Left Hand Path

If ever there was an album that was incredibly overrated by the metal purists and something I disliked, surely Entombed's "Left Hand Path" would be one of the first albums to pop up in my mind. People say that this is the ultimate death metal album, and an album "so good there would've been no need for another death metal album", but I couldn't disagree more. This album might have influenced tons of bands, but it has lots of drawbacks in and on itself. I think the only reason this album is praised as much as it is must be because of the sound of the album, especially the guitars, and I think another strong reason for its praise is the time it was released around. How many death metal bands were out there in the early 90s, especially in Sweden? Not many that I can recount at the top of my head, so this kind of makes more sense to me why it's praised so much.

Now, people say that the songs are all different on this album, but that's clearly false. The songs mostly sound all the same, and they aren't very catchy either. The songs that were decipherable from the others were the ever-infamous title-track, "Revel in Flesh", "Supposed to Rot", and "Bitter Loss", but they all still sounded pretty similar at the end of the day. The infamous S.M.G.T. (Swedish Metal Guitar Tone) on the guitars sucks. That's it, I said it! I didn't want to go there, but this tone has been overused so much and gets praised so fucking much that it has just pushed my buttons too many times! I basically don't need to say anything else, but because it would be against the guidelines to write a review with a lack of detail, I will do it anyway. The guitar tone is too fuzzy and has a narrow dynamic range, only distorting and muffling the notes they play. It's honestly not even all that different from other guitar sounds that were created prior to 1989. However, the lead work is definitely good, just not all that memorable and not detailed.

But the guitars aren't the only problem. The drums bring this album down by a lot too. They don't evolve and mostly are the same for the entire duration of the record. At least in "Revel in Flesh" there's blast beats, but that's about everything remarkable I can say about the drums. The drum rhythms vary between slow grooves, midpaced fast patterns, and then the extremely repetitive fast drum beat at somewhere 240 bpm that accompanies about 80% of the duration of the album, which just proves the repetitiveness on here. The drums themselves sound artificial, although not fake, it seems like they used electronic drums to record the album, which I personally can't really criticize, but real drums would've probably sounded better. And then there's the bass guitar. It's clean, and it's not very decipherable when all the other instruments play. When revealed in "Bitter Loss" somewhere at 0:24 you can hear that it has flanger on it. Now, I don't know who in the world thought there should be fucking FLANGER, of all things and effects, on bass! You could've just left it clean OR it could've had some overdrive or fuzz instead, which probably would've saved it from being forgettable, and bass with overdrive can bring an album to life by a lot. But well, no one really cares about that instrument when you are playing basic death metal, but flanger is just the most pointless shit you could use as an always-on effect on an instrument. Or maybe it was just used on the part where the bass gets exposed, you can't hear it any other time on the record, and it has no audible treble either, so I guess we'll never know.

Now the vocals. I don't hate people, I can only hate their music or what they do. So with that being said, I have nothing against Petrov as a person, kudos to him for being very passionate about metal, but I'm not going to let the fact that he's dead stop my criticism of his vocal skills. His vocals are not evil and he has too many voice-cracks, and some of his yells are very goofy. He barks most of the time and doesn't really change his vocal style at all, besides yelling a bit in a few places, so what is it really that makes Petrov so great? At least the vocals aren't unlistenable, they're just really boring and basic. The lyrics are okay. Pretty well written, although they're not really worth being inspired by. At least they're not as basic as lyrics from Roxette, also fellow Swedes.

Production wise, for the 90s this sounds okay, but I feel like it could've been a lot better if it had more middle and lower frequencies, and it wasn't so fond of the treble. I have nothing against albums with a raw production, but here the production is raw in a bitter sense. Songwriting-wise this album's very boring, and only interesting in a few places. What's the brilliance in this record? I don't get it. Am I supposed to be drunk to think this is genius? Surely the band members have talent, but in this album and with this sound it really wasn't executed that way. It's more basic than I prefer my death metal to be, but hey, maybe that's the point! What do most death metal bands try to achieve other than making heaviest music on the planet?

In conclusion, this album's very mediocre, considering all the hype and the positive recognition everyone seems to flail around about it. And the outcome of my review is pretty mediocre too! I really hoped I was going to make this a big statement and that I was going to be able to finish it earlier, but well, that's what I get for thinking. Anyway, don't believe the hype. There's lots of other great old-school death metal out there than this. Honestly, I find some In Flames and Soilwork, and even Mustasch albums to be better than this. If the riffs were INTERESTING I would've been okay with them repeating a lot. But that's the problem! They aren't interesting! I guess this says it all. If you LOVE death metal and you listen to death metal and death metal only 24/7, surely you will dig the fuck out of this, but if you're more into variation and interesting passages like I am, then I suggest you check out something else. This album isn't terrible, but very basic and overrated, especially when it comes to extreme metal standards. Go better check out some other Swedish band! Not Razorrape though, okay?

It is difficult at this point to talk about this album without repeating things that have already been said about it thousands of times since the day this album saw the light of day, hundreds of pages of material have been written about this record alone, its impact and legacy, its musicality, its engineering, its conception, its history, all and more than can be told and beyond. And when one is introduced to a release of monolithic proportions, one of the most important and influential albums of all time, one of those few works that can truly be said to have been ahead of its time, it seems that there is always something more to be said.

But Left Hand Path is not only important for what it meant musically for a whole scene and style that is still inspired by this album today. Almost everything one can talk about this album means talking about a musical work made by absolute geniuses, when you listen to Left Hand Path you are not only listening to a pioneer sound, every song on this album is simply at an amazing compositional level, from the first to the last song all the tracks are essential and show true compositional mastery. There are many comments about how the first song is superior to the rest of the album but I think that those who say that are not understanding it, it's true that the song that opens the album is the most memorable, both for its strength at the beginning and for its epic and melodic ending that would mark forever the development of melodic death metal, but we can find traces of melodism throughout the long play without it being as blatant as in the homonymous theme, the final segment of this song is nothing more than the classic opener to settle the tone, as they do even in the damn Broodway musicals, it's the perfect way to start the album and not to end it as I have read.

So, not only the first song is a gem, they are all incredibly memorable, consistent and always find moments to take your breath away, it is true that many songs were already written when the band was called Nihilist and one of the great advantages they had in the creative process is that they had been working on many of the songs for years so they would have been much clearer about what they wanted to do with them, But behind this there is also one of the best jobs in technology and production that has ever been done, the tonalities of the guitars, the sound, everything is adapted with a constant flow that fits perfectly as if it were an intricate puzzle that has been solved to perfection. Take for example the song "Revel in Flesh" in less than 4 minutes we have different guitar tones, from a raw and harsh one to an extremely melodic solo, rhythm changes ranging from fast paced crust and thrash influenced to mid tempo sections and all of this being incredibly cohesive and feeling like it progresses naturally, an incredible and detailed work of the highest level.

I mentioned at the end of the previous paragraph some influences from other genres in the sound of the album, and this is something I have noticed when I have paid more attention in my last few listens, I have really come to appreciate different types of musical influences showing a whole range of genres, from thrash and primitive death metal in the most obvious way, to punk, not only because the music has that youthful and aggressive attitude, but it also shows in the sound, as well as a noticeable hard rock influence that although it may surprise many, was there from the beginning of Entombed's career and didn't appear out of nowhere on Wolverine Blues.

But back to talk about the songs on the album, I think that if with the 10 songs it is already a perfect album, the two bonus tracks are the cherry on the cake, both tracks contain the same aggressiveness and wild tone as the rest of the album feeling totally organic with the rest of the work and I could even say that they take to a step further the savagery of the record, and with all this we find ourselves in front of an album that is close to 50 minutes that is basically balls to the wall death metal that never slows down and yet never gets boring because every riff, every hook, is an absolute display of quality in every way.

As a last note, I have to admit that I may be influenced and biased by the death of L-G Petrov but the more I listen to this album in particular the more importance I give to his voice and everything he achieves in this album, without having the best voice in the business his voice adapts perfectly to the sound that the rest of the members are playing, and he is really able to stand out in his punctual moments with some heartbreakingly iconic and impacting screams, having an importance in the result of the album as important as the rest of the instruments.

And much, much more could be said about this album but it would be a never ending story, there will be many more pages and volumes to come about this musical monument, but there will never be exact words that can capture what one feels when listening to Left Hand Path, either for the first time or for the millionth time.

Entombed is a band that is often name-checked when people refer to old-school death metal for good reason. This band is possibly the single most influential Swedish death metal band of all time, along with Dismember. The sound has been copied time and time again, often with mixed results. With that being said, I can't help but think that this album is somewhat overhyped for what it is. While some albums are hyped and deserve it (Celtic Frost's Morbid Tales, Metallica's Ride the Lightning, and Strapping Young Lad's City immediately come to mind), I think that this is one of the rare cases where an album does not quite match the same levels of hype for me as it does for everyone else.

Don't get me wrong, I acknowledge the impact that it had on underground music, especially for its time. But if we are judging this album based purely on its own terms, it is an album that never quite keeps my attention throughout. I also think that many aspects of this album tend to be overhyped, which leads me to think that this album is incredibly overrated.

While the guitar tone is cetainly iconic, as it has been copied by countless bands across the world, it is not even close to bringing the heaviest sound to a death metal record, even for its time. Albums like Bolt Thrower's Realms of Chaos and Autopsy's Severed Survival edge this out in terms of heaviness, and they came out a year prior. Death metal was also getting heavier with the advent of death/doom on the horizon, with bands like Sempiternal Deathreign and Winter at the forefront. While it is certainly crushing for its time, it does not seem to exceed that of some of its peers in the US.

But heaviness does not matter, as long as the songwriting is great. However, this is the album's main Achilles' heel. While Dismember's Like an Ever Flowing Stream is consistent throughout, this album has way too much filler to justify such a high rating on this site. While there are a number of classics here, the title track being the main one that comes to mind, most of this album is very forgettable. Which is a shame, because those classic songs show that Entombed had lots of potential to write an album full of classic songs, but that is not what we got.

It's not all sub-par though, as the performances here are second-to-none. Lars-Göran Petrov (Rest in Peace) delivers a savage vocal performance, which is as iconic as it gets for old school death metal. The instruments sound raw and intense, while never having a hint of sloppiness. I just wish that what they were playing was more interesting.

Due to its influence, its energetic performances, and its iconic sound, I enjoy this more than I do not. However, the score on this website seems rather rediculous in my opinion. I apologise if I look like an edgy contrarian, but that is not my intention with this review at all. I understand why this record is as beloved as it is, but I just do not share the same love as everyone else, unfortunately.

This album is significant for death metal whether one likes it or not. Please consider this reviewer doesn't happen to be a big fan of it. Anyways here are three reasons for its popularity below.

