Customer Reviews

Something Wild

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been a Children Of Bodom fan for a long time now. I have all their other albums, but for whatever reason its taken me forever to get this album, their debut. And quite why its taken me this long, I don't know, because this album is just as brilliant as all their other stuff. Children of Bodom really are one of the best metal bands around at the moment, and this proves it perfectly well.

Something Wild is a somewhat rougher album by them. The production is a little rawer, but by no means bad, and the music is definately heavier, faster and somewhat edgier as well. I get the feeling that they tried to return to this sound to some extent on Hatecrew Deathroll, after the catchy, melodic, 80s sound of Follow The Reaper, but this album brimming with much more energy. But don't be fooled into thinking that isn't melodic either. Something Wild is just as full of hooks and melody as Follow The Reaper and Hatebreeder.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Children Of Bodom, they combine Malmsteen-esque neo-classical 80's metal with catchy, even poppy hooks but also with a modern, much heavier and thrashier edge. For those of you who don't like raspy vocals, Children Of Bodom are not really the band for you, though they could also be the band to convert you. Alexi Laiho is, as always, brilliant. His ability as a guitarist is frightening considering his age at this point, and he is definately one of the best lead guitarists in metal today.

I can't really think of much more to say. I still think Follow The Reaper is their best album to date, but this is just as good a place to start with them as any.

Children of Bodom's debut release is far more melodic death metal than anything they would release later. Although the phrase commonly used to describe them is melodic death, without the harsh vocals delivered by Alexi Laiho they are closer to power or speed metal. This album however is closer to death metal than their others, and there are also tinges of black metal such as on In The Shadows. This isn't as good as the two that would follow it, Hatebreeder and Follow The Reaper, their sound is less refined and developed, but there are still some great songs. Laiho's rasping vocals fit the music perfectly even though his guitar work isn't as prominent as on later releases, and there is more classical influence here. Red Light In My Eyes part 2 takes some of its tune from Mozart's Symphony no. 25.

The first two tracks are good, but it's the two Red Light In My Eyes songs that really hold your attention. The intro to the first part is great and it contains some parts you can really hum along to, and the second part is no less good, the Mozart tune opens the track and it also contains some memorable parts. As a double act the two songs are great and fit together well, and once the second part ends another of the best songs on the album begins, Lake Bodom. The fantasy/power metal style beginning draws you in and it contains probably the best guitar solo on the CD, COB's later albums are made up of tracks similar to this one. The Nail contains an intro speech from Nightmare on Elm Street 2 and it's another solid track, the longest here, and Touch Like Angel of Death rounds things off, it's another headbanging frenzy with more classical-inspired keyboards. The album is short in length, but what's here is great, only just behind the next two they would release and worthy of five stars.

Stand-outs: Red Light In My Eyes 1+2, Lake Bodom, The Nail

Holy crap, the first time I heard this I just about wet myself. Okay, seriously though, Alexi is SICK. His innovativeness rivals that of Iommi, merely for the simple fact that NOBODY has done that before, nor sounds anything like him. You can clearly hear his roots are from listening to old school (real) metal like Maiden and Priest, and obviously, classical. HOLY CRAP. Deadnight Warrior, hands down, best song on the disc. Great opening track. Pick this up, you will buy every COB CD afterwards. I did. I started with Hatebreeder (Killer CD), got this one, then the other two. You won't be disappointed.

I was inspired By dark Tranquillity and In flames( the vocals)to get into COB, and I tell your what, these kids can kick someserious butt. The album got the brutallity of Cradle of filth, and can here two different vocal levels at a random, with a more mature vocal( I am not comparing with COF, just giving u the taste what to expect). Their guiter sounds a lil like maiden, and Malmsteen, some of the songs have a tune of Xentrix. The mixing is very mature. This album got everything you need. Awesome bouble bass attack through out the whole album. He has a very good future, very skilled, brutally fast. Good harmonizing on guiter. I am waiting to buy hatebreeder, these r kinda r hard to find in US..u lucky....all these info is not enough to explain the sound, u should have a good sense of emotion and melody to go deep in it.

Simply put, this album is the S**t!!! When I first heard their songs I knew had to have their cd's. Jann Warman (keyboard) definitely has much significance to this album, and compliments Alexi's unique guitar style. These guys are top notch metal. I can honestly say that along that all their albums including this one, has been flawless in disappointing me. COBHC for life.

This is an great cd by an awesome band. When I first heard CoB it was on this album and I was amazed. The musicianship is so good. If you're interested in anything by CoB I also suggest you try listening to other great bands like dimmu borgir, inflames and even cradle of filth. This band comprises excellent vocals, complicated guitar work and good use of the double bass pedal. I suggest that you get this album if you're interested in death metal, black metal, speed metal ,thrash metal or are just interested in a good change of music. IT ROCKS!

