Something Wild是C.O.B在1997年发行的第一张正式专辑，仔细端倪曲名会发现这张专辑的概念，在意境灵感上亦来自于泊登湖凶杀事件，歌词反复叙述着死亡、黑暗与恐惧等议题；音乐性探讨方面，Children Of Bodom被归类至Melodic Death Metal，乃因他们的音乐结构亦是将原本粗暴的Death Metal用优美旋律加以点缀，富有旋律性的歌曲往往是一般人较能接受的曲风。这张专辑里大量采用急速的双吉他旋律与华丽流畅的键盘相互搭配，时而劲飙，贝斯与鼓点也有优秀的表现，主唱兼主奏吉他手Alexi Liaho在死腔的表现方面唱法略带邪恶但充满吸引力。Children Of Bodom用充满速度感的方式来诠释旋死，更令人赞叹的是其团员个个技巧能力一流，乐曲丰富的旋律性及披有的一层speed外衣，引起芬兰一阵这种类型音乐的风潮。Something Wild不但是旋死迷不容错过的专辑，也是一般乐迷进入旋死世界的入门必备作品。

by Vincent Jeffries

Children of Bodom came out of the heavy metal starting blocks in fine form. The group's debut, Something Wild, attracted much attention, as many listeners and critics marveled at the bandmembers' technical abilities, while others described Children of Bodom's music as fluffy and trite. Ultimately, the Finnish group's success within the commercially limited confines of progressive black metal quelled many naysayers, but not before the band received a few harsh reviews. With the huge amount of metal being released in Europe and America -- and practically no radio outlets -- good critical response was essential for late-'90s artists like Children of Bodom. And although some weren't impressed by the shifting arrangements and sparse keyboards of Something Wild, others refused to deny the musical accomplishment of the debut. Later studio efforts benefited from superior production, but Something Wild contains plenty of essential material and performances. Jaska Raatikainen's drumming propels much of the album, especially during the strong middle section of "Red Light in My Eyes, Pt. 1" and "Pt. 2" and "Lake Bodom." One negative factor is the short playing time of Something Wild. At around 32 minutes, this record (and all of the group's studio efforts) plays more like an EP than a full-length. But considering the lack of filler material, Something Wild still contains more than its share of impressive metal.