Morning Star

Entombed's stylistic odyssey destroyed their authenticity and integrity, at least to a certain degree. All this black'n roll shit had only one effect, it worsened the quality of their outputs. Thus, it's nice to see that the almost romantically titled "Morning Star" does not suffer from an overdose of stylistic experiments. It does not sound like "Left Hand Path" or "Clandestine", but it can be accepted as the pretty coherent new album of a death metal band that released its debut ten years ago. Of course, do not rejoice too quickly. This does not exclude pretty experimental tracks such as "Bringer of Light" (another dreamful title) with its mishmash of slow sequences, rocking parts and spoken words vocals. But the album also houses a song like "Ensemble of the Restless". A simple, rebellious and effective riff carries the torpedo-like thrash death bastard over the somehow programmatically short distance of 154 seconds and the final line of the lyrics ("we hate each other openly") hits the nail on the head. "Year One Now" and "About to Die" have similar configurations. They are unscrupulous death thrashers that invite to a nice little headbanging session. Too bad that they are even shorter than "Ensemble of the Restless", but this is the method to their madness.

Generally speaking, the guitars supply the heaviness one can expect when a death metal legend wants to score with a new album. The songs profit from clear contours and the riffs work precisely, "City of Ghosts", for instance, has an enormous effect which is triggered by its vicious riffing. Better still, there is a certain malignancy coming through almost each and every riff and this feature gives the album a dark and occasionally fatal aura. Even the melodic elements like the solo at the end of "Fractures" breathes the spirit of transience. This is among other things thanks to the powerful production. "Morning Star" appears as a massive rock with a rough surface. Naturally, the mix cannot completely make up for insubstantial compositions. "When it Hits Home" should have been sorted out. Despite its catchy chorus, it is not able to add much value to the album and the noisy "Young Man Nihilist" also leaves room for improvement. Nevertheless, the mix gives the songs the fitting frame. And ten or maybe even eleven out of twelve songs are worth listening, although the straight triple I have mentioned at the end of the first paragraphs remain untouched.

Really? I should not forget to mention the first title when it comes to the best tracks of the album. "Chief Rebel Angel" marks a worthy opener. It sounds raw and coarse, but it also has an almost theatrical component due to lamenting background vocals - or is it a keyboard? Either way, already the beginning leaves its mark. It introduces the album like the soundtrack of a horror movie. Malevolent comment from my side: this song could originate from Dimmu Borgir if those guys still would know how to write a blackened metal track full of tragic, depth and heaviness... Okay, "Morning Star" is no album that can be described with words such as classic, milestone or masterpiece. Despite its good, fresh and lively songs, it suffers from the fact that most followers of the Scandinavians were still waiting for the second part of "Left Hand Path". Given this situation, we can discuss whether the output enriches the discography of the band. Purists will say no, but taken for itself, Entombed's seventh full-length delivers a stable supply of vehement metal that does not kiss the feet of the zeitgeist in order to sell as many copies as possible. And this is a first step on the journey to regain integrity.,

After greasing up their long-dead engines with Uprising in 2000, there was really only one path Entombed could be hiking...the one that would lead them back to the grave. Yes, Morning Star is the most metal release the band had written since Clandestine, with even less of a rock infusion than 1993's Wolverine Blues. That is not to say the band has abandoned the blues and punk influence of their past few albums, for it remains an 'option' here, used only in a few tracks and often to better effect than when it was the norm. There's also an increased attention here for the occult and religious themes which would persist through the albums following this (Inferno and Serpent Saints).

Morning Star is not death metal in the sense that the band's classics Left Hand Path and Clandestine were, though. This is more of a slowed-down barbaric crunch metal Entombed, with a huge production, crushing grooves, and an element of thrash. The Swedes have always given me impressions of Slayer when they write their faster evil breakdowns, and perhaps more on this album than any other. This is an album Tom Araya and company might have written, but with the obvious differences in guitar tone and L-G Petrov's vocals. It also has a step 'forward' in production value from the very brash, dirty Uprising the previous year, but it makes sense, as this is a very different type of record. And most notably, the lyrics here are an enormous leap above the last three albums, weaving heavy handed sacrilege into relevant, cautionary tales that involve our modern lives.