IN THE WHOLE WIDE UNIVERSE OF STRANGE AND DIVERSE MUSICAL CRAPINESS, BODOM HAS MANAGED TO REALESE ONE OF THE BEST ALBUMS I HAVE EVER HEARD. BODOM'S UNIQUE BLEND OF MELODIC LEADS COUPLED WITH "SWEEPING" SOLOS HAS SET THE STANDARD FOR ALL OF MY MUSICAL SELECTIONS! ..........

The recording is not as detailed as other of their productions, but it has that natural art, creativity and atmosphere that made of COB a truly talented musicians band.

I wanted to have the original version, just to have the cover full displayed on the box and not cropped or reduced like in the deluxe edition, however I couldn't find the original version, so I had to buy the deluxe edition.

Good '98 debut CD from this Scandinavian metal outfit.Tracks that managed to sort of draw me in were "Deadnight Warrior","Lake Bodom" and "Touch Like Angel Of Death".Only downside here is that 'Something Wild' has a total of seven cuts,with a duration of 32 minutes.Is this like an EP?Either way,it should appeal to some fans of In Flames,Kreator,Opeth,Mercyful Fate and Iced Earth.They're currently on tour here in the states,as I saw them earlier this year.They put on a great live performance.Go see 'em!

This was the album that introduced the metal world to the great musical qualities of Children of Bodom, who are still leaders in the melodic extreme metal category, despite having turned away many fans of the old music due to the more straightforward songwriting on their most recent release "Are You Dead Yet?". But before that album and after "Something Wild", these Finnish metal masters have released some of the best and most memorable death/black metal to ever escape the confines of Scandinavia, showing amazing promise and technicality at such a young age (most of the members were born in 1979, and their magnum opus "Hatebreeder" was recorded in 1998/99). Before their break into the metal scene as Children of Bodom, they were a melodic death metal band known as Inearthed, formed in 1993 by frontman Alexi Laiho and drummer Jaska Raatikainen (who were both a mere 14 years old at the time) and played an ambient style of the raw death metal sound, which would become one of their major defining qualities as a band. After releasing a few demos, they were signed onto the Nuclear Blast label when seen opening for Dimmu Borgir in 1997, and soon after they released their debut. It's a little messier and less focused than future releases like 2001's masterpiece "Follow the Reaper", but it still has that trademark Children of Bodom sound and is enjoyable all the way through.

Alexi Laiho's voice is one of extreme metal's more recognizable voices, displaying real emotion in his pseudo-black metal screech without losing any of his raw power. No other album (except perhaps "Hatebreeder") shows off his vocal range better than this one, and he even incorporates a little melody into his screaming now and then (see "Red Light In My Eyes Pt. 1"). Also, despite being so young in comparison to the average age of metal's higher level guitar players, Alexi proves that he is a very competent guitarist, playing solos with power beyond his years and chugging out heavy riffs that maintain direction and melody. Rhythm guitarist Alexander Kuoppala aids Alexi in the rhythm parts but rarely, if ever, plays a guitar solo, but was nonetheless an ideal companion for the virtuosic lead guitarist (he has since been replaced by Sinergy/former Stone guitarist Roope Latvala). Keyboardist Janne Wirman (known as Warman to fans of the band) plays a wide range of different keyboard styles, from the prominent atmospheric ambience of songs like "In The Shadows" or soft bell interludes like "Deadnight Warrior". His guitar-esque keyboard solos on which he built his style are rare in this album (showing up once in "Lake Bodom"), but his does plenty of other impressive things that make up for their absence, as this album is one of the best displays of his variety of skills (for a perfect example of what he's capable of, listen to "Beyond Abilities" from his side project Warmen). The bass playing of Henkka Seppala isn't very intelligible among the guitars/keyboards/drums, which is surprising given the somewhat low-quality production of the album, but it can be heard with enough trying and does the job of adding the last bit of thickness and crunchiness very well. The drumming of founding member Jaska Raatikainen is dynamic and hard-hitting, pounding out serious double-bass and showing off his impressive drumming skills such as in "In The Shadows".

Bottom line: while "Something Wild" isn't their best, it beats out their most recent release and is a defining point in their discography, showing how one of Finland's greatest metal bands came into their own. Alexi and crew blew everyone away with talent beyond their years, showing promise that would later lead them to become one of metal's most prominent and heavy-yet-tuneful groups. If you like what you hear, also check out Norther, Sinergy (a project led by Alexi's former squeeze Kimberly Goss and featuring Alexi himself on lead guitar) and the previously-mentioned Warmen (in which Alexi also occasionally plays lead guitar).

Track Selections: "In the Shadows", "Red Light In My Eyes Pt. 2", and "Lake Bodom" (their covers of Slayer's "Silent Scream" and The Scorpions' "Don't Stop At The Top" are also quite good)

8.5/10