including a CD, DVD and a 64-page photobook. The Japanese editions are pressed in SHM-CD format, feature three bonus tracks, include lyrics translation in Japanese and a poster is offered with the first press edition. ''Relentless Reckless Forever'' was certified gold (sold over 10,000 copies) in Finland on the first day of its release, 9 March. As of 10 March, the album had sold over 100,000 copies worldwide.Children Of Bodom Hate Crew Official Website – www.cobhc.com
/ref> In retrospect the members of Children of Bodom later refer to ''Relentless Reckless Forever'' as their least favorite album. Both Alexi and

Janne Wirman Janne Viljami "Warman" Wirman (born 26 April 1979) is a Finnish musician; he is the former keyboardist for the Finnish metal band Children of Bodom from 1997 to 2019 and currently collaborating with Warmen. Biography 150px, left, Wirman in 2 ...

both have stated that Matt Hyde frequently tried to push the band into a more stripped down sound closer aligned to bands from the

new wave of American heavy metal The new wave of American heavy metal (also known as NWOAHM and new wave of American metal) was a heavy metal music movement that originated in the United States during the early–mid 1990s and expanded most in the early to mid-2000s. Some of the b ...

scene, which Children of Bodom were willing to experiment with at the time but later felt such a style was not for them. On Children of Bodom's follow up albums '' Halo of Blood'' and '' I Worship Chaos'' the band reintroduced more

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...

and

black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...

elements to their

sound, abandoning the

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...

elements of ''Relentless Reckless Forever''.

Track listing

The DVD coming with some editions fulfils: *"Was It Worth It?" usic Video*Making of "Was It Worth It?" *"Angels Don't Kill" – Live at Bloodstock *"Everytime I Die" – Live at Bloodstock *The Rockhouse Method With Alexi Laiho – DVD Trailer *The Rockhouse Method With Alexi Laiho – Instructional DVD Excerpt

Chart performance

Personnel

;Children of Bodom *

– lead vocals, lead guitar *

Roope Latvala Roope Juhani Latvala (born 25 June 1970) is a Finnish guitarist, best known as the former rhythm guitarist for the band Children of Bodom from 2003 to 2015 and the co-lead electric guitarist for Sinergy. He was also one of the founding members ...

– rhythm guitar, backing vocals *

Jaska Raatikainen Jaska Raatikainen (born 18 July 1979) is a Finnish musician, he is best known as the former drummer and co-founder of the melodic death metal band Children of Bodom from 1993 until his departure in 2019. He is currently in the project called Me ...

– drums *

Henkka Seppälä Henri "Henkka T. Blacksmith" Seppälä (Born 7 June 1980), is the former bassist of the Finnish metal band Children of Bodom from 1995 to 2019. He is also responsible for backing vocals both in studio and live. He is currently the bassist for t ...

– bass guitar, backing vocals *

– keyboards ;Additional performers *James-Paul Luna (ex-

White Wizzard White Wizzard is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, formed in 2007. They have released one EP and four albums: ''Over the Top'' released in 2010, ''Flying Tigers'' released in 2011, '' The Devil's Cut'' released in 2013, and '' Inf ...

) – clean vocals on "Party All the Time" *DJ Kreisipastori – additional keyboard programming on "Party All The Time" ;Production * Produced by

and

*Arranged by Children of Bodom *Recorded by Matt Hyde and Chris Rakestraw, except keyboards, recorded by Janne Wirman *Mastered by Tom Baker at Precision Mastering, USA, October 2010

Release history

References

External links

Official album website
{{Authority control 2011 albums Children of Bodom albums Fearless Records albums Nuclear Blast albums Spinefarm Records albums Albums produced by Matt Hyde