First, it's from 1990, unquestionably early for death metal and therefor irrevocably influential for 90's death metal on the whole and beyond. Second, the well reputed (and later highly sought out) Swedish death metal guitar tone makes possibly its most pertinent appearance here; the infamous early 90's Boss HM-2 pedal sound; as 'Left Hand Path' is top of the list in popularity. Sound wise the thing that separates this album from others in the genre at the time is the massive bass presence at the back of the down-tuned guitars (that sound like outright 7-strings), which totally fills in whatever mids were scooped for girth. The guitars roar deeply and with extra bulk and abrasiveness, and Entombed do well here to put them to useful contribution as the album is filled with mean, corrosive riffs. We're given a panoply of heads down grunting death metal sections, interspersed with accidental technical licks slipping into the tracks. Rhythmically, brutish gallops, giving way for the occasional blast beat assault, in an overall drumming performance that is strongly homogeneous and doesn't like to venture outside a select few beats. Third and lastly, the album is home to a few immediately recognizable parts the fan will feel a familiar connection to, with the horror movie styled outro to the first track being the blatant example, although I'm not sure how the band avoided copyright trouble here as this is the 'Phantasm' theme song.

The uptempo stuff and erratic aggression on display might be mistaken in parts for a grindcorish type vibe, but with full knowledge of the facts about what Entombed turned out to be, these are likely to be equated with the heavy rock influence the band were harvesting at the time, with noticeable traces seeping through, if not more even at times. This still is closest to classic death metal than any epiphenomenal contemporary movement, Scandinavian melodic death or grindcore or otherwise.

It's a crushing experience to be sure, with a convincing effort from all instrumentalists, late vocalist Lars-Göran Petrov included, and a big special mention to the mixing engineer feels obligatory. Its place in the death metal landscape seems cemented and its name forever associated with quality because of its then original sound and for being an OG album from the year 1990, which number alone sparks up an aura of patriarchal ancientness for the genre. It may disappoint with how it promises to be dark and tortured, and then gradually travels up to the surface for a more ostensible groove-oriented brand of death metal. They are, after all, one of the iconic pioneers of "death n' roll", lest we forget. Although that didn't turn out to become anything big.

While many albums around the late '80s and the early '90s are contenders for the title: Death's Human, Morbid Angel's Altars of Madness, and Tomb of the Mutilated are a few that come to mind, it's Entombed debut album that takes the cake.

Entombed definitely had their wits about them when composing here, the songs don't run on too long and no riff or blast beat is wasted. Vocalist Lars Petrov sounds purely evil, but his vocals are dynamic enough to keep the album interesting through growl and shriek. Even the extended title track that kicks the album off holds its edge for the almost seven minutes it runs, with numerous different passages to keep the listener on their toes. That can be said about most songs though, take the drumming pattern in the first forty seconds of "When Life Has Ceased" and the way the laughing vocals contrast the descending guitar around the 3:30 mark on "Morbid Devourment," it's little flourishes like these that make this album the landmark that it is. The attention to detail Entombed undergoes when writing their solos, too, is astonishing, like with the melody injected into the latter "Morbid Devourment." If death metal was still developing as a genre, this record catapulted that development 5 years ahead of its time.

What's most striking about this album is that the band doesn't fall into the infamous trope of making every song sound the same. Each song has its own distinct qualities that make it stand out from the rest, from the slower doom/death metal portions or "When Life Has Ceased" to the high-octane riff on "Bitter Loss" that sounds like a speed metal riff but WAY heavier and with a lot more distortion (the moments of clean singing are a nice touch too). But even if the guitars are heavily distorted and the vocals are deep and earthy, the production gives the album a natural feel. Sure, it isn't a super clean mix, but it balances things very well. The playing is generally pretty tight, as well, but it isn't mechanically tight. It still feels like a band, not a computer.

This album incorporates everything a death metal album should have: brutal and fast playing, thoughtful lyrics, and one of the best album-length vocal performances in death metal history. The number of bands this album must have inspired is incalculable, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Entombed carefully walks the line between gore and intelligence with the lyrics, and keeps the album compact enough to not lose its bite. My personal favorites are the title track, "Revel in Flesh," and the short "Supposed to Rot." In reality, though, you could pick any track here: they are all excellent. The way the buzzsaw guitar sound is implemented here was revolutionary for the genre, especially in Sweden, and there really isn't anything about this album that you can complain about. If there was never another death metal album after this, it wouldn't have mattered, this is the apex.

Definitely the first two releases from this band are (to me) their absolute best. I thought that the follow-up album is better but both 100% ratings. These guys were the founders of Swedish death metal as you know it. Various different bands over the years copied this sound on the guitar, but never as good as the originators. LG (RIP) rips it up on vocals. Unique style and intensity is what he dished out on this debut. And what a debut it was! They definitely shattered windows with this release because so many fans decided that it was louder than life to blare it! At least when I had it on cassette I was blaring it on my walkman!

There's so many pivotal components to this release than just the unique guitars. LG's vocals, the sound quality of this release, the sort of echo to the sound i.e. reverb and mixing that did them justice. Al from Earache might've had some influence over this sound quality if he was around at the time (1990) with Earache. He described LG is being "way into metal" and "dedicated to the genre and his fans." He would basically drink beer and play metal, a kind of lifestyle that lead him to his fate at 49. But he definitely was a true brother to the genre and music in general. That guy was a metal patriot if you will.

My favorite part of this though are the guitars. They were original sounding, unique tone, intense riffs, and in a league of their own with the songwriting capabilities. When I first heard it early in the 90's I thought that this band had it going on! I was impressed and wanted to hear more about them. They sure as hell were the foundation to death metal, though Chuck Schuldiner seemed to be the father of death metal. That was way early on in the genre but Entombed were the founders of their Swedish form of death metal. There are really not many original members remaining and with LG's passing, who knows where they're headed.

I would like to commend the band for their ultimately outstanding debut release that I don't think could ever be duplicated. Like I said, the first two albums are my favorites from the band. There's nothing that could surpass them. Dismember is another Swedish band that held their own back in the day, though I favor Entombed over them. However, Dismember had a longer history it seems but both bands are in the realm of a milestone. There will never be a band like Entombed ever again I don't think history will repeat itself. They sure as hell kicked ass while they did and long live Entombed!

In recent weeks i've listened to this album more than I ever have, even before LG unfortunately passed away. I used to prefer Clandestine, but as the days have gone by not only do I like this album more, heck it is my favorite death metal album of all time now, overtaking my previous favorite death metal album, Heartwork from Carcass. Even as I am writing this review it is my 4th time listening to it today alone. That really says something about this album. Let me be clear in saying that there is no other album that i've been able to tolerate that many times, let alone fully enjoy every time. Left Hand Path is a song I know better than (oh dear lord here it comes) the back of my hand, it is my favorite death metal song of all time, and also just happens to be the best death metal song of all time, what a way to start an album, let alone a discography.

The songs on this album are flawless, not a single one is to be skipped. Ever. From the glory of Left Hand Path, the speed of Drowned, to Supposed To Rot, which is about someone killing a woman who is "nagging" them and they are continually "nagged" by her spirit. Brutal and evil stuff, and I adore it. From the evil lyrical content about taking the left hand path, to the songs about rotting bodies and twisted sick ways of dying, to the songs about living after death or even coming back from death itself, this record covers a lot of the epicly twisted lyrics in death metal. Fucking awesome. 17 year old kids, only 2 years older than me... and these songs were written when they were 15-17 years old, which is absolutely incredible. Another song to look out for is Bitter Loss, with it's awesome opening riff with the bass being the most audible for one part of the riff and then, what do you know? Dead silence with the bass being the only audible part, playing the main riff of the song for a split second of morbid peace and then the descent into the chaos. The only Bitter Loss on this track is it's end. Well it would be if this album had bad songs on it, anyway.

The impact of this album is unbelievable. Here I am a 15 year old kid who plays the opening song in the locker room before lacrosse games and my team listens to me sing along and they dig it. This is timeless and a classic, and I can't believe it wasn't my favorite death metal album before now. I've been listening to this album for over a year now and it took this long to really click. Now, some may say, "Is it really that good, then, Nolan?" Let me tell you, there's nothing amiss with the album, something was wrong with me. Hell, rediscovering this album and really letting it take me into the world of the Left Hand Path made me not only purchase Daniel Ekeroth's "Swedish Death Metal" book, it also made me write a review for this album, an album that has been praised for 30 years. I don't care if everything that can be said has been said, this album can't get enough praise. It's also made me buy a HM-2 Boss, made me listen to tons of other Swedeath metal, and i'm not finished yet. This is only the effect it had on me, but after this album came, Dismember, Carnage, Unleashed, Cemetary, Grave, Hell the list is like an Everflowing Stream, there were thousands of bands in this scene, and that's no exaggeration

Back to the musical content. The main draw of Swedish death metal, and this album in particular is the tone which is from the Boss HM-2 pedal, which is an awesome piece of equipment. The brutality of that tone is complimented well by the brilliant solos that were written by these guys, from front to back every solo is memorable, and some have some cool effects that add more to the solos flare and style. The bass is also always audible, it drives the songs to even heavier weights, teaming up with the trademark buzzsaw sound to craft a monstrous tone that is loved and cherished all these years later. Imagine this album without the Boss HM-2. Skin crawling yet? Thought so. The drums are pummeling the entire time, and the riffs really compliment the intensity of said drum playing.

Entombed on Left Hand Path are

Alex Hellid, lead guitars

Nicke Andersson, drums

Uffe Cederlund, bass and guitars

LG Petrov, hellish vocals
rest in peace you were one of a kind

This album deserves nothing less than a 100%
this album redefined what anyone thought was possible in extreme metal, and will never be forgotten, surpassed or matched for that matter

Several years back when I was a just a wee lad first getting into metal, I'd buy all my music on iTunes. I lived in a heavily restrictive household with extremely limited internet access and no smartphones allowed. So I'd pay for my music, download it, and then load it onto a low-quality Mp3 player. I'd select my purchases based solely on whatever paragraph or two the editors at Apple had thrown together for any particular release. At the time, I had an unhealthy obsession with Metallica. I bought nearly every single thing they ever released with money I made doing various odd jobs around my mom's apartment. Aside from them, I had little time for much else; maybe a Priest song here, a Sabbath song there. I did very little branching out from metal's most visible and accessible sounds.

Yet for whatever reason, the algorithms thought it made sense to recommend me Left Hand Path by Entombed. I'd buy Kill 'Em All. iTunes would tell me "You may be interested in Left Hand Path by Entombed." I bought that terrible "Lords of Summer" single. iTunes told me that "Fans of Metallica also bought Left Hand Path by Entombed". The name followed me everywhere, and I always brushed it aside; the little death metal I'd dabbled in up to that point had frightened me to such a point that it's honestly shocking I ever warmed up to it enough to write my own music in the style.

