ENTOMBED
Reviewed by Mike SOS
The mighty Swedish metal outfit Entombed are back with a twin disc release that finds the band as hostile as ever. On "Inferno," the sheer rawness of songs like "The Fix is In" could peel paint off a wall, while tracks like the rumbling "Incinerator," the doom-infused "Nobodaddy" and the bombastic "That's When I Became a Satanist" contain subversive grooves underneath the wall of churning guitars.
These days, the band is sounding like the perfect mix between COC and Sabbath and, since its inception in 1987, Entombed have always been unafraid to change it up without sacrificing the sledgehammering.
In all, Entombed prove that by keeping it visceral and heavy, you can still be at the top of the extreme metal genre.
For more information, check out http://www.entombed.org.
"Morning
Star" (KOCH Records/Music For Nations/Threeman; 2002)
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
Entombed's death'n'roll sound has persisted like a bad smell over the last 15 years or so. The rotund riffs and expansive sound Entombed is well-known for continues to impress with the overall package taking on a more punk-ified energetic and speedy delivery on "Morning Star."
The guitar riffs on the tracks on "Morning Star" display musical versatility not heard from Entombed in a long time. A groove-oriented approach is evident on tracks such as "Out Of Heaven" and "Fractures." These are groove riffs that you might find in nu-metal, but rather the kind of swinging grooves that any rock disc should have. Even the straight-forward tracks such as "Ensemble Of The Restless" and "Year One Now" have a spark that was missing from recent Entombed discs. The vile "When It Hits Home" presents a version of hell of man's own doing that is quite difficult to tolerate - Entombed hold no punches on this track. The post-chorus crushing doom riffing of "City Of Ghosts" balances out the frenetic pace of the verses - great daring and great touch!
Overall "Morning Star" sounds a lot like Slayer, especially Goran-Petrov's vocals. Goran-Petrov's howls and screams his way through tales of Entombed's patented vicious lyrics which are in full force on "Morning Star" and you won't believe what the band has to say.
"Morning Star" is a step up from "Uprising" if I say so myself.
"Morning Star" was produced by Entombed and recorded by Nico Elgstrand.
Entombed is Lars Goran-Petrov on vocals; Uffe Cederlund on guitar, backing vocals, and organ; Alex Hellid on guitar; Jorgen Sandstrom on bass; and Peter Stjarnvind on drums.
For more information, check out http://www.entombed.org.
"Uprising"
(Sanctuary/Metal-Is/Threeman; 2000)
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
Entombed's new effort "Uprising" is grounded in simplicity in the style
that is known in many circles as death rock or death'n'roll. That might seem a bit corny, but when you consider we were
calling Yngwie Malmsteen's virtuosity Bach'n'roll in the '80s the term death rock
doesn't seem so bad after all.
"Uprising" displays a primal hard rock, quasi-hardcore approach that remains quite heavy even if it
isn't representative of the band's early '90s efforts. "Uprising" is almost as if Entombed deliberately
tried to be a down-and-dirty version of Helmet albeit with an occasional humorous
detour.
The thick brown roar of Entombed is still intact; however, it's been simplified for effectiveness. But
have no fear, these beer-swilling Swedes do not let down the aggression for one instant. Tracks like
the hardcore-influenced "Won't Back Down" and the renegade "Say It In Slugs" rock with the best
of metal's current offerings. Hyper-speed tracks like "Come Clean" and "The Only Ones" add to the
merriment - these tracks rev the Entombed engine with the uncontrolled chaos of a
rockslide.
As always, Entombed find plenty of targets for their patented rants. There's no shortage of hate-filled diatribes on "Uprising." What seems to be pissing the band off these days is a whole host of things including, but not limited to, escalating gun violence, fake people, psychosis, the rat race, and liars. Need to let off some steam? Entombed can help.
A joyously coarse cover of Dead Horse's "Scottish Hell" and three bonus tracks are included.
"Uprising" isn't the pioneering gritty metal of "Wolverine Blues," but it is very good raucous rock/metal/hardcore hybrid.
"Uprising" was produced by Entombed.
Entombed is Lars Goran-Petrov on vocals; Uffe Cederlund on guitar, backing vocals, and organ; Alex Hellid on guitar; Jorgen Sandstrom on bass; and Peter Stjarnvind on drums.
For more information, check out http://www.entombed.org.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2007 by R.
Scott Bolton. All rights reserved.
Revised: 23 Sep 2024 14:47:19 -0400
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