When in Sodom

May I speak openly? It's hard for me to take a band seriously that mutates from death metal of the identity-creating kind to ultra-boring death 'n' roll, only to eventually come to their senses. Listen boys, ride and shoot straight, but let me speak the truth: this is how you kill your own integrity. But well, with "When in Sodom" Entombed once again show their deadly side after their spiritual return to the early nineties. Both the title track and "Carnage" are the acoustic reflection of a band blowing off steam. "When in Sodom" makes for a lasting malaise, "Carnage" actually sounds like a song that didn't end up on "Left Hand Path" only due to a chain of unfortunate circumstances. L-G's voice sounds angry, domineering and antisocial, the guitars create genre-typical harmonies without ceasing and the average speed would be clearly too high in inner-city traffic. This double strike definitely enriches the catalogue of the formation. But unfortunately Entombed also show another face on this EP.

The first tones of “Thou Shalt Kill” indicate that the EP is going to derail. Senseless lyrics (“Thou shalt kill, you got blood to spill”) match with a lukewarm mix of voluminous guitars and wannabe-gloomy lines. This is neither an atmospheric track nor a death metal milestone, because it lacks strong guitars and memorable elements, although the band creates an intensive ending. The song is saved by the gloomy, deep and powerful sound that characterizes the whole release. More or less the same goes for "Heresy". Here I readily concede that the transition to the children's choir intermezzo in this piece is very well done and there really is an eerie mood here. Unfortunately, there is also a dull section with a narrator at the end, which is why this song is not fully convincing either. It's nice that Entombed were getting better, but they still weren't immune against bad ideas. What remains is a half-baked conclusion, which ends the EP in a boring, uninspired and phlegmatic way with half the volume.

In a nutshell, “When in Sodom” begins very good, but before reaching the halfway point, the EP starts to stagger. However, the first two songs were worth the money. I just wish they would have been more loyal to their roots during their career, because I always listen to Entombed releases after “Clandestine” with a tear in the eye.

At the turn of the century, Entombed started to perhaps re-think their decision to take their music so deep into rock territory, and slowly began their descent back to hell through great releases like Uprising, Morning Star and Inferno. With the When in Sodom EP, a sort of teaser for the following year's new album Serpent Saints, the circle has been completed, with the addition of a campy, occult atmosphere that makes it all the more fun. Yes, When in Sodom is the Entombed you know and love from the early 90s, although moored down in a mellow atmosphere which does not at all displease me. "When in Sodom" itself will appear again on the Serpent Saints album in 2007, but the EP is still worth having because of the four additional tracks unique to it, and they are all extremely good.

First, "When in Sodom" opens with a kickass sample about Satan, imposed over the noise of a haunting atmosphere and female orgasm, before Entombed roll out a carnal, chugging tone which fits fluidly below Petrov's excellent lyrics, very campy and a hell of a lot of fun. When the tempo picks up, the band continues to rock, grinding out wicked melodies and barely contained rage, before the choir arrives to herald the chorus. The song is simply awesome, and though it should please fans of the first two albums, its somber and bitter flavor, and crisp but deep, rocking tone does not ignore all of the work the band has done in the interim. But while this makes for a fantastic warmup, it is "Carnage" which seals the deal, a plucky energetic tune with some real momentum, pure classic Entombed riffs over solid drums. I really like the reverb the band is using here in the drums and vocals, it gives the track a very distant flavor and staying power, and the pure viral death metal breakout later in the track is the perfect chance to celebrate the old Swedish band you love so much by ripping out your heart and then dancing on it.

"Thou Shalt Kill" lurches about like a drugged murderer with a meat cleaver in hand, his every step seeming possessed as if by the devil, and the band manages to alternate a morbid acoustic rhythm with bluesy, simple leads with a hammering, demented chug riff for a pretty powerful effect, again breaking out the stops for some old school death. "Heresy" plays like an ominous warning, darkly curving guitar lines that wander beneath some guitar ambiance before a crashing groove breaks out, trampling your spirit in ill intentions. This is one of the band's best groove-outs since "Demon" on the Wolverine Blues album. "Amen" is a lot different than the rest of the EP, a drugged out, morbid tune that consists of plucking acoustics and deep, throbbing bass, like a 70s horror score meets Pantera's cover of "Planet Caravan", while Petrov performs some distorted, quirky narrative poetry above it. Though clearly a departure from the metal of the other four tracks, it still seems to fit rather well, and makes for a nice closure.

When in Sodom is simply the best of Entombed's shorter releases, even better than Hollowman from 13 years ago. The songs are all straight from the gut, and the new direction certainly paints a colorful, creepy pallette for the forthcoming full length to follow through (which it does). At first I didn't quite catch on to all the charms of the EP, but it has since grown on me a great deal, and now I'd have to say it's one of the more essential offerings in the latter half of the band's discography, even with the one redundant track.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Imagine. Imagine waking up in a stranger's bed, in a room you have never been to, and when you turn around, you face a beautiful naked woman sleeping by your side with a mysterious smile on her face. Nevertheless, you don’t remember anything from the night before. If you truly tried to imagine this you should feel a warm sensation in your heart and something tingling in your pants. That’s exactly the same feeling I get when thinking of this EP. It is short and to the point. After I went through it for the first time, I forgot everything except for one thing. It was spectacular.


Musically, this five song EP does not offer much diversity. All the songs are composed with extremely similar riffs and repetitive drum patterns. The music is moderately interesting and it sounds as if it was written by a thirteen year old who has just seen a bunch of monster movies. However, there is something about it that makes you want to listen to more. This release has an extremely dark atmosphere. All of the songs contain at least one segment with some old man talking (Except for Amen which is all spoken by L-G Petrov) which gets kind of cliché yet adds a lot to the general mood.


The lyrical aspect of this EP is the true highlight of this single. Every song is packed with entombed notorious black humor and sarcasm. Through their career, Entombed was know for their hilarious lyrics yet “When in Sodom” tops almost everything they very made since with lines like “You bend over quick (and say) Here let me guide your little stick” how can anyone go wrong?


In conclusion, this is another great release from the Swedish metallers and should be listened to at least once. And by the way, the tingling in your pants should be over now.