But a couple years passed and my tastes started to fall more heavily (no pun intended) into the more extreme side of metal. Now Left Hand Path was an unavoidable release. So I ordered a CD copy and took to the internet to announce my plan to write a negative review for it, considering that it was so hyped-up it could never possibly live up to the expectations I had built for it. Of course, that all changed once I actually listened to it. It would have been stupid for me to not be thoroughly impressed by what I heard, but I was also in the car with my family, so I couldn't really appreciate it at the proper volume and I didn't get more than a few songs in. After that I put the CD away and didn't give it much thought.

In those days, I kept a massive boombox at the foot of my bed; I had very few CDs, but I'd blast them when I was home alone. It was one of those ten-CD changing players, so I just used it as storage for my small collection. Completely coincidentally, one night in my sleep I turned the boombox on with my foot and managed to turn the volume all the way up at about four in the morning. "Left Hand Path" blasted through my entire apartment building. I distinctly remember a loud, high-pitched, desperate scream infiltrating my dreams before a massive wall of distorted guitar shook my entire room and forced me awake. The entire experience only lasted a few seconds before I unplugged the CD player, but that experience has been permanently and vividly ingrained in my memory ever since. There might not exist a more terrifying sound to be awoken by. I was now determined to give Left Hand Path a thorough listen, as I was sure I'd been missing something the first time. I was right; and needless to say, I've been hooked ever since.

All that is really just to say that it is impossible to overstate how absolutely beastly Left Hand Path is. Death metal was already well-developed in the States by this point, but then Entombed came along and blew everything that had already been released clear out of the water. Not only are the riffs and production perfect, but the songwriting carried an expertise that is pretty rare to find on a debut album. This is the sound of a band that has been honing their craft over the course of an entire career, not a bunch of 17- and 18-year-olds; and yet here it remains, the greatest death metal album ever released.

I wasn't alive in 1990, so I can't really understand what the vibe was like in the extreme metal scene at the time. What I do know is that the mood of Left Hand Path is worlds apart from anything coming out of America in that era. Sure, maybe some of the tremolo-picked riffs aren't that different from what Death and Morbid Angel were doing. Yes, LG Petrov's vocals dwell in the same sonic realm as John Tardy and his peers. Basically, death metal was quickly moving in a more technical direction; rapid-fire double bass was constant and intricate riffs were commonplace, although a few bands that would later inspire the "caveman" subgenre were sticking with a more basic style. Left Hand Path manages to bridge the gap between two worlds: None of the riffs are particularly complex, but they're played at a much faster pace than many of the other bands for which that was true; and although the drums mostly stick to thrash rhythms and D-beats, there are moments of blasting thrown in as well ("Revel in Flesh," for example). Some of the dark melodies outlined by the guitars bear an influence that is unmistakably Black Sabbath, although that could be through several degrees of separation. LG is mixed just well enough that he can be heard clearly (although you'd never be able to discern the lyrics) but he still sounds demonic and distant, especially with the perfect amount of reverb added to his tracks.

The songwriting here is really on another level. As much love as I have for dozens of death metal albums from the subgenre's earliest era, most of those have at least a song or two that is a dud in some way or seems rather directionless. That is not the case with Left Hand Path; the album serves as a masterclass not only in riff-writing, but in structuring high-quality extreme metal songs that build and release tension perfectly. The best example of this is, of course, the colossal opener/title track, which whips the listener through various grooves and switches up its pace numerous times before plunging into the very first example of one of the most often-imitated ideas in all of metal: A classic horror movie theme played on a cheesy-sounding keyboard while ominous, slow power chords churn over it; the result is one of the most genuinely frightening musical experiences anyone could ever create. I'd argue that for straight-up death metal, with no progressive influences, this is the best-written album there is and ever will be.

One of the most notable landmarks achieved by Left Hand Path is the introduction of the "buzzsaw" guitar tone into the consciousness of the death metal community at large. It's actually a very simple tone to create; the Boss HM-2, a very low-quality "heavy metal" distortion pedal, is plugged into a high-gain amplifier and every knob on both is turned all the way to the maximum. The result is extraordinary, given its simplicity: grating to the ears at any volume, and it sounds as if the guitar cabinets are on the brink of blowing out. This is perhaps what truly gives Left Hand Path (and countless albums that followed in its footsteps) its power; even if used as background music, it'll still hit you like a steamroller. Unlike most new concepts for metal, which take years of imitation to perfect, I've never heard the buzzsaw sound used more effectively than on Left Hand Path.

The production is absolutely massive. There is no possible way Left Hand Path could ever have sounded better than it does. The gnarly guitars pair well with the rumbly bass. The drums sound thunderous, and every hit can be heard clearly. LG Petrov is loud and clear, but doesn't at any point steal the spotlight from the churning riffs that comprise this amazing album.

This isn't an area I'd usually even consider touching on when describing an album, but the cover art is truly phenomenal. It's among the most iconic pieces for any metal album, and it's just perfect for the music. The cold, cruel gravestone; the decrepit bridge over the gloomy caverns; the Altars of Madness demons encroaching on the borders of the cover. It's all very sinister; the title of the album alone is obscure enough that most people won't know what it means; but even just saying its name seems like uttering an evil curse.

Although nowadays it's easy to listen to LG Petrov's performance and not think too much of it, as far as I can tell he was the first to use the particular sound he employs. Even if his technique is more or less the same as Chuck Schuldiner's, for example, it comes across as more of a raw grunt most of the time. Although Petrov did mostly stick to his lower growls, he showcases plenty of versatility throughout Left Hand Path. Every song has at least a few higher, gritty screeches; and at a couple points, Tom Araya-esque cleaner screams can be heard. During one memorable moment, he whines something in a more normal speaking voice that comes pretty close to actual singing. Of course, the most unique vocals on the album can be heard on the bonus track "Premature Autopsy," for which all of his tracks are accompanied by a duplicate version shifted down in pitch significantly. I think it's far too easy these days to forget how innovative of a vocalist LG Petrov was, and that's really too bad. His contributions to harsh vocals were massive, and he will be missed.

For most, the genius of Left Hand Path is immediately apparent. It's rather disappointing to me that my first experience with it wasn't quite breathtaking, but I've grown to appreciate the album more and more over time. Every time I listen to this album I hear a cool new riff I hadn't noticed before or some rhythmic vocal pattern that gets stuck in my head for a couple days. It's hard to do justice to Left Hand Path with words; it's really just one of those albums you have to experience for yourself to understand. It's obviously one of the most influential death metal albums; it more or less put the Swedish scene on the map, and is responsible for for the sound that a very large chunk of newer OSDM revival bands strive to imitate. But you can study up on your songwriting, you can write great riffs, you can read up on philosophy and anti-Christian thought; you will never write anything even close to being as good as Left Hand Path.

Rest in Festering Slime
Lars-Göran Petrov
February 17, 1972 - March 7, 2021
"I am my own God
Master slave and I will be beyond the grave
No one will take my soul away
I carry my own will and make my own day"

Thank you for the music. Thank you for being the voice of the Swedish OSDM movement. Thank you for the inspiration.

What is the best death metal album of all time? This one. No question. The first Entombed album is a life-defining record that never loses its power regardless of how many times you've heard it. Admittedly, I preferred "Clandestine" when I was younger. The bracing intensity of "Left Hand Path" was too much for my fifteen year-old self. I saw the error of my ways in my late teens, and this record has rarely been out of my rotation since. This is death metal in the grandest sense. Everything about this album reeks of death; the cover art, lyrics and song-titles are an ideal fit for the disgusting, fetid music.

“Left Hand Path” is both a monument to the past and a beacon for the future. It straddles two decades; recorded in late 1989 and released six months later. This seems symbolic in retrospect. Entombed understood where they came from, going as far as to cite their key influences in the inlay. It is a short, fascinating list. Shout-outs to Autopsy, Deathstrike and Repulsion should surprise no-one. The mentions of R.A.V.A.G.E. (i.e., Atheist) and Christopher Young (a horror film composer) are more intriguing. Entombed blended and transcended all these influences here, capturing the foul stench of Autopsy, the heaviness of Deathstrike, the extremity of Repulsion, the precision of Atheist, and the grandiosity of film scores. These guys were kids when they made this album (Nicke Andersson was too young to sign the Earache contract). What we hear on this record is the sound of teenage enthusiasm and perceived invulnerability. This band could do no wrong.

Masterpieces seldom come from nowhere. The band's international underground reputation had already been assured, solidified with four demos (three as Nihilist, one as Entombed). All four demos are mandatory death metal listening, each one shows the gradual progression from their punk/hardcore roots into fully fledged death metal. "Left Hand Path" culminates the band's journey. It contains the best of their demo songs (like "Supposed to Rot", "Revel in Flesh", "But Life Goes On" and "The Truth Beyond"), and some newer songs. The most famous of the new songs is the legendary title track that opens the album. This is the band's signature song. There is little to say about it that hasn't already been said. The first four minutes set the tone with a chaotic opening solo, fluid power-chords, slower sections, more soloing and deranged vocals. The final two and a half minutes were taken from an old horror film ("Phantasm"); a slow, brooding sequence of chords, repeated with a majestic solo that rises from the depths. This is the greatest death metal song of all time.

Such perfection threatens to overshadow the songs that follow. The remaining nine songs (eleven on the CD version) are less immediate, but are all brilliant. The second song, "Drowned", is one of my favourites. It is faster, nastier and more destructive than the opener. The way in which it switches through the tempos is almost balletic. The dead-stop is ingenious, as is the tremolo-picked melody that builds beneath the chords. Next up, "Revel in Flesh" is a simpler, punkier, catchier song that rides a prototypical mid-tempo death metal stomp. Again, superb. The rest of the album is sequenced to perfection. Crunchy, hooky tracks like "Bitter Loss" and "The Truth Beyond" are set against high-speed blasts like "Supposed to Rot" and "Abnormally Deceased". There are no weak moments. The album is a stream of atmospheric energy that never wavers from its course.

A key feature of this album is how it sounds. The Studio Sunlight 'buzzsaw' guitar tone is the most iconic in death metal history, and continues to spawn imitators three decades later. The album should be played at high volumes for the full effect, allowing the riffs to overwhelm and invigorate. The bass is equally immersive. It stomps across these tunes with abandon, puncturing holes in the mix like a low-frequency wrecking machine. Nicke Andersson's drums are incredible. He was the band's visionary talent. He has speed, power and accuracy like any elite death metal drummer, but he also has taste. Much of the album feels like it is being led from the back, providing a hurried, restless impetus. LG Petrov's vocals are the final ingredient. He produced a death metal vocal performance for the ages here; snarling, barking, ravaging through these songs like a cornered beast. Listen to the passion and desperation in his voice as he screams for redemption, giving these words an emotional depth beyond their literal meaning.