"Chief Rebel Angel" begins with the pulse of a 'heart', the dull smack of a few acoustic notes awash in sprightly pianos, before a tour de force in chords grinds your soul into chopped liver, like facing down leviathan at 20 paces. The sequence of notes is rather familiar, but given a vibrant infusion of aggression that works as quick concrete below Petrov's vocals. The chorus alone is the best thing the band has done in years, breeding much anticipation for the tracks to come, and when the band hits that doomed sequence at 3:10, it's simply ON. "I For An Eye" rocks out with all the crunch of a Clandestine track re-mastered for the modern era, a huge groove akin to more modern Slayer, but better, flowing forward like a set of brass knuckles to the chin of God. When the band hits the bridge, it's almost pure oldschool Entombed! Bang thy fucking head I exclaim. "Bringer of Light" evolves about its central, sluglike grace, a thundering groove that erupts beneath some faintly audible atmospheric guitars. The track also has some of the best Entombed lyrics I've yet read, in particular the clever chorus:

'At the head of all tables, bringer of light, here I am...I'm your man!
I will kill you if I must, I will help you if I can, I'm your man!
At the head of all tables, here I am, I'm your man!
I will help you if I must I will kill you if I can!'

That's pretty bad ass right there, not to mention the rest of the lyrics in the song. I truly enjoy the Satanic undertones implied through a few of the songs here. "Ensemble of the Restless" starts with a meaty grooving grunge rock tone which wouldn't sound out of place from the band Gruntruck, save for the the uptempo thrash beat that explodes into the hardcore punk of the chorus. "Out of Heaven" builds a nice, rock groove to a steady beat, and for some reason I am again reminded of something Slayer might write, the vocals just have that bitter edge to them. "Young Man Nihilist" belts out another thick rhythm, a crushing use of the band's distinct guitar tones with an energetic sprinkle of liberating lyrics, and a kickass death/thrash bridge. "Year One Now" is the type of track I'd expect to hear more from Sick of It All than Entombed, a big political hardcore kick in the stomach that breaks for chugging aggression and wailing blues leads.

"Fractures" is a giant, grooving rock saga which hits you like a tank at 15mph. Sure, it might take awhile, but bones WILL be broken. "When it Hits Home" starts with a roughshod mix akin to the entire Uprising album, but it eventually picks up into the production of the rest of the record, a hard rocker with southern swagger which is honestly my least favorite of the album, though it has some of the more entertaining, humorous lyrics on the album.

'You fist-fucked the planet and smiled, and licked your fingers clean
As gods come and go, you did not make the winning team'

"City of Ghosts" is a a street fighting, barebones brawler which ranges from a crunching mid paced thrash rhythm to some great evocations of Sabbath-like evil doom in the bridge, and one of the more memorable tracks on the latter half of the record. "About to Die" is the band's last foray into bruising speed here, its great riffing made even stronger by the full bodied tone of the guitars and a nice, violent hardcore breakdown. "Mental Twin" is one of the more unusual tracks on Morning Star, a fusion of say...the Melvins and Fugazi, a post-hardcore sheen to the flowing thud of the bass and streaming octave chords that graze off across the skyline like industrial smokestacks.

Although the majority of the songs are well written and even given some rapt lyrical attention, I can't stress enough how the star half of Morning Star should be awarded to the mix. It's deep and overpowering, easily clobbering anything else in the band's career from a technical standpoint (though I have a soft spot for the dark atmosphere of the first two albums). Pouring forth from your speakers, it has an almost soothing, warm effect, despite the inherent hostility of the music itself.

In retrospect, I feel that Morning Star is just as good as Wolverine Blues. It may lack the utter savagery of that album or the novelty of its death & roll image, but it makes up for that with its huge tones and the dark humor of its lyrics. It's no masterpiece, and I don't really care for the music to "When It Hits Home", but it was very exciting to hear the band release another album at this level of quality, after so many years of regress. Uprising was a promising return from the void, but this album is the promise kept and expanded upon.

Highlights: Chief Rebel Angel, Bringer of Light, City of Ghosts, About to Die

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

I will give this album 99% because I think it deserves it and also because of the reason why I am reviewing it in the first place: it's a highly underrated gem! The actual rating is far too low for this album so I'll help it getting the score it deserves!

First off, let me say that whoever says that this album is a "back-to-the-roots" is wrong! WRONG!
Nothing, in this record, even loosely resembles what they've done on "Left Hand Path" and "Clandestine". The connection is much clearer with "Wolverine Blues", at most. But this is still far from it...

I can't say that this is better that those others I mentioned, neither I can state the opposite, as I love all of Entombed's work, regardless of it being death metal or death'n'roll or whatever. I can say, though, that this album is a completely new re-interpretation of Entombed, by Entombed.

