Children Of Bodom - 'Skeletons In The Closet'

Nice ‘n neat collection of Bodom covers, compiled for your convenience!

Covers records are always a mixed bag. More often than not, we salivate at the prospect of our favorite bands covering the artists we grew up with, and anticipate a collection we’ll consistently turn back to for a shot of that good time feeling. Usually, though, cover songs are best delegated to bonus tracks or singular inclusions, as the “covers album” rarely—if ever—actually makes good on its intended promise. Enter Finland’s Children Of Bodom and their own covers hat, tossed into the ring: Skeletons In The Closet.

This seventeen track collection is a bit different, however, specifically when dealing with the fact that Bodom has always been a bit obsessive when it comes to the oft-maligned art of the cover song. For years, Bodom fans have made it a point of hunting down all of the band’s singles and imports, due to guitarist Alexi ‘Wildchild’ Laiho and Co.’s affinity for recording at least one or more cover tracks during each album session.

Skeletons In The Closet neatly compiles all of the band’s previously released cover tunes, and to make things worthwhile for inspired collectors, adds a number of new, exclusive covers to this collection. Unfortunately, most of these new tracks, barring the raucous, if a bit over-baked, cover of Suicidal Tendencies’ “War Inside My Head,” fail to hit the same spot as most of the band’s older school classics.

Sure, the idea of Bodom laying down their take on such rock classics as Credence Clearwater Revival’s “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” or Pat Benatar’s “Hell Is For Children” sounds great in theory, but more often than not this listener found himself revisiting the band’s ace Alice Cooper (“Bed Of Nails”), Scorpions (“Don’t Stop At The Top”) and Ramones (“Somebody Put Something In My Drink”) covers.

Still, this is a great party record, and should go down a storm at your next heavy metal gathering, upon which Skeletons In The Closet should definitely come out of said closet, and on to the stereo, preferably followed by copious, frosty brews and high fives, of course!