"Left Hand Path" changed death metal forever. It achieved everything that death metal had promised for years. This was a complex, layered, melodic and furious record. The impact was instant. Band after band entered Studio Sunlight in the months and years that followed. Many of the records those bands made were classics in their own right. Some were more savage ("Like an Everflowing Stream"), some were heavier ("Into the Grave"), more atmospheric ("The Winterlong"), darker ("Gardens of Grief"), or more melodic ("Into Eternity"). None of them ever topped “Left Hand Path” though. None of them came close. This is a metal classic forever.

Well, in the wake of Petrov's passing, I figured I would review Entombed's debut album "Left Hand Path" in honor of him. I still remember the day I listened to this album like it was yesterday. This was one of the first death metal albums I got on CD and the first Entombed album I listened to. And after all of this time, I still consider this to be one of their best works yet. Everything about this album is great, whether it be the instruments or the vocals. Even if you aren't a fan of Entombed, you will still find yourself enjoying this record.

Let's start off with the instruments. This album easily has some of the best instrumentals in the band's history. The guitar riffs have a lot of distortion, but aren't ruined to a point where you can barely hear the different notes playing. The drums also have plenty of technical patterns and offer a variety of beat patterns. The bass is also audible and follows along the guitars well. All of these instruments combined bring in an atmosphere of hate and evil, and it works fantastically. Some of my favorite instrumentals on this album include "Left Hand Path", "Drowned", and "Morbid Devourment". The first track on the album in particular remains one of my favorite songs from Entombed. The guitar riffs are versatile and offer a variety of styles, and the drums beat in consistent and well-structured patterns. Even the synths in the latter portion of the track sound great as they play a sad, yet melodic tune. The instruments on this album are great, and are among Entombed's best in their discography.

Another iconic part on this album is the vocals. Petrov did the vocals for all of Entombed's albums before he left, and while the vocals in his career generally have their ups and downs, his vocals sound the best on this album. His voice is deep-toned, and growls a lot like many other death metal bands were doing at the time. However, what makes him stand out from other projects is that you can understand what he's saying more often and he can flow with the instruments a lot better than many death metal vocalists at the time. A great example of this would be in the song "But Life Goes On". The track has more of a rough and aggressive tone than many other tracks on here, and Petrov's deep growling flows along the track smoothly. The lyrics of spirits continuing after death also have an unique tone with Petrov's angry voice as it indicates that he doesn't want to move on, but has no choice. Petrov's vocals on this album are amazing, and it showcases death metal vocals at their finest.

As for the bonus tracks, they're not bad either. They are slightly inferior to the other 10 tracks, but they still hold up well on their own. Well I like both bonus tracks, I liked "Premature Autopsy" more. On that track, you have Petrov doing a really deep voice that mimics the voice of a devil, and it is extremely fitting to the more chaotic atmosphere from the instruments. The track also emphasizes more on the instruments than on "Carnal Leftovers", which give you a lot more great guitar riffs. "Carnal Leftovers" is also fine too, as the lyrics in particular have some of the best lyrics from this album. The lyrics tell a story about a guy killing some girl, and the lyrics contain some graphic descriptions that aren't for the faint of heart, but are executed greatly with Petrov's screaming vocals. While the bonus tracks aren't the best in "Left Hand Path", they are still great and are worth checking out.

Overall, this album is a great feat in Swedish death metal history. All of the instrumentals are iconic, Petrov's vocals are amazing, and even the bonus tracks are pretty good. It's just really sad to see someone as talented as Petrov be taken away from this Earth thanks to cancer. While he might not be around anymore, his music will still be around for many future generations to come.

…man can destroy. Is this the ultimate line for a death metal song? Anyway, it's not too late to congratulate "Left Hand Path" on its 30th birthday. And which day of the year would be better suited for this than the darkest and shortest day of the year? Back in 1990, Entombed gave, at least in my student room, the starting signal into an acoustic adventure called (Swedish) death metal. I was not aware of listening to an album that would later be considered a reference work for Swedish death metal. But that the twelve tracks, some of them from the estate of Nihilist, resulted in a very strong record, was not to be overheard. Already the opening title track is a monument of monstrous proportions. Its equally brutal and partly fast-paced first half and the melodic-suicidal second half form an outstandingly punchy unity, where the guitars are bursting with power and at the same time keep presenting eerie melodies and fascinating solos. The quiet graveyard melody that introduces the second part has given me goosebumps for years, and in retrospect it almost seems as if the structure of the track was picked up for re-use on Necrophobic's sacrosanct "Revelation 666". The relatively abrupt break and the surprisingly melodic ending of this tune indicate that Joakim Sterner and friends might find "Left Hand Path" at least not entirely bad. Anyway, the title track marks, to push it to the point, the reference work of the reference work.

So while the opener is a two-in-one package, there are also plenty of straightforward, perhaps less ambitious but still stunning compositions to be discovered on "Left Hand Path". "But Life Goes On" (absolutely awesome), "Drowned", "Revel in Flesh" - tracks like these are more simply structured, live from their enormous intensity and heaviness and sound nearly too lively and fresh for a true death metal maniac. Of course, despite the said freshness, everything smells of death here, too, but just this paradoxical situation also lends the album a special spice. Whereby here of course also other factors are to be mentioned. The vocals of Lars-Göran Petrov have the necessary grave aura, but it is far away from the absurd roar and growl of some American death metal singers. Abandoning persistent inhuman articulation, he manages to contrast the words of his lyrics with the deadly sound of the guitars in a halfway comprehensible and properly emphasized manner. I always marvelled at not having a "Bitter Loss" to complain about, so convincing did I find Petrov's vocals in the eponymous number.

A plus point of this debut was certainly its release date. Thrash metal had become a rape victim of its own forefathers and the second black metal wave was not yet sweeping through Europe. Not to forget that death metal was also still more or less in its infancy. Although Autopsy and Obituary in the USA had already caused a musical uproar in 1989, the national competition Dismember, Unleashed and Grave only hit the scene with their debuts in 1991. Entombed can therefore take credit for helping to define Swedish death metal (acoustically and optically, SeaGrave’s artwork precisely reflects the musical approach) - and last but not least there is a certain magic in (almost) every beginning, a spirit of optimism that inspires great deeds.

One of these amazing exploits is that all the songs on the full-length, without exception, develop their own identity. Despite the voluntarily chosen, narrow stylistic framework, the band and especially their guitarists manage to give each piece its own touch - without violating the homogeneity of the overall work. It's fantastic when "Abnormally Deceased" is fired off at the end of the record with enthusiasm and riffs that are as efficient as they are excellent, or when "The Truth Beyond" comes up with an unexpectedly catchy chorus. There is no question of a loss of quality throughout the entire work. Even the bonus tracks live on near-perfect guitar lines and exude a tangible, murderous lust. The fact that Petrov, whose voice occasionally appears with a lot of reverb, suddenly yelps with a dehumanized voice in the closing "Premature Autopsy" after all, is the final surprise on a record rich in moments of genius.

Lastly, one could go into the production, but anyone who is even slightly interested in Swedish death metal should know that the gargantuan reputation of sound engineer Tomas Skogsberg and his Sunlight Studios was precisely built on releases like “Left Hand Path” (and “Like an Everflowing Stream”, “Into the Grave” and many more), because he gave them this thundering, deadly, sulphurous, voluminous, well-balanced and destructive mix. So once again, congratulations to this groundbreaking work that has withstood the test of time in a brilliant manner. I’m sure that albums like this one are the reason why the metal community and especially the number of reviewers have grown to the impressing dimension we have today. Thus, if you are a reviewer who was born on a 21st of December: congratulations to you, too. Keep up your good work and stay loyal, even if Entombed’s further evolution cannot be described with terms like loyalty or steadiness. But what man has created, man can destroy.

Oh boy. One of those albums I hold very, very dearly. And one of those albums from a band I think released only one true masterpiece. Yes, yes, follow up 'Clandestine' had its moments (read my review on it) but it didn't even come close. At all.

Most important thing making this album an icon is timing. This came out mid 1990. Now at that moment in time there were several death metal bands around the world releasing albums obviously. Some even their second or third album already. But each and everyone had their own style and very much their own production and sound. No death metal albums from that year sounded alike. Death metal was still in its pioneering phase. T.b.h. for any genre the most interesting period.

Of course, Entombed did have this typical Buzzsaw/Sunlight sound earlier already, on the 1989 'But Life Goes On' demo. But let's be fair. That one wasn't as wildly promoted as their debut album when releases by Earache, which in 1990 already was a HUGE name. If Earache released your album, you must have a serious gem to show to the world. So a lot of us didn't even hear that demo until aftert LHP was released.

So, that sound. It is believed that typical "buzzsaw" guitar sound was pretty much invented by their earlier bass- and guitarplayer in the Nihilist period, Leif "Leffe" Cuzner. Those specific Boss HM-2 guitar effect settings combined with the Sunlight studio.... we know the result. Many have copied this since.

In 1990 this was another great death metal release with yet another typical sound. Those were the days.

What we have here on LHP are 12 songs of which 7 were songs from the previous Entombed demo and three Nihilist demos preceding that. The oldest songs on LHP are 'Supposed to Rot' and 'Carnal Leftovers' which go back to the first Nihilist demo in march 1988 . If you want to hear these songs with vocals mimmicking Scott Carlson (Genocide/Repulsion) go check out Nihilists 'Premature Autopsy' demo!

There were several old demo songs from the 1987-1989 era which didn't make the album though but a few were later re-recorded. One even made it onto Clandestine ('Severe Burns') and another one ('Shreds of Flesh') onto the 'Stranger Aeons' EP. So to my knowledge only 'Sentenced to Death' and 'Face Of Evil' remain two Nihilist songs which were never re-recorded.

The material here is all written from the 1987-1990 period and there are almost no weak moments whatsoever on the album. Why almost? Because one of the 'newer' songs, Morbid Devourment, loses momentum in the slower sections due to a lack of interesting riffs. Entombed are just better when playing fast. Their riffs and intensity doesn't work as well on midpaced and slow. There is a reason songs like 'Supposed to Rot' or 'But Life Goes On' are considered some of their best songs. Fast, to the point, great catchy riffs and a catchy chorus.

And that is where we get to the next point: A lot of death metal came from thrash, Entombed however brought back a huge hardcore/crust vibe to the mix. Which is hardly suprising coming from the country which gave the world Anti Cimex, Mob 47, The Shitlickers and Totalitär. It brought with it a simple approach to composing songs. The majority of the songs here is written for the in-your-face effect.

The icing on the cake however is the opposite of what I just wrote. The title track. They opened the album with a six and a half minute epic. That's guts! If it works. And boy did it work. It is one of the rare Entombed songs on which slowing down after a furious opening actually works. And the guitar lead plays such an important role. It turns itself into a storyteller even.

Yes, Left Hand Path is what I call one of the most important and best death metal albums. Ever.

