Search - Children of Bodom :: Chaos Ridden Years: Stockholm Knockout Live

Ultimate COB DVD

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 08/15/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Chaos Ridden Years: Stockholm Knockout Live is the ultimate DVD release for fans of the innovative Finnish metal band Children of Bodom.



The Main Program: The primary focus of this DVD release is a blistering live performance in Stockholm, Sweden. A Finnish audience would have made more sense, but there's no denying the Stockholm audience's enthusiasm. The band was in top form for this show, blasting through their catalog with an emphasis on the Hate Crew Deathroll and Are You Dead Yet? material. Alexi's between-songs banter gets a little ridiculous at times, but you can tell he's having a great time.



The Bonus Features: To be perfectly honest, I think the bonus features on this DVD may outshine the main program. There's a great documentary called Chaos Ridden Years that gives the history of the band with plenty of band interviews and rare footage. It's a fascinating look at how a group of teenagers relentlessly pursued their metal dreams. In addition to Chaos Ridden Years, you also get all of the band's promotional videos. They could have released these as a separate DVD (I know I'd have bought it). You also get a behind the scenes documentary focusing on the Stockholm gig. That one is a bit of a throwaway, but after Chaos Ridden Years and the killer video collection, it hardly matters.



The Verdict: This DVD release is an absolute must-have for all Children of Bodom fans. Whether you're looking for live material, music videos, or "Behind the Music" band info, Chaos Ridden Years: Stockholm Knockout Live has it all. My only complaint (and believe me it's a minor one) is that the packaging doesn't really live up to the content. Such an impressive DVD release deserves a more deluxe treatment.

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