Sound-wise, their crunchy guitars that were their trademark throughout the 90' are still there, intact; L-G Petrov still sounds like the Swamp-Thing back with a vengeance and the groove is still the most relevant element in their songwriting. But the addition on this record, that "plus" that makes this album a unique installment in Entombed's discography, is the THRASH influence. Entombed exhumed all of their Slayer, Metallica, early Pantera albums and threw all the inspiration they could get into the making of their own thrash metal album, Morning Star. Well, let me say it: experiment perfectly successful!

From the opener "Chief Rebel Angel" we immediately get the idea that the guys have never been so serious. A crushing verse-riff and the most brutal (yet catchy) refrain I heard in years make of this song a real anthem and one of my favourite on the album.

"I For An Eye", "Young Man Nihilist", "City Of Ghosts" and "About To Die" are without doubt the most thrashy songs on the lot. Very inspired riffs, hammering drums, flashing solos and devastating vocals, all borrowed directly from the old school Bay Area thrash masters.

The menacing "Bringer Of Light" (my favourite song of the whole record, untouchable) , the groovy, catchy, yet disarmingly heavy "Out Of Heaven", the syncopated "Fractures" and the funny (read the lyrics, please!) "When It Hits Home" all have a Panter-ian felleng to them, with the grooves and mid-tempo riffage in high evidence.

Also reminiscences of hardcore can be felt in "Year One Now" and the high-speed-ride "Ensemble Of The Restless" without taking anything away, though, from the thrashy nature of those songs.

The last track on the album is one of those experiments that Uffe Cederlund has made us used to through the years, a very personal yet widely enjoyable manifest of his twisted mind, like "Wound" and "Put Me Out" were on "To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak The Truth".
Too bad he left the band, I am going to see Entombed live in a couple of days and I know his presence will be missed.I hope he will come back with them, some day, anyway...

In conclusion, after a listen or two, we get the idea that all the songs, although diverse, are all blended together in the right way, giving time to the listener to relax the tension before the next sonic assault. A very good example of how mature a band can be even when they play for pure fun!

Thanks Entombed for the joyride!!

First of all I must thank the Italian edition of Grind Zone for having pushed me to listen to this CD. In the review I read that this was the return to the early Swedish aggression that lied in albums such “Left hand Path” or “Clandestine”…a “back to the roots album”…well, maybe I’m deaf.

When I listened first to this one I immediately though: damn it! This is again death’n’roll! Almost anything has changed from the other releases…I tried to like it but I couldn’t and I apologize for those who wrote reviews here for this album, but I don’t like it! For a guy that loves their first efforts, listening to this one is simply like receiving whiplashes in the back.

In my opinion there is only one great song here: “I For An Eye”. This is very good and caused some damage to my neck. They shot a video for this one and when I listened to this song, seeing this video, I thought they were back in brutality but unfortunately this is the only true violent track here. Anyway this song is more thrash oriented than really Swedish…so it seems they lost the true aggression they had…

Yes, the opener is truly obscure and evil but where have the up tempo gone?? The guitars and the chorus are too boring for me…the vocals are sometimes too “clean” and thrashy for the Entombed standards. “Bringer Of Light” is doomy with the tempo refrain that is like metalcore and the guitar intro to “Out Of Haven” has a dirty rock sound while the refrain is terrible. “Young Man Nihilist” is fast but punkish with slower parts, very doomy…not bad here but not exceptional at all.

The intro to the “Year One Now” is simply amazing for more or less 30 seconds, then a punk up tempo breaks in and it’s a mess… “About To Die” is a kick in the ass for violence; the best song together with “I for An Eye”. “Mental Twin” has the same tempos of a tired Godzilla walking in a field…boring…

I recommend this album to any death’n’roll fan but not to the old school ones. In my opinion there are only two very good songs and, in their beauty, I must say that they are not Swedish death metal. It’s your choice. Sorry but now I’m going back listening to Left hand Path.

Before I review, I have to note that this album seems to be inspired from the 1997 film 'The Devil's Advocate' staring Al Pachino and Keanu Reeves. I say this because alot of the lyrics are direct quotes from the mentioned film, also the song titles seem to be named after certain moments from the film. So, maybe this album can be called a "concept album". Anyways, on to the music :)

Musically, this is Entombed's 'back to basics' album. They don'y go back to their thrashy death metal days completely (there are a few songs of the style), but mostly they go back to their Wolverine Blues sound which brought them their biggest commercial success. 12 tracks of crushing, satantic themed 'Death'n'Roll'. Their signature raw but heavy gutiar tone is still here, and L.G. Pretrov sounds ferocious and convincing while screaming his satanic lines. Bass and drumming are what they usually are with this band, crushing and tight.