If this is a test, I'm going to fail. If this really is a test, I probably shouldn't be saying that either, but I am cryptically wrestling with the reason why Entombed's Left Hand Path has got nine scores of 100% (including eight in a row for the last decade!) and no rating below 94% on the Metal Archives. Maybe I'm missing something about this release in particular, since I've admittedly always been more of a Clandestine man, or perhaps I've failed to learn the ways of the Left Hand Path (I do it with the right hand, after all), or it might be that I've never given any album 100% and am not about to do so for this one either. I'm going to be as critical as possible about this unarguably seminal piece of extreme metal lore, because it's high time that someone needs to be. If I've ruined your party, then go back to the basement, play this on a somewhat rebellious volume seven and do it with the left hand just to show me how things should be.

Now, I'll admit that one of the reasons why Clandestine gets on a lot better with me is that it doesn't have nearly so much grindcore/d-beat influence as this. Having two minute death metal songs and relatively few solos has to be at least an indication of some grind influence, while the propulsive drumming style of Nicke Andersson on songs like 'Bitter Loss' leaves '80s thrashers looking extreme, rarely venturing into blastbeats (I'm not kidding, listen how slowly he's playing in the chorus) and adding odd parts of the kit - particularly the cymbals - into fills. That leaves many of the songs here having a scrambling, clambering quality to their sound, almost as though someone was behind the beat and attempting to catch up with the rolling tank of the guitars. For sure, this makes the fast sections frantic and gives a slightly different emphasis to the slower sections in comparison to the Floridian death metallers, though repeating that trick does make parts of songs sound very alike, not least when transitioning from grooves into quicker sections.

The above paragraph can adequately explain why Entombed are hailed as forefathers of the Stockholm death metal sound, but the ingenuity of applying punk and grindcore principles to bulky death metal does not make an excellent album inevitable. However, it would be pretty foolish of me to get this far without mentioning the guitar tone, which is not only fantastic for a debut from 1990 produced in a small studio but remains perhaps my favourite guitar tone this side of doom metal, for which you can thank Cathedral's debut for stealing Entombed's thunder. Just listening to the first three or four seconds of 'Drowned', 'Abnormally Deceased', and 'Supposed to Rot' should inform you that this guitar tone does slamming groove, menacing atmosphere, and urgent deathly riffing equally well, while the lead tone of Alex Hellid is not too far behind. However, what disappoints about Left Hand Path is, knowing that Entombed had just about the perfect instrumental settings, they were still unable to make every rhythm part count, which leaves songs like 'Morbid Devourment', 'Revel in Flesh', and 'Abnormally Deceased' flagging at points in their runtime owing to the laboured riffing that forms a part of each.** That slight lack of specific content even extends to some earlier parts of the immortal title track, which seem not to know where they are headed, despite the latter half of the song being about the best combination of atmosphere and heaviness I can call to mind in the vast death metal pantheon.

Which of course brings me on to another point. Why the fuck did Entombed stick 'Left Hand Path' at the opening of this album? I know I would be proud of that song if I'd written it, but it's by far the slowest and most epic cut on the release and - ignoring the bonus tracks, which I'll come to later - would have made a much more fitting closer than 'The Truth Beyond', which is simply another riff collage bolstered by stronger recurring themes than other songs. The other songs don't pose as many obvious problems in terms of running order, though there is a slight feeling that they were chucked onto the album pell-mell and some stick well together, while others match less perfectly. For instance, 'Revel in Flesh' ends with fading guitar noise that is picked up by the snappy drum fill opening of 'When Life Has Ceased', though the naked cymbal taps of 'Supposed to Rot' is about the most amateurish way to start an essentially awesome dash through chasmatic riffing and grimly familiar lyrics about the "stubborn old, worthless hag" who had "a pork knife stabbed into [her] head". In addition to the slightly jumbled running order, a few of the longer songs don't benefit from the non-linear song structure, since they can seem to lag more than the shorter songs, though an average of under four minutes solves most of the issues on this count.

At this point, I get to stop being a party pooper and say that Left Hand Path really is a great album - a total fluke of a success considering just how many things went right here - and that I'm also a fan of this. There is great variety in the riffing, for which several of the songs blow just about every other death metal album out of the water, those being the excellent 'Supposed to Rot', 'But Life Goes On', 'The Truth Beyond', and the title track. 'Premature Autopsy' is also an outstanding bonus track available on many versions of the album, even if 'Carnal Leftovers' does seem appropriately named as the other bonus. I've been as picky as possible in the hope of uncovering some weaknesses in this classic album, though I've not damaged the reputation beyond a few surface scratches. If you like death metal even in passing, this is going to make you very happy indeed.


** Because I know some anus is going to call me out on this, I'm referring to the nasty chugging verses at 0:30 and 3:37 of 'Morbid Devourment', the pretty dire main riff of 'Revel in Flesh' which comes slamming inanely back like Chimaira every 40 seconds, and the rather repetitive and plain riffing in 'Abnormally Deceased', especially the mid-section.

Yes indeed. Little did I know all the way back then that this would be one of the finest death metal that I would ever have the pleasure of hearing. And make no mistake - a good decade after I heard this album (all the way back in 2007) I am of the exact same opinion. That itself should speak volumes about what a fine damn classic this is. Along with one of the most vilest, filthiest guitar tones to be put on tape. Now THAT is the true essence of death metal right there. For all you clueless souls wondering where the all-too-famous “buzzsaw” guitar tone came from, look no further than this album and Like An Ever Flowing Stream! Yep, you heard that one right. Back then I thought “what the heck, let me give death metal a try at least” since I had already descended into the realms of prog death and technical death metal. And although Clandestine was almost as good, the band were simply unable to come close to the sheer brilliance of their debut as they already set such a high standard for themselves at the very beginning itself. Unfortunate, but true.

See back then, the thing with my particular tastes in music is that I was always more of a fan of genres that combined death metal with other genres rather than straight up death metal, finding it a tad monotonous and boring, to say the least. And even to this date, with the exception of old school death metal, things really haven’t changed much in that regard. I can only assume that starting my death metal journey with Deicide and Suffocation probably wasn’t the best way to go, but no matter. Sure, Death, Possessed and a few other bands had all released classic albums in their own right before this, but this is when death metal rose right up as a truly powerful sub-genre of metal to be reckoned with. The rest as they say, is history.

Now the main question of why my tastes didn’t change with the exception of old school death metal is simple - Out of all the sub-genres of death metal, OSDM has the closest links to thrash plus there is an sense of variation as well as a genuine and natural flow. I don’t know how best to put it in words, but death metal bands back then actually sounded like they knew exactly what they were doing while pushing the genre to greater heights as well as having a shitload of fun while doing so. Bands of today seem like they’re just trying too damn hard, forcing the brutality and technical aspect when it’s not really that necessary to begin with.

Each and every single song has something going for it - be it the super awesome tremolo attack of “Drowned”, the chaotic chugging of “Revel In Flesh”, the doomish vibe of “Morbid Devourment”, the thrash tinged “When Life Has Ceased” and “Abnormally Deceased”, the pummeling attack of “But Life Goes On” and the closer “The Truth Beyond”, plus the morbid guitar lick of “Bitter Loss” (leading to a really killer set of riffs) not to mention the epic title track. Hands down the best song Entombed will ever write, not to mention one of the best death metal songs ever. With its pounding riffs, subtle melodic guitar licks and super-guttural vocals, not to mention that eerie synth breakdown at 3:45 (who said death metal doesn’t have variety eh?) followed by a chaotic solo, what the hecks there not to like, may I ask? Petrov’s inhuman growls and screams literally make it sound like he’s been possessed by the four hell-hounds of the apocalypse strapped in for a one way ticket into hell itself. I mean honestly think back and tell me how many death metal albums are this perfect in terms of variation, intensity and songwriting. Most death metal albums would end up scoring on probably just one or two of those aspects, but to nail all three of them, that too on a debut album is truly a hallmark. No big words here, simply stating it the way it is.

Ultimately, this is one of the definitive death metal classics for sure. Apart from having one of the best goddamn album covers with a fascinatingly eerie vibe (just look at it!) this doozie does not forsake the sheer importance of either songwriting or riffs for even a second to delve into the tired cliche of extremity for extremities sake that literally countless death metal albums of today seem to fall prey to, time and again. Yes, it is quite the sad state of affairs in the death metal scene of today I’m afraid (barring a few exceptions of course). Old school death metal did not get popular due to trends or any other bullshit people, it has remained as iconic as it was back in the day and is very much here to stay for good! Not only do innumerable death metal bands owe a debt to Entombed and the entire Swedish Death Metal scene of the 90s, but a good 80-90% of death metal bands out there today would do good to take notes from this iconic release. THIS is how it’s done! Essential Swedeath right alongside the other Dismember and Unleashed classics. Buy or die.

Entombed's debut, Left Hand Path is the epitome of the perfect death metal record. It's brutal, heavy, dark, and gory. Let's start with the cover art. The album cover is damn awesome. It's dark, macabre imagery perfectly foreshadows the music that's to come.

The first song on Left Hand Path is its namesake, and it blew me away the first time I heard it. The song is fucking awesome. It's incredibly brutal. What really brings me to mention this song, however, it's the change of texture that occurs towards the end of the song. A horror movie style synth riff creates a really cool atmosphere. Unfortunately, the band failed to recreate an atmosphere like this at any point during the remainder of the album. Most of the songs on this album are noteworthy like this, but I'm not going to go through every single one.

Part of what makes Left Hand Path what it is is the production, which is best experienced with a good quality pair of headphones that allow you to really take in the thick, bass-heavy sound. The guitars are highlighted by the mix, and this makes them the centerpiece of the album. Both guitarists do an excellent job of fulfilling this task; the riffing is awesome. There are moments of high speed aggression, which I really don't like in death metal, however these are overtaken by copious number of slower, heavy groove sections. Very few of the riffs here come anywhere close to lackluster. There is something worthy of mention about every riff.

The vocals on Left Hand Path are quite good. His growls are indecipherable monstrous bellows, and while you can't understand the lyrics, the sounds create a terrifying atmosphere that would be difficult to match with clearer sounding vocals.

If you've put aside Entombed in favor of more well known American bands like Cannibal Corpse, I'd strongly suggest looking towards the Swedish death metal scene that produced many great bands, especially Entombed.

In many interviews you can hear the question “what are you favourite albums ever?!”. And usually I agree with the answer that technically it is damn hard or even almost impossible to name just five or ten favourite and very best LPs, simply because there are many, many more. But I think I can say that there are several titles, which are like a 100% sure candidates to be on this “best ever” list… Mainly they are the albums, which I have known for many, many years, probably since the days of early 90’s, when I started to listen to this noise. So, speaking only about death metal I would certainly mention such “Altars of Madness”, “Deicide”, “Like an Ever Flowing Stream”, “Testimony of the Ancients”, “False”, “Into the Grave”, “The Nocturnal Silence”… and this one; Entombed’s finest piece and their debut record “Left Hand Path”. Yeah, this certainly is one of the best CLASSIC albums, which I’ve been worshipping for over 20 years now and will do so until I die. No matter how much everything around me is changing; the life, world and even the metal music… albums like “Left Hand Path” remain brilliant and perfect.

