ENTOMBED “Red Logo” /Cut Out Patch/

Re-release of the debut full-length album by the legendary Swedish Death Metal band.
With their monumental debut album, "Left Hand Path", Entombed crashed through the gates of the international Death Metal scene and foreshadowed the pivotal role that Scandinavia would soon play in the evolution of the then-burgeoning genre. These Swedes had earlier made ripples throughout the underground with their "But Life Goes On" demo (1989), as well as their prior demos as Nihilist, which had gotten them signed to Earache. "Left Hand Path" did more than make ripples upon its 1990 release, however - it came crashing like a tidal wave. Beyond doubt it raised the bar for Death Metal, significantly challenging American trailblazers like Death, Obituary and Morbid Angel. What Entombed did was take the extremity of Earache's stable of British Grindcore bands (Napalm Death, Carcass and Godflesh) and apply it to the elaborate songwriting structures of the aforementioned American Death Metal bands. It was the best of both worlds - over the top extremity complemented by intricate songwriting - and it wasn't more than a year or two later that everyone and their brother were following Entombed's lead (e.g., Carcass' "Necroticism" 1991, Napalm Death's "Harmony Corruption" 1990). But no one did it quite as well as Entombed does here on "Left Hand Path"; in fact, even the band itself struggled to follow up this album and quickly moved on stylistically.
As for the album itself, few of the songs stand apart from one another, apart from the epic title track, which opens the album and is highlighted by an eerie, unforgettable ambient break; rather, the album plays like a 40-minute wall of sound, one that is downright relentless. The band grinds away on song after song as monstrous vocalist Lars-Göran Petrov growls away like a caged, dying beast. The songs are fairly complex - they're only a few minutes long, granted, but they don't follow clear-cut patterns and are interwoven with numerous guitar solos, which particularly set Entombed apart from the Grindcore bands of the time. The band's dual-guitar attack allows for heavy soloing without ever forsaking the nonstop riffing, and everything - from the guitars to the vocals - sounds slightly overdriven, to the extent that the instruments blur into a swirling tide of noise yet remain slightly distinct. By the time you reach the end, you have to let out a big sigh - it's surely not an album you want to end, but then again, the finale does admittedly come as a calming relief.
As aforementioned, "Left Hand Path" is a monumental accomplishment, not only for Entombed but for Death Metal in general. The band would go on to record many more fine albums, but none would be quite as epochal and seminal as this one!!
Earache reissued the album on CD with two bonus tracks: "Carnival Leftovers" and "Premature Autopsy." These tracks don't sound out of place, but to an extent they do dilute the succinct impact of the album as it was originally intended.
Earache Records, 1990/1999 (MOSH021CDL). Made in UK.


Tracklist:
1. Left Hand Path     6:39 
2. Drowned     4:01 
3. Revel In Flesh     3:43 
4. When Life Has Ceased     4:11 
5. Supposed To Rot     2:03 
6. But Life Goes On     2:59 
7. Bitter Loss     4:22 
8. Morbid Devourment     5:25 
9. Abnormally Deceased     2:58 
10. The Truth Beyond     3:25 
11. Carnal Leftovers     2:58 
12. Premature Autopsy     4:25
Total playing time: 47:09


Samples:  http://earache.bandcamp.com

Re-release of the third full-length album by the legendary Swedish Death Metal/Death 'n' Roll band.
Entombed, one of the premier Death Metal bands of the early '90s, boldly ventured into new musical territory with "Wolverine Blues", the band's third excellent album in a row. The album marked a move away from band's Death Metal roots to the more traditional Hard Rock and Metal style onward called Death 'n' Roll which they would continue to explore with future albums. "Wolverine Blues" is such a departure from past efforts, in fact, it's debatable whether this music even qualifies as Death Metal, given its standard Rock characteristics: comprehensible vocals, steady tempos, and verse-chorus-verse songwriting. None of these characteristics is associated with Death Metal, and indeed, purists might perceive Entombed's development on "Wolverine Blues" as an abandonment of the very principles that won the band such underground acclaim in the first place. Some purists might even go so far as to consider the album a sellout. Most reasonable listeners, however - including even the most impassioned Death Metal purists - will likely find much to appreciate on "Wolverine Blues". It's that impressive.
Album also worth mentioning that it features L-G Petrov back on vocals.
For sure, Entombed's previous albums, "Left Hand Path" (1990) and "Clandestine" (1991), were excellent, among the finest Death Metal efforts of their time, but their stylistic trappings were well evident. The growled vocals, breakneck tempo shifts, and amorphous song structures, to cite a few key characteristics, were fairly inaccessible to the type of mainstream Metal listener. "Wolverine Blues", on the other hand, is that rare album brutal enough for the Death Metal crowd yet at the same time accessible enough for the Metal mainstream. For instance, the vocals of Lars-Göran Petrov are mostly comprehensible; however, they're delivered with such ferocity, they're as powerful as, if not more so than, the most guttural Death-growl. Likewise, the guitars of Uffe Cederlund and Alex Hellid riff along at a steady tempo, but they're so heavy, they cut like a buzzsaw (as on "Heavens Die") and pummel away like a jackhammer ("Demon"). Along with the drumming of Nicke Andersson, which is hard-hitting yet never to the point of blastbeat, it's the songwriting of "Wolverine Blues" that is most removed from the confines of Death Metal.
These are especially distinctive songs by Entombed, every single one each unique in its own way and graced with a memorable hook, particularly the album standouts "Wolverine Blues", "Hollowman" and "Out of Hand." Clearly, a lot can be made of Entombed's bold venture into new musical territory with "Wolverine Blues", and you can bet Metalheads will debate the album's stylistic merits for years to come. What's beyond argument, though, is that "Wolverine Blues" is the third impressive effort in a row by one of the best Metal bands of the early '90s, and as impressive as the past two albums were, this one is by far the most inviting and most deserving of widespread recognition!!
Guitar World Magazine labeled "Wolverine Blues" as "1994’s best Death Metal effort and quite possibly the finest Death Metal album of this decade". In 2005, "Wolverine Blues" was ranked number 494 in Rock Hard magazine's book of "The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time".
Earache Records, 1993/1999 (MOSH 082CDL). Made in UK.


Tracklist:
1. Eyemaster     3:18 
2. Rotten Soil     3:25 
3. Wolverine Blues     2:13 
4. Demon     3:17 
5. Contempt     4:32 
6. Full Of Hell     3:20 
7. Blood Song     3:23 
8. Hollowman     4:25 
9. Heavens Die     4:14 
10. Out Of Hand     3:08
Total playing time: 35:15


Samples:  http://earache.bandcamp.com