This is a pretty consistant album, nothing here really makes you think "filler", it's all generally strong material, though some songs are higher than others. Such as the opener 'Chief Rebel Angel' which is just deliciously blasphemous, and features are great dramatic riff. Another highlight is the very fast 'Ensemble of the Restless', excellent.

If this album sounds like generic satanic metal, watch the aformentioned film, it seems to make sense of the album and puts images and thoughts to it, which always helps. Even if this is all eerie coincidence, it's a lovely film all the same. So check out this album! It's Entombed at their best.

Recomended Listening: 'Chief Rebel Angel','I for an Eye', 'Ensemble of the Restless', 'Out of Heaven'.

Entombed are one of those bands whose newer stuff sounds absolutely nothing like their older. If I had never heard of Entombed before and you played me something from Left Hand Path then Uprising I’d probably ask each time, “What band is this?”. Entombed’s Morning Star unfortunately is their last good album and my favorite of the new Entombed albums.

Chief Rebel Angel 4:41
The CDs starts off pretty freakishly with a woman screaming in the background with the audio down and one repeating bass note. About 1 minute into the song it starts to build up and then finally it starts with a catchy guitar hook. This is probably the most unique track on this album because of that re-occurring guitar hook and the chorus. But the lack of solo disturbed me a bit. This is a death metal band right? I know Entombed can solo fairly well and we’ve all heard it before on their previous albums.

I For An Eye 3:10
“I For An Eye” proves that Entombed are still a Death Metal band. This is probably the most Death Metal song you’ll hear on this album unfortunately and ironically, it’s the best track on this album. The lyrics very good and the guitar work is the best on the album.

Bringer Of Light 4:02
This is a very awkward song if you ask me (Well obviously you are, this is my review after all). The song itself is pretty slow in beat and the chorus has a very odd electronic hook in the background, which resembles a cell phone ring. “Bringer Of Light” is a good filler song but it’s forgetful.

Ensemble Of The Restless 2:38
If I had to pick one of my favorite tracks on this album I’d probably say “Ensemble Of The Restless”. It’s very fast in pace and the lyrics are very to the point (“Is it the truth or your image/That makes your life worth living/You're in love with a dream/Of an image not giving”). Right before the second chorus Entombed adds a very bass effect that is hard to describe unless you hear it, but it is pretty cool and works very well in the song.

Out Of Heaven 3:39
“Out Of Heaven” sounds like a follow up to “Ensemble Of The Restless” because it’s also about the same thing lyrically, the modern generation being fed crap about how their image should be and how it’s slowly destroying them. One thing I found odd is that they indirectly mention MTV in this song by referring to it as “Empty V” (“Selling sin is easy/Tainted empty v/Your eyes are heavy by the things you see/An uncontrolled addiction”). Unless I missed out on another “Empty V” then it’s quite obvious whom Entombed are talking about. The song is also slow paced like Bring Of Light but it’s a bit more interesting and has less of that filler sound to it. But this song stands out more for its vocals and lyrics.

Young Man Nihilist 2:46
Right around this track it became obvious to me what this album was about. The current generation, the death of the human spirit, and corporations controlling humanity. “Young Man Nihilist” is about a kid who’s in conflict with himself about his religion and expressing himself. The song starts off with a fast little guitar solo and the song is pretty fast paced but there’s nothing too special about the song.

Year One Now 1:56
This song could’ve been more interesting if it was longer but besides it’s short length it’s still a pretty kick ass song. It’s about man failing existence and starting over again… sort of. At least that’s what Entombed hints it’s about. The end of this song is what stands out actually when L. G. Petrov just chants “Kill kill kill kill, die die die die” a couple times. I just wish this song would’ve been longer; it suffers because of its shortness.

Fractures 3:36
“Fractures” is probably the worst song on this album just because it doesn’t stick out much… at all. “Fractures” is just a bit too bland and there’s really nothing too interesting about it. “Fractures” is just an easily forgetful filler song.

When It Hits Home 2:24
When the song first starts don’t adjust your speakers/headphones, the song is suppose to start off very quiet. It isn’t bad though because once they get through the first verse it pauses for a second and gets loud again. Anyways, this is the most entertaining track on this album. It’s obvious that this track is about corporations who just don’t give a fuck about what they’re doing to the world and how they convince themselves that they’re better then the people they’re fucking over. But one day it comes crashing down on them and they have nowhere to run (Enron anyone?). The guitar work on this song is pretty boring but this song is meant to stick out for its lyrics.