I’m not going to write about the importance of Nihilist’s demos and later also of the Entombed’s debut album on the creation of the scene, the sound – or even the whole movement, which was the Swedish death metal. There were so many publications, which described everything perfectly, that there is simply no point. Everyone should know by now what happened back then in Stockholm and what “Left Hand Path” really is standing for. I guess that instead I should rather write how important is this album for me… But again, would I write anything new? No, this LP has marked a sign on thousands of maniacs and it still does, I guess, seeing how many new bands and new fans are praising Entombed from this period of their career. I was only 11 years old, when I got a pirate cassette of “Left Hand Path (released by Polish pirate label Baron – good old days hehe)… And I guess that in the beginning I didn’t even like it so much, because it wasn’t as brutal and fast as Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Deicide or Sinister. But obviously later, with years passing by, I started to like it more and more and nowadays I see this LP as simply amazing, one of the best death metal materials ever released. No doubt about that!

When I listen to “Left Hand Path” nowadays it feels like listening to “the best of…” kind of thing, as basically almost every song is a killer and immortal classic. It’s the same with all these albums, which I have mentioned above, they all are complete and contain only killer stuff… “Left Hand Path” is no different; every song is so memorable, so fantastic… And obviously Entombed has never even got close to repeat and write such excellent material again; even their second LP “Clandestine” – which obviously is also very good – isn’t as great as the debut. Why is that? I don’t know why the debut albums of so many bands are their best ever. Was it the passion and enthusiasm of the young band or they simply had more time to prepare killer material, which was often selected from various demo recordings? “Left Hand Path” for that matter contains some songs from the Nihilist era and obviously also from Entombed’s only demo “But Life Goes On”. No surprise then that there are so many brilliant and instantly recognisable classics. Anyway, the truth is that the whole “Left Hand Path” with all its ten songs is perfection. A perfection in every aspect. Starting with the artwork… Damn, look at their killer logo and that bloody excellent painting done by Dan Seagrave… Not only the music turned out to be the most influential and immortal ever, but even the artwork for the album is like that! Seagrave did many excellent paintings for death metal bands, but this one is in my top three favourites, if not even his best one ever. Plus that logo… Entombed’s photo with that cross in the background? OK., maybe Dismember had more blood on their photo session for the debut LP, but this one is also great. The production… Damn, this is the band, which created the whole fuckin Swedish sound! Thanks to them we had a chance to hear this fat, crunchy, powerful and so characteristic guitar tone, very low tuned… rough, but clean hehe! Even the vocals of L.G.Petrov are kind of unique and different to the typical death grunts.

“Left Hand Path” is filled with brilliant songs, with absolutely no fillers to be found anywhere. The opening song is their best EVER, with some amazing guitar riffs, great eerie, horror atmosphere and that finishing motif, where Entombed used that awesome melody from “Phantasm” horror movie… It sounds… well, I dare to say it is one of the best things, which I have heard in my life. But then we have more monsters: “Drowned”, “Revel in Flesh”, “Supposed to Rot”, “But Life Goes On”, “Morbid Devourment”, “When Life Has Ceased” – isn’t that a dream tracklist? They all have something significant, something memorable, some hooks / riffs, vocal parts… whatever, what makes you remember and love them. More so, if you have a CD version then you get two killer bonus tracks, also composed in the good old Nihilist days. Yes, definitely this album is brilliant. It sounds damn vicious, it is dark and aggressive, often fast, but with lots of diversity and it has this classic D-beat, which originates from bands such as Amebix, Discharge, etc... and Autopsy! Yes; this is how the Swedish death metal was born; after several demos “Left Hand Path” came and nothing was the same anymore. I cannot believe it’s been so many years since this LP was released and that it still sounds so damn fresh, so damn awesome and is still so influential, now for new generation of death metal bands. This is what you call a “cult / classic record”! No collection is complete without “Left Hand Path” in it, it is a fact.
Rest in festering slime!
Standout tracks: “Left Hand Path”, “Drowned”, “Revel in Flesh”, “Supposed to Rot”, “But Life Goes On”, “Morbid Devourment”, “When Life Has Ceased”
Final rate: 100/100

Left Hand Path is what Discharge would've sounded like if they'd innovated death metal the same way they innovated crust ten years earlier. In other words, a mega-ton bomb that erased all around it. With these ten songs, Entombed released an album no less seminal and game changing than Discharge's Why?, Slayer's Reign In Blood, and Repulsion's Horrified, taking those blitzkrieg rhythms and cranking them up to an even more demented level: guitars more distorted, vocals more evil, impact more imminent. Yet just before impact, a slowing, a realization of death as a deep blues wish for one more chance that is swiftly denied. Left Hand Path sweeps all that was before it aside and strides over the remains of all and laughs. Almost twenty-five years later and it is still the single most imitated death metal record ever. Yet all those imitators never once captured even an inch of its overwhelming power.

The sensation this band caused in 1990 might be hard to fathom in the contemporary imagination but nothing sounded like this then. No one was heavier. No one was crazier. Death metal was still mostly in the thrall of thrash and the template was Death: the morning star rising over Florida until Entombed shifted the spotlight to Sweden. To start, the guitar tone was the filthiest, nastiest thing unleashed up to that point. To follow, the rhythm section was blunt force trauma in the d-beat tradition, eschewing the formalism of death-thrash and focusing on a more raw and traumatic experience. To finish, LGP's unique primal roar wasn't indebted to any previous vocalist. He found his own voice and honed it, singing songs that encompassed a vast swath of philosophical musings about the nature of death and the primacy of horror. And the entire album was suffused in gloom, reeking of the tomb, and as bleak as the sunless landscape portrayed in the iconic group photo. Nothing could compete.

Every track is a fuckin' monster too. Right out the gate, the title track just rips you to shreds with distorted screams and eerie synths segueing right into an absolute face-melting riff and LGP's titanic bellows. Can't forget to mention the "Phantasm" tribute they snuck in too, cheeky bastards! "Drowned" follows this up full-throttle, revealing the Discharge influence but also showing an uncannily Scandinavian ability to suffuse so much adrenaline in so much gloom as well. "Revel In The Flesh" gives us our first foreshadow of Entombed's later death'n'roll style with a bruisingly rollicking riff that would come to dominate their later oeuvre, though coupling it to some blast beats keeps all thoughts of the future mostly at bay. "But Life Goes On" is probably the highlight, finding time to be obscenely catchy as well as obscenely heavy. Catchiness is often seen as weakness in metal but Entombed know how to bait a barbed hook that goes deep. There isn't a single track here that isn't memorable in some fashion. Whether it is a riff, a chorus, an attitude, or an atmosphere, there is much that lingers long after the run time is over.

Bands have ripped this album off left and right for decades but some essential ingredient has always been missing. Entombed even found this out to their detriment with Clandestine, an excellent record but not quite on this one's level. No wonder they changed up their sound. If they couldn't top, or even match this, no one else was going to either. Left Hand Path is forever.

First impressions, as they say, can mean everything. Along with a few other of my personal favorites, I remember very clearly the first time I heard this masterpiece of a record. That descending scream, the unceremonious arrival of that solid, bass-heavy sound, and that wild thrashing riff... I heard eighteen seconds of "Left Hand Path" before I took off my headphones and purchased the album. You see, it didn't matter to me that I knew absolutely nothing about the band. It didn't matter that I had no idea about the remaining 40+ minutes of music on the CD. The only thing that mattered was that the minuscule sample I had heard very clearly communicated to me that this record was no joke and that I was in for one hell of a ride. What I discovered, to my immense joy, was that what lay beyond that brief introduction was nothing but death metal among the highest quality ever written, and nothing but EXACTLY what I wanted to hear around every twist and turn. The phrase is used far too often these days, but this album really did blow my mind. In fact, it still does.

I could probably write a five-page review about the opening track alone, but that's not my purpose here. It is important, though, for me to stress its significance. The title track is a legitimate contender for the award of best death metal song ever written. Mixed with audio samples from the horror flick 'Phantasm', the song is a roller coaster of riffs, styles, and emotions. The skill with which it is delivered cannot be understated. Entombed displays a level of mastery of their craft that seems inhuman for them to have achieved by the time this record was released. And of course, it only keeps on going from there.

Left Hand Path is characterized by its bass-heavy sound and warm production, a sound that was vastly different from those sported by the New York and Florida crews of the day and one that would become the trademark of Sunlight Studio. Whereas many of death metal's early offerings had thin production with clamoring drums, shrill guitars, and completely absent bass, the mix you'll hear on this album is full and balanced. It's a pleasant sound. Perhaps that's odd for such unpleasant music, but I think there's untold value in clarity. The other vital trait of this music is its close relationship with thrash metal. The thrash influence is strong and undeniable here, with one foot boldly plunged into death metal's pool without any fear of how cold it was back then, and the other slowly starting to emerge from the stale water of thrash metal's swimming hole.

Every song has some kind of hook, some kind of little twist in the sound that gets the listener's attention. Although the album can wear you out because of its sheer force, it doesn't get boring. If you're a veteran of the genre, you'll hear various riffs throughout the album that dozens if not hundreds of bands have ripped off in one way or another. In that way, and perhaps a few others, Left Hand Path paved the way for death metal to expand, setting many of the genre's conventions and helping to build a bridge that spanned the gap between the land of thrash and the land of death (I'm not suggesting that's what the cover depicts, but it's still an effective metaphor).

Standing out from much of the death metal of the early 90's, before technicality became standard in the genre, many of the songs featured here have wild patterns of ascending and descending riffs, abrupt transitions, and a general tendency to not dwell in one place for too long. Sure, those things are shared by most death metal to one degree or another, but it's often done just for the sake of sounding crazy. Here, it's done with purpose. Everything on the record is done with purpose. For twenty-two years this album has stood up to all scrutiny it has ever faced. Not even one thing is out of place. It is flawless. Period. Buy it, cherish it, worship it - and the next time you come to a fork in the road, you know which path to take.

When a random metalhead opens their meaningless mortal mouth and says something bad or neutral about this absolute masterpiece of human race called "Left Hand Path" I have two opportunities - either to start screaming or crying. You just don't talk about that album with disrespect. I don't know how to call it - album, record or a spell? That's how holy it sounds to my ears. Even if the latter albums of the band are not that perfect, LHP is a cornerstone of death metal.

When I put aside the endless influence of this MASTERPIECE on the death metal scene, which of course is not something you put aside very easily, it'd still be better than most death metal albums ever created. Why am I talking with such devotion?

