Since their first release, Something Wild, Finland’s Children of Bodom has continued to rise as a powerful name in the Melodic Death genre. Their recent release, Holiday at Lake Bodom: 15 Years of Wasted Youth, is a celebration of the band’s 15th year drinking, partying and making Metal. The 20 track compilation features tracks from every studio album Bodom has released thus far, and also includes a couple new covers. The album also comes with a bonus DVD, the 15 Years of Wasted Youth documentary.

Holiday at Lake Bodom contains such fan favorites as Hate Me, Are You Dead Yet? and Downfall. For the tried and true “Hate Crew” members there are oldies like Silent Night, Bodom Night and Deadnight Warrior. The newer tracks on the compilation are well chosen; Blooddrunk from Bodom’s 2008 release with the same title, Roundtrip to Hell and Back and Shovel Knockout from 2011’s Relentless, Reckless Forever.

In addition to the classic Bodom songs on the album, two tracks specifically reflect Children of Bodom’s quirky and highly amusing taste in music—they have covered everything from Johnny Cash, to Pat Benatar, to Britney Spears. For Holiday at Lake Bodom, they chose to cover the Dropkick Murphys and Rick Springfield. Track six is a cover of the famous Dropkick Murphys song I’m Shipping Up to Boston, which despite the slightly over-the-top keyboard effects Janne Warman uses throughout, is entertaining. The Rick Springfield cover, Jessie’s Girl, is highly amusing, mainly because Bodom fans don’t often get a chance to hear frontman Alexi Laiho belt out entire verses without harsh vocals. The cover is definitely catchy and the instrumentals fit together extremely well, pulling together in an nice guitar solo towards the end.

The 15 Years of Wasted Youth documentary is almost the same as the Thrashed in Helsinki documentary that was featured on Children of Bodom’s Trashed, Lost and Strungout EP. It contains footage of the band’s live shows, time in the studio recording Relentless and of course, classic Bodom shenanigans on tour.

Holiday at Lake Bodom is definitely a must-have for the hardcore fans, and a good sampling of the best Bodom tunes for new listeners.