Formed in Stockholm, Sweden as Nihilist, Entombed is largely credited for starting the Swedish death metal sound. Comprised of drummer/guitarist/primary songwriter Nicke Andersson, guitarists Uffe Cenderlund and Alex Hellid and vocalist LG Petrov, the band’s first demo led to a deal with Earache Records.
The band’s sound was an amalgam of thrash metal, influenced by American death metal bands like Death and Morbid Angel. Relying on stout, primal riffs, Entombed eschewed many of the technical aspects that was entering into death metal at the time for a more stripped down and raw approach.
The band’s subsequent album Left Hand Path was recorded at Sunlight Studios in Stockholm with producer Thomas Skogsberg and was released in 1990. In no time the band were critically and commercially lauded for their innovative sound, namely the ‘buzz-saw’ guitar tone that their approach was based upon. Tracks like “Left Hand Path,” “Revel In Flesh” and “Supposed To Rot” was vicious and swarming, taking death metal to places never before seen.
Clandestine followed suit, although Petrov was absent for the recording after a fallout with Andersson. Johnny Dordevic is listed as the singer, but it was Andersson who handled all vocal duties. Petrov would later return for the touring in support of the album. Clandestine saw the band introduce more melodic components into their sound and the production was even more seething, boasting crowd favorites “Evilyn” and “Sinners Bleed.”
1993’s Wolverine Blues is largely considered to be Entombed’s watershed moment, seeing the band shed some of its pure death metal elements for a more accessible, rock-based sound that furthered the band’s cause. 1996’s To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak The Truth was a disjointed affair as tensions grew within the band, seeing drummer Andersson depart shortly after the album’s release. The Entombed compilation in 1997 and live album, Monkey Puss – Live In London in 1998 fulfilled the band’s contractual obligation to Earache.
Wanting to commercialize their sound even more, Entombed stripped down their sound significantly for 1999’s Same Difference. Gone were the band’s overt death metal tendencies in lieu of more garage and indie rock flavors, thus alienating the band’s fanbase. The album flopped and the band quickly circled the wagons to record 2000’s Uprising, a slightly more inspired outing, but without any songs to write home about.
Entombed revitalized their career in 2001 with Morning Star, an album that brought back their classic death and roll sound. Buoyed by standout tracks like “Chief Rebel Angel” and Young Man Nihilist” Morning Star was critically hailed as their best effort since Wolverine Blues, re-establishing the band in the underground metal scene.
Only Petrov and Hellid remain from the original lineup, with the band releasing Serpent Saints in 2007, another raw platter of Swedish death and roll fury.
LG Petrov – Vocals
Alex Hellid – Guitars
Nico Elgstand- Bass
Olle Dahlstedt – Drums
Nicke Andersson – Drums (1988 – 1997)
Uffe Cenderlund – Guitars (1988 – 2005)
Jorgen Sandstrom – Bass (1996 – 2003)
Lars Rosenberg – Bass (1992 – 1996)
Peter Stjarnivind – Drums (1998 – 2005)
1990 Left Hand Path (Earache Records)
1991 Clandestine (Earache Records)
1993 Wolverine Blues (Earache Records)
1996 To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth (Music For Nations)
1997 Entombed (Earache Records)
1999 Same Difference (Roadrunner)
2000 Uprising (Metal Is/Threeman)
2001 Morning Star (Threeman/Koch)
2002 Sons of Satan Praise the Lord (Threeman/Koch)
2003 Inferno (Threeman/Koch)
2005 Unreal Estate (Threeman/Koch)
2007 Serpent Saints (Threeman/Candlelight)
A tough choice, but we’ll nominate Left Hand Path, as it is the beginning and end of pure Swedish death metal. Chainsaw guitars, feverish arrangements, catchy, brutal riffs, and a rough, rugged production job makes Left Hand Path a moment in time that will never be recaptured, no matter how hard many try.