To start with, this music is how death metal should sound in its best - morbid, stinky, rotten, hateful yet absolutely magical and even trippy..you'd ask me how is death metal supposed to be trippy? Hear the second part of Left Hand Path and you'll see. If "Left Hand Path" was to be a person I guess it would be a loner one, the kind that stands with pride and doesn't talk nonsense.

I am about to write some words about my favourite death metal song (yes, I know it's kind of dumb to have ONE favourite song, I like many but this is like.. THE ONE). This is the fantastic 06:39 out-of-space opener LEFT HAND PATH. The word "perfection" sounds like "crap" when you think of this song. It starts off with the familiar and emblematic scream "aaaaaaaaarh" and then the coolest, never-slowing guitar kicks in, in a perfect unison with the drums. You start headbanging immediately. It continues in its craziness up to minute one. How perfectly heavy is it? And yet, at the same time it sounds as if the band is not doing anything extraordinary, as if it is absolutely normal for them to sound that HEAVY, like a child game. The first of the slow downs helps you to hear the vocals easy and emphasizes on their coldness. Man, when I hear these screams it's like HEAVY cold wind blowing me off. The temperature in the room is 23 C and I feel the chill running down my spine as if it was winter in the graveyard. When the guitar solo goes on you feel like all the abysmal, abnormal creatures of the abyss are running out from their holes in hell reaching to grab your soul. THE SECOND PART. One minute silence here before I start typing. This is so good I can die. The remaining part of the song is heaven - heaven as you imagine it. It transports you to some higher place, somewhere you can gather everything magical.

Drowned, the second track is another huge favourite of mine. It is shorter and really groovy. The guitar tone is still pretty smashing all the time, the vocals continue to tell their amazing story. It is again the same feeling that you get - that outer space awesomeness that the album possesses. If I have to describe this song with only one word it will be "Beyond". Which is Lars Petrov's intention - 'to travel beyond'. At 02:45 you hear the chills again as the guitar slows down. Then you hear the highlight "I DROOOOOOWN" and it starts to cut you to pieces. What a perfect guitar, man.

The production of the record is flawless to me. It is not perfect in the generally accepted way, yet it doesn't sound as a garage-recorded crap like many albums of that time. You can drown in the atmosphere without obstacles because of the production - it in no way ruins the instruments/vocals and at the same time it is not fucking modern crap metal.

My ABSOLUTE favourites are "But life goes on" and "Bitter Loss". "But life goes one" has one of the best lyrics. It is about the stupidity of humans to think that there is any redemption after death and someone to tell you which way to choose. It is about our willingness to buy ourselves coffins and to decay in them. This song declares that your body might stay, but your soul is what will win and float freely. And the song itself sounds like that. REAL DEATH METAL PRIDE. I felt really hooked to that, because the general idea is very much to my liking. “Bitter Loss” has one of the coolest riffs on the record, along with “Supposed to rot”. Guitars are tuned so low, which is what makes for the grave-like feeling of every song.

Entombed released many good records after this one, some great some decent. "Clandestine" is a good follower, another amazing child of that band, though still not that classy. For some apparent reason, Entombed never reached the excellence of the first album and I don't think they will ever reach it. So now, please leave me to close the door of eternity and leave me with this record in the void. It is a loyal companion.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaghhhh!!! Who could forget that opening to an album, as the horror chords of a synthesizer part ways like a funeral and the ears begin to rupture to some of the sickest, ooziest guitar tone that has ever been recorded emits from the speakers. Entombed have arrived from the ashes of Nihilist, and death metal could never be the same. This is the face that launched a thousand ships, if ships were Scandinavian death metal bands.

The crushing tones are delivered in blitzkrieg fashion, owing as much to early grinders Discharge and Repulsion as it does to the few death metal forebears that existed by 1990. But there is considerably more to Left Hand Path, the album is truly dark, from the psychological imprint left by the cover image to the morbid, erupting cemetery vibe contained in the riffs. The title track opens the record, 6:39 of fast, crisp riffing that winds down into massive grooves, blistering leads, and even a creepy breakdown with more horror flick synthesizers.

'I dip my forefinger in the watery blood, of your impotent redeemer
And write over his thorn torn brow, the true Prince of Evil
What man's created, man can destroy
Bring to light, that day of joy'

But that track was simply the icing on the grave. "Drowned" grabs your ankles and pulls you back into the band's festering morass, with some punkish hardcore fury and old school brutal guitar lines under Lars-Göran Petrov's echoed barks. "Revel in Flesh" radiates more hardcore/punk influence, with a churning, mid-paced thrust. "When Life Has Ceased" weaves more complex riffing into a violent momentum, and "Supposed to Rot" has that amazing, emotionally descending rhythm. "But Life Goes On" was one of the breakout tracks here, memorable for the pattern of chords behind Petrov's chorus, and the frenzied grinding guitars.

"Bitter Loss" is one of my personal favorites, even among such standout peers, for the shadows cast by the melody over the dense, opening chords. The verses are total d-beat grindage that bands are getting paid today to copy. "Morbid Devourment" is pure slugfest, and "Abnormally Deceased" uses its guitars like hammers on your spine. "The Truth Beyond" is the original closing track to the album, with some evil guitars and more of the band's flattening chords, but if you have the CD version then you've also got the punk flavored "Carnal Leftovers" and the sadistic "Premature Autopsy", with its freaky vox (I wish they had used these more often).

The influence of this album upon decades to follow is monolithic. I can rattle off the names of many bands whose entire sound and career relies upon their ability to copy Left Hand Path, changing the notes and song titles but shoveling you the same shit you had already known. It's also the album most responsible for the proliferation of Skogsberg's Sunlight Studio guitar tone, which many other death metal bands adopted (even those that weren't cloning this band's riffs). It's one of the most important death metal records, one of the cornerstones for the foundation and survival of the genre into the 21st century. It's spotless.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Chances are the title of this review will sound a tad exaggerated. ‘Left Hand Path’, a record so disgustingly rough and raw it sounds like death metal gone through a disastrous abortion – a pinnacle in extreme music’s history? A record not washed in the progressive and technically-inclined wells of many other forms of death metal but in punkish bursts of noise that provided the genre with its foundations – a piece of recorded art with genuine depth and relevance and influence? Surely not?

Yes, very much so. ‘Left Hand Path,’ in fact, is possibly one of the greatest and most important death metal albums ever yet laid down.

Having captivated and influenced an innumerable myriad of bands with its unpretentious and fearsomely direct driving power, the record has become legendary in death metal circles for its flawlessly powerful coupling of stripped down grime and an innate ability to conjure atmosphere on a whim, absorb the listener in its nightmarish world, and send them howling down The Left Hand Path with loathsome creatures out of hell clawing at them on all sides. Few are able to achieve that transcendent state whereby they send a listener headfirst into a world summoned to the imagination by music – that Entombed achieved it with music of such an uncomplicated nature has to be heard to be truly understood.

The album, as mentioned, largely owes more to the likes of Discharge and their basic-to-a-fault ilk that sowed the early seeds of the extreme metal scene – while the speed and naked aggression of their death metal compatriots across the open sea is present, Entombed jettisoned the more high-minded tendencies that Morbid Angel and Death were openly indulging in. An attitude that did them great credit in the grander scheme of things, as this album draws it’s great strength and influence from being so very drastically apart from ‘Altars Of Madness’ or ‘Leprosy’, in its indulgence in a far more primal violence.

What first hits about the album is that infamous guitar sound. Now a staple of many a death metal band from Sweden and beyond, here it is at the moment of birth, a demon-possessed chainsaw grinding out gruesomely distorted chord progressions at a fantastic pace, persisting it’s single minded goal of mutilation. What sets this apart from the slimy sounds already exhibited by Repulsion and Napalm Death is that the production here is extraordinarily professional, clear as a bell but never polished, free of clutter but never absent of that feral edge. As players the band are exceptional considering their youth at the time – guitarists Alex Hellid and Uffe Cederlund turn out superb riffs and blistering solos left, right, and centre, backed up solidly by Nicke Andersson’s exceptional and extremely powerful drumming, with everything topped off with L.G. Petrov’s uniquely gravelly death metal roar.

In songwriting terms, it is unwise to think of Entombed as punks plucking the same note over and over. Every song takes on a life of its own, from the thrashing brutality of ‘Revel In Flesh’ and ‘But Life Goes One’, through the deathly groove of ‘When Life Has Ceased’ and the doomy atmospherics of ‘Bitter Loss’, right up to the grinding assault of ‘Supposed To Rot.’ The album, as mentioned, captivates the listener totally, because with each song it seems to be showing the listener some new horrendous sight on the route of The Left Hand Path – which brings us straight to the eponymous, opening track itself. Sweet Satan below, doctoral dissertations should be written about this six minute masterpiece, a song truly deserving an accolade as one of the greatest heavy metal songs of all time.
Setting the tone for the whole record with that agonised scream, it smashes the listener across the face with slamming chords and crashing cymbals, rips the breath away with an astounding solo courtesy of Mr. Hellid, descends into scintillating brutality, seques into a creeping, doom-inspired mid-section, then melds seamlessly into a stunningly ethereal closing passage, touching upon haunting melodies and a grandiose, magnificent final solo, sealing the song’s legend as a work of epic, genuinely inspired musical genius.

Without doubt one of the most important, respected, influential and downright amazing albums you will ever come across in the entirety of the death metal genre, ‘Left Hand Path’ is an astounding experience to listen to. Fully deserving of all the plaudits bestowed upon it, it is Entombed’s definitive masterwork, and all faithful warriors of the metal cause would do well to walk it’s dark track to see what hellish wonders are in store for them.

I was reading a swedish rock magazine simply called "Sweden Rock Magazine" (it's written by the same people that arrange "Sweden Rock Festival") & I got a description of how Death Metal guitars sounds like. I liked the description & on the next day I went down to the record store to buy this as my first album of this genre. When I went home I plugged it into the DVD player (my computer wasn't working at the time & I don't have a real stereo) & when I heard the legendary opening track I just went through a lot of thoughts. I heard this scream & I was totally freezed, didn't move a muscle & then all hell broke loose. I'll never forget that feeling I had when hearing "Left Hand Path" for the first time ever, I stod up playing air guitar while banging my head totally mad.

I would say that every track on this album is great, "no fillers, only killers" as you say although the title track has become my all time Entombed favorite. After being totally exhausted I went to the couch to relax while "Drowned" went off. I still thought it was one hell of a track even though it wasn't as good as the first track but at least it gave me hope that these kind of bands don't just have 1 good song & later I found out they had a whole big bunch of great songs. Next is 2 more average tracks which still is awesome but not as amazing as the first 2 but on the 5th track "Supposed To Rot" it's all back with one of the coolest riffs I've ever heard. The rest from now on is also pretty much awesome average songs but I founs something special in "Morbid Devourment" that I liked.

