It's a battle of the 'F' countries as Finland's Children of Bodom pit their seminal Follow the Reaper against modern French heavyweights Gojira and their From Mars to Sirius record. Only one will exit Round 1 of the Extreme Metal Olympics to take on another challenger in the Quarterfinals!

Children of Bodom mainman Alexi Laiho dropped the collective jaws of the metal community in 2000 when the Finns released Follow the Reaper. Rich with neoclassical guitar shredding present at nearly any and all moments of the album — even the verses — the Wild Child forged overt-melody with speedy rhythms and his iconic vocal rasp, giving traditional-metal leaning music a new flair as the millennium turned over. Lined with Bodom classics in “Bodom After Midnight,” the title track, “Mask of Sanity,” “Kissing the Shadows,” and really just about any song here, Follow the Reaper raised the bar and extended the goal posts for extreme metal.

France is home to a slew of extreme metal acts, but none have risen to prominence like the quartet in Gojira. Their landmark album, From Mars to Sirius, perfected the unyielding sense of groove and driving rhythms, accented by lighter, airy moments that shade the band’s progressive sound. “Flying Whales” is among Gojira’s best songs, as are other album standouts “Where Dragons Dwell” and “World to Come.”

Which album will move on to the Quarterfinals of the Extreme Metal Olympics? Vote for either Children of Bodom's Follow the Reaper or Gojira's From Mars to Sirius in the poll below and check out a song from each album beneath the poll if you're unfamiliar.

(This poll will end on Thursday, Aug. 11, at 9AM ET. Fans are able to vote once per hour, so keep coming back to make sure your favorite song wins!)

 

Children of Bodom, "Follow the Reaper"

Gojira, "Flying Whales"

Extreme Metal Olympics Matchups

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