''Something Wild'' is the debut 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 frontman Alexi Laiho, drummer Jaska Raatikainen, bassist Henkka Seppälä, ...

, released in 1997 in Finland, and in 1998 worldwide. Upon release, the album was met with universal acclaim. In 2020, it was named one of the 20 best metal albums of 1997 by ''

Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions published by different companies available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' featu ...

'' magazine. ''Something Wild'' was an innovative and pioneering album in

extreme metal Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. It has been defined as a "cluster of metal subgenres characterized by sonic, verbal, and visual tran ...

by incorporating elements of

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

, a sound not seen in other melodic death metal bands of the time; this fusion was inspired by that country's most influential band

Stratovarius Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band. Formed in 1984, they have released sixteen studio albums, six DVDs and six live albums. The band's line-up has changed many times, with no founding member left since the departure of drummer Tuomo ...

. ''Something Wild'' entered the Finnish album charts at number 35 in the last week of December, 1997. It would spend 12 weeks in the album chart peaking at number 20 in January of 1999. The album would re-enter the Finnish album charts in October of 2021 at number 19. It would spend one week in the charts.

Track listing

Personnel

Alexi Laiho Alexi Laiho (; 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 Children ...

– lead guitar, vocals, songwriting, keyboards (on hidden track) *

Alexander Kuoppala Alexander Kuoppala (born 11 April 1974) is a Finnish musician who was the guitarist for the melodic death metal band Children of Bodom from 1995 to 2003. He played on their albums '' Something Wild'', ''Hatebreeder'', '' Follow the Reaper'', and ...

– rhythm guitar, solo on "Red Light In My Eyes Pt 1", keyboards (on hidden track) *

Henkka Seppälä Henri Seppälä (born 7 June 1980), also known as Henkka T. Blacksmith, is the former bassist of the Finnish melodic death metal band Children of Bodom from 1996 to 2019. He is also responsible for backing vocals both in studio and live. In 202 ...

– bass *

Janne Wirman Janne Viljami "Warman" Wirman (born 26 April 1979) is a Finnish heavy metal musician. He is the founder and keyboardist of Warmen and was formerly a member of Children of Bodom from 1997 to 2019. Biography 150px, left, Wirman in 2009 Born i ...

– keyboards (on everything except hidden track) * Jaska Raatikainen – drums ;Production *Produced by

Anssi Kippo Anssi Kippo (born 5 September 1976) is a Finnish record producer and sound engineer, known for his work in the Finnish Heavy metal music Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a Music genre, genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s ...

, Alexi Laiho, Jaska Raatikainen, and Children of Bodom *Recorded and mixed by Anssi Kippo *Assistant engineer – Jokke Ryhanen *Assistant mixing engineer – Pasi Karppa *Cover photo by Graham French *Band photography by Toni Harkonen *Cover artwork by Flo V. Schwarz (aka Flea Black)

Charts

References

1997 debut albums Children of Bodom albums Nuclear Blast albums Spinefarm Records albums {{1990s-death-metal-album-stub