Relentless Reckless Forever

Relentless Reckless Forever is the seventh album by Finnish melodic death metal band Children of Bodom, released on 8 March 2011 through Spinefarm Records, Fearless Records and Nuclear Blast. It is the first Children of Bodom album to not have a song with "Bodom" in the title.

Not to be confused with Reckless & Relentless.
Relentless Reckless Forever
Studio album by
Children of Bodom
Released8 March 2011
RecordedAugust 2010
GenreMelodic death metal[1]
Length36:19
LabelSpinefarm, Fearless, Nuclear Blast
ProducerMatt Hyde, Children of Bodom
Children of Bodom chronology
Skeletons in the Closet
(2009)		 Relentless Reckless Forever
(2011)		 Holiday at Lake Bodom (15 Years of Wasted Youth)
(2012)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Metal Hammer[3]
Revolver[4]
Rock Sound[5]
BW&BK[6]

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/guitarist Alexi Laiho. "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 kicking our asses 24/7 definitely made the results even better, so obviously we're more than anxious to get this album out there."[7]

The song "Ugly" starts with a quote from the television show House, taken from episode 12 of season 6 titled "Remorse".[8] 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 Chris Cole as well as noted pro skaters Jamie 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's residential Action Sports compound Camp Woodward and it was directed by Dale Resteghini for Raging Nation Films.[9]

Regarding the subject matter covered in the "Pussyfoot Miss Suicide" lyrics, Laiho told Revolver, "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." "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?"[10]

The single "Was It Worth It?" was made available for streaming on 13 January via Facebook, 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.[11] As of 10 March, the album had sold over 100,000 copies worldwide.[12]

In retrospect the members of Children of Bodom later refer to Relentless, Reckless, Forever as their least favorite album. Both Alexi and Janne Wirman 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 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 and black metal elements to their melodic death metal sound, abandoning the thrash metal elements of Relentless, Reckless, Forever.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Alexi Laiho,[13] except "Party All the Time", written and composed by Rick James.

No.TitleLength
1."Not My Funeral"4:55
2."Shovel Knockout"4:03
3."Roundtrip to Hell and Back"3:48
4."Pussyfoot Miss Suicide"4:10
5."Relentless Reckless Forever"4:42
6."Ugly"4:13
7."Cry of the Nihilist"3:31
8."Was It Worth It?"4:06
9."Northpole Throwdown"2:55
iTunes US & Canada bonus tracks[14][15]
No.TitleLength
10."Angels Don't Kill" (Live at Bloodstock)5:43
11."Every Time I Die" (Live at Bloodstock)5:11
Japanese Deluxe Edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
12."Party All the Time" (Eddie Murphy cover)3:00

The DVD coming with some editions fulfils:

  • "Was It Worth It?" [Music 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
Chart Peak
position		 Source
Austrian Albums Chart 29 [16]
Finnish Albums Chart 1 [17]
German Albums Chart 20 [18]
Japan Albums Chart 20 [19]
Swedish National Chart 47 [20]
Swiss Albums Chart 43 [21]
Official UK Charts 71 [22]
US Billboard 200 42 [23]

Personnel

Release history
Region Date
Japan 2 March 2011
Austria Germany Ireland Norway Poland Switzerland 4 March 2011
Asia (excl Japan) France Hungary New Zealand Sweden United Kingdom 7 March 2011
Canada Spain USA 8 March 2011
Finland 9 March 2011
Australia 11 March 2011

References
  1. Rami Ali. "Children Of Bodom - Relentless Reckless Forever". Metallized (in Italian). Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  2. Allmusic review
  3. Metal Hammer review
  4. Revolver review Archived 2011-03-14 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Rock Sound review
  6. BW&BK review
  7. Children Of Bodom To Release New Album – Guitar World Archived 2011-03-10 at the Wayback Machine
  8. "House Season 6 Episode Recaps". Retrieved August 20, 2011.
  9. BLABBERMOUTH.NET – CHILDREN OF BODOM Members Talk Christmas, Next Album In New Video Interview – Dec. 16, 2010
  10. BLABBERMOUTH.NET – CHILDREN OF BODOM Frontman Talks New Album With REVOLVER TV – Oct. 22, 2010
  11. Children Of Bodom's
  12. Children Of Bodom Hate Crew Official Website – www.cobhc.com
  13. Children Of Bodom Hate Crew Official Website – www.cobhc.com
  14. Relentless, Reckless Forever (Deluxe Version) by Children of Bodom
  15. Relentless, Reckless Forever (Live At Bloodstock Edition) Children of Bodom
  16. CHILDREN OF BODOM – RELENTLESS RECKLESS FOREVER – austriancharts.at. Retrieved on 18 March 2011.
  17. Suomen virallinen lista – Children of Bodom: Relentless Reckless Forever . Retrieved on 18 March 2011.
  18. "Offizielle Deutsche Charts — Children of Bodom — Relentless Reckless Forever" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  19. "Relentless Reckless Forever - Children of Bodom" (in Japanese). oricon ME inc. Retrieved 2015-05-19.
  20. Children of Bodom – Relentless Reckless Forever – swedishcharts.com
  21. Children of Bodom – Relentless Reckless Forever – hitparade.ch. Retrieved on 18 March 2011.
  22. Official Albums Chart Top 100 from The Official UK Charts Company
  23. Music Albums, Top 200 Albums & Music Album Charts | Billboard.com
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