City Of Ghosts 2:32
I really have no clue what this song is about lyrically. The guitar work and drumming on this track isn’t that bad actually and it’s probably what you’ll remember this song for.

About To Die 2:14
When this song started I thought it was a Slayer song. Everything about it struck out as Slayer. The drumming, the guitar, and the pace Petrov sings. I can easily imagine Tom Araya singing this song and it being on God Hates Us All. Lyrically it sounds as if Kerry King wrote it. This track actually freaked me out because it resembled modern Slayer almost too much. If you like Slayer you’ll like this track, that’s all I can say really. It has all the Slayer elements to it.

Mental Twin 3:17
This song is pretty evil once you get past the first verse and it isn’t all that bad of a closer song. I wouldn’t listen to it if I was making a play list but I would definitely let it play through if I was listening to this album. The bass guitar stands out more on this track and sort of makes up for that very annoying guitar riff that they play through out the song.

Overall Morning Star is a fairly good album if you like the new Entombed but unfortunately they do not follow the Morning Star formula on their latest record, Inferno. The production is pretty good on this album for a Death Metal band and its obvious Entombed were trying to go for a different message then their past records (Despite the album title and the first track). Lyrically this album is a slap in the face to the current generation and each track sticks to the album’s message. Once again, this is a fairly good album and I recommend it to any metal fan.

-Ken “S0up” Fleck

The first track of Morning Star, Chief Rebel Angel, is metal at it's finest. The song is dark and atmospheric in places, but retains a subtle heaviness through-out. The vocals are excellent, as ever.

The next song, I For An Eye, is once again excellent. The vocals are outstanding, and the dirty, distorted guitar works makes a great finished product. This theme continues into the third track, Bringer of the Light. This song has certain thrash elements, but the dirty sound of the guitar provides for a deathy/dark feel. However, the middle of the song has an uninspired solo drumming part.

More dirty guitars at the start of the next song, Ensemble of the Restless. This is definitely a thrash song, with fast guitars and drumming.

The fifth track, Out Of Heaven, is slower and heavier, but the vocals are not as strong - they sound twisted, but in parts are ear-wrenching.

Track number six, Young Man Nihilist is a death metal song. The song starts off with a fast guitar song (ala Mercyful Fate), but soon cuts to more heavy, dirty guitars. The vocals are back to the excellent standard of the earlier songs.

Year One Now is a short, blasting track of pure aggression. Track eight, Fractures, is classic Entombed. Heavy guitars, aggressive, shouted vocals, and great drum work.

The nineth song, When It Hits Home, is the worst song on the album in my opinion. Most of the track is pretty boring, luckily it's only 2:24 long!

The tenth song on the album, City of Ghosts, is dark and heavy, but still has the aggressive vocals and the fast drumming. The eleventh song, About To Die is a short, blasting track, with fast guitars and nice drumming.

The last track, Mental Twin, is one of my least favorite tracks on the album. The drums are played through some sort of synth, like The Berzerker, but to a lesser extent. The song is very slow paced in general, and the vocals are drone-like.

The vocals throughout the album are very angry, but they are not growled in any way. Personally, I loved this album, apart from the songs mentioned in the above review. However, some people may not like the vocals or the dirty guitar sound, which prevails the whole way through the album.

Entombed is the kinda band you either like or don't like. The tedious vocals often drive people away, as there is no real change in them at all. If you can get into Entombed though, you will like this cd.

The band returns to a heavier sound, helped out by good production. The cd opens with the track Chief Rebel Angel. Not a great track, but not too bad. Then comes I For An Eye, which is an awesome track. This brings to mind old Slayer, with its fast riffs and fast tempo. After this track, the cd pretty much goes forward with a fast pace, but nothing super fast. This is good though, as the songs are fast and easy to get into, if you don't mind the vocals. The vocals are where the problems arise with Entombed. They are quite tedious and never really changing, so if you are bothered by them, there really is no change.

This is a pretty good cd and much better than what Entombed has being doing lately, but it sort of the has the feel of "been there, done that." Though I will give credit to Entombed for penning two of their most kick ass songs on this cd, being I For An Eye and About To Die. These songs have Slayer riffs and this is what Slayer should be doing now. This is a good cd, but not great.