Review by Brian McLean
Coming off three separate American tours that supported the impressive 2003 Century Media release Hate Crew Deathroll, Finland's Children of Bodom retreated to the studio and created an EP titled Trashed, Lost and Strungout.
The disc contains two originals as well as two covers and was released in various formats throughout the world such as a CD single, CD EP and a DVD EP.
The two original songs will be the only tracks on the CD single whereas the other formats will have all four tracks.
The title track as well as track two "Knuckleduster" contain the standard elements Children of Bodom has become known for, great technical guitar work along with complimenting keyboards.
Guitarist Alexi Laiho is quickly earning a reputation throughout the world wide metal community as a top level guitarist and one to keep an eye on. And what makes the growing reputation more impressive is that Laiho handles the vocal duties as he tends to his shredding duties.
The cover songs, Alice Cooper's "Bed of Nails" and Andrew W. K's "She is Beautiful," keep CoB intensity of this four song EP steamrolling.
The video for "Trashed, Lost and Strungout" is one of the extras on the CD EP as well as the DVD EP.
Other extras are live video tracks, a video, footage of Andrew W. K. meeting Bodom as well as footage on CoB's night out.
The domestic release of the EP contains the title track video which was shot on location in a large vacant building with standing water puddles and the19 minute night out in Helsinki which has CoB as a homeless band and drunken city tour guides treating to viewers to locations such as Lake Bodom. The place where it all began as Laiho explained.
It's just good band fun between all members and lots of humor as well as sub titles in English.
An all region DVD player will be needed for the DVD EP format, which contains two songs from Bodom's Tuska Festival appearance and several other extras.
If the two originals are a sample of what's to be expected from the next CoB full length in the near future, it will be guarantee the release will solidify even more why Bodom is quickly rising in the metal ranks.