Before hearing this album I had also read about how this minor guys got their contract so I was expecting a production that would be so bad that you barely would hear anything at all but man I was wrong. I was really surprised when I heard how good the production actually was, not the best but you hear anything & it's a true raw-as-hell Metal production. It sounds very much like Carnage's "Dark Recollections", pretty much exactly the same production. L-G Petrov's growl is awesome & I like the drum sounds very much. The guitar solos sounds pretty much influenced by Metallica's Kirk Hammeth & are better than I expected too.

A 3rd surprise I didn't expected was that the cast would be too good musicians but I was surprised by that too. These guys can really play & Nicke Andersson is a big influence for me as a drummer myself. They all do a great job & if you play an instrument then you'll hear something that you'll be playing afterwards. Riffs, solos, drumming whatever, I promise you, there's on thing that all musicians love with this album.

The best song (Entombed ever made) is defenitely "Left Hand Path", a true Death Metal classic with the same feeling as Dismember's "Dreaming In Red". All the tracks are great though, especially "Drowned", "Supposed To Rot" & "Morbid Devourment".

Finally, this is an excellent piece of Metal history that every headbanger should own. It has it all, literally. The only thing I can come up with that would have been cool was if these guys made a cover of Dark Angel's "Death Is Certain (Life Is Not)". I think that one would have been great if they performed it with a even more satanic approach.

Get "Left Hand Path", you won't be dissapointed!

Entombed’s first album is still regarded as milestone in the Swedish death metal scene along with Carnage one that came out in the same year. Already from their early incarnation, Nihilist, those guys showed a non common sense of brutality and groove. Lots of other bands took inspiration from this album during the years and listening to it you can understand why this is so original.

The intro to the title track has made history along with the use of some obscure synths and the rotten mid tempo, followed by a long, gloomy solo. “Drowned” is fucking heavy with the guitars so low tuned and at the same time, very groovy. The vocals are something incredible for the period in Sweden; they are directly from hell in their inhuman growls. The drums are quite essential but extremely catchy and thrash inspired in their continue up tempo.

“Revel In Flesh” is my favourite one in this album…incredible in the up tempo, stop and go and fast blast beats. The guitars are so crunchy in their down tuned style and the vocals even more obscure. The musicians are always very good at creating rotten melodies, violent and catchy at the same time; every song has its well cast riff that helps you recognize it among the other ones.

“Supposed To Rot” is unbelievable in speed, brutality and songwriting. The few solos are always weird, obscure and the one on the great “But Life Goes One” is a good example. The main riff on “Bitter Loss” stenches of early grindcore (It has been said that Repulsion were one the greatest influences for these guys and surely you can hear that anywhere in this album). The mid tempos at the beginning of “Morbid Devourment” are awesome but the up tempo after, is even better with the chainsaw guitars in the first place.

The riff at the beginning of “Abnormally Deceased” is awesome and tthe fast parts are really blowing. Several times, the most violent part in a song is introduced by the only guitars sound and then when the drums enter the sound, hell’s unleashed.

I cannot say that I recommend this to any Swedish death metal fan out there because you should know it very well for his importance and beauty. A piece of history for everybody. Neverending violence for my ears!!

Quite one of the most cult releases ever! This release made Entombed one of the most famous bands in Europe, although they released after 'LHP' only mediocre records, but this one made them a symbol for crushing Death Metal, with ultra low guitars and simple, but battering drum work. From all the bands from Sweden, and all the releases (which so many suck), Entombed's 'LHP' is one of the few that really made a significant mark on the metal map, and set standards for future releases and bands. This Swedish Old School Death Metal sound will be incorporated in a variety of other bands from Sweden, but none of them making such a great effort, which is Entombed's answer to the US metal - we will fuck you up with our bare hands, bitches!

The title song, and its intro, which was then wuite frightening, show what Entombed was all about in 1990 - ultra low guitars, that had power behind every played chord, but also with amazing melodies and solos, drums that can only inspire to a greater drum work, and fucking old school vocals by L.G. Petrov, fucking harsh and not lame. This all together with the deep bass sound creates a certain sinister ambient; the sound is simply massive and full, no holes and no gaps to be filled, it's just one of the best done releases then. Nowadays bands like Incantation and Funerus still play this kind of music, only in the US way. Funerus was more than just influenced by Entombed's sound, they also made their guitars sound like Entombed's, to become a full sound.

If you just listen to the lead chords and the solo in "Revel in Flesh", you will go off. "Supposed to Rot" - groove pure. "Morbid Devourment" - that's what inspired Dismember to them up-tempo rhythms. Obviously Dismember took some good and groovey parts of Entombed and made like 10 releases out of it, wasting the ideas totally. Fuck Dismember; Entombed kicks ass with any release, compared to them Swedish plagiators. "The Truth Beyond" - early Hypocrisy, the best Hypocrisy actually. So you see, without this release, most bands in Sweden would have just played Blekk Metal or have been ABBA tribute bands, like The Project Hate (well, this band couldn't even be a good ABBA cover band, they just sukk!). Simple as that, Entombed's 'Left hand Path' is one of the corner stones of not only todays European Death Metal, but also in the fucking world.

To start, I'd like to give a disclaimer that I am completely and hopelessy biased towards the old school Swedish Death Metal sound. That being said the first album that ever truly made me a devotee of both the death metal genre and the Swedish sound was Left Hand Path. Quite honestly one of the finest if not *the* finest Death metal albums in the history of the genre.

The first thing that made my heart pound in my chest (most elatedly) when I first heard this masterwork was the guitar tone, that rabid chainsaw sound just so beautifully clear and dirty. LG Petrov's pained and animalistic vocal style on this album is perfectly complimentary to the hellish cacophony of riffing. The drums, what can one say? Nicke had some of the catchiest drumming in death metal, everything he did fit so well and created some of the most neckbreaking music imaginable.

Left Hand Path in and of itself (the song) is an encapsulation of the whole album. The sinister keyboard strains, massive wall of guitars and pained vocals contained therein perfectly mesh every aspect of this album into one track. But unlike the last reviewer it seems I have listened to *every* track on this album and I can comfortably tell you every-single-one is worthy of praise. Bitter Loss, But Life Goes On, Revel in Flesh, Supposed To Rot.. these tracks are the corner stone of the classic Swedish Death Metal sound, and are not only catchy but extremely dark and sinister in both concept and music.

To conclude, if you are looking for one classic swedish death metal album to own... this should be your choice.

At a time when death metal was still looking for recognition, Swedish band Nihilist changed their name, grabbed some old demos and proceeded to recording an album. The result was yet one of the most influential albums in the history of swedish death metal, or even the whole death metal scene. Left Hand Path mixed the relentless thrashy aggression and riffage of floridian death metal with a healthy dose of groove and a bit of experimentalism. The album kicks in with a scream, followed by a powerful solo and then... then you hear it... that GUITAR TONE. Damnit, this album has one of the best guitar tones ever heard in death metal. It's heavy as fuck, really low-tuned and sounds more evil than any DM band could ever dream to do. Then the album carries on, with sheer brutality attacking you from every corner, while singer LG-Petrov vomits his inhuman old-school growls without allowing you to breathe. Riff after riff, there is no stop to this monster of an album. The drumming is top-notch as well; Nicke Anderson is one of the few drummers who can write great songs and also play really well. Really powerful and aggressive blastbeats that go along with a great technique. Incredible.

However, there's still one thing that makes this album stand out above all the other DM releases that came out at the time. First of all, it has a small sense of melody not present in most USDM; second, it has all that evil atmosphere that Entombed's american peers so hard tried to achieve (and mostly failed). Entombed manage to be relentlessly aggressive and atmospheric at the same time, without decaying in melodic death metal. The guitar work is not very original (except for that great tone, of course), but it's still damn good.

Overall, Left Hand Path is an essential piece on the death metal puzzle, influencing an entire legion of swedish bands that later showed up in the scene. You like death metal? Then OWN IT! Stand-out tracks: Left Hand Path, But Life Goes On, Abnormally Deceased, Supposed to Rot. Some versions of the album have two bonus tracks: one of them, Premature Autopsy, is done quite differently than the usual Entombed sound, but it's still amazing. If you like Cannibal Corpse, you'll recognize the initial riff from a very famous tune of them... CC, you little rip-offs!

It doesn’t get much better than this. Everything about this album is done perfectly: the guitar tone, the vocals, the lyrics, the drumming, the song writing, even the goddamn cover artwork. This is my favorite death metal album from what I have seen so far. It’s an album that Entombed never really topped either. They came close with the next one, then had a decent album, then have been putting out crap ever since.
The infamous sunshine studios guitar tone sounds perfect, as is the rest of the production. Unlike many other death metal albums, for better or for worse, this album really has a sense of space, which is reflected in the cover artwork. This is accomplished by the song writing, different instrumentation, and most importantly the vocal effects and techniques. L G Petrov uses what I like to call an “atmospheric growl” for lack of a better word. It was being used before this, at least by Obituary, but this album really perfects it. Essentially, it starts off soft and gets louder and then echoes. The guitars also have an echo to them which adds to the effect of giving a sense of space.
The lyrics are very good as well. Unfortunately, only a few of them are available. I really wish these guys would publish the lyrics as well as the tabs! They also have a sense of humor about the whole thing, but never come across as goofy or just plain silly. They were originally called Nihilist and some of the lyrics really reflect nihilistic values in a humorous sense. In the song “But Life Goes On,” the lyrics right before the chorus are “Continue to seek and you will see/Life is your worst enemy!” This rivals “Wanting to die is your reason to live” (Slayer – Postmortem) in terms of being nihilistic in a funny way.
Let’s have a look at each individual song since each one has something to contribute to the album:

Left Hand Path 10/10 – What a way to start off an album. This song is an epic classic. It starts off with a scream followed immediately by a snare drum hit, giving the impression of someone falling down into the depths of insanity, or perhaps the chasm on the cover. This also sets the precedent for the sense of space the album has. Immediately after, the listener is crushed with power chords that introduce you to the guitar tone and then two mini solos right off the bat to let you know that these guys mean business.
The song continues at a fast pace for a minute and then slows down. This album is full of tempo changes to keep things interesting. Soon after this, we hear the first atmospheric growl, giving a sense of space and atmosphere. Then we hear somewhat of a hardcore breakdown (at least to what my sense of an actual hardcore breakdown is!) Basically, the guitars get really chunky. After another atmospheric growl, we hear a guitar solo, which unlike the lyrics or most other death metal bands, isn’t really nihilistic in an atonal sense, but is rather thoughtful and has a feeling to it, instead of being just plain fast and brutal.
After this the song picks up it’s pace again, throwing little solos at you one after another. Then it slows down again, giving you an atmospheric growl. This is where things start to get interesting. The band introduces the melody which is actually the theme from the movie series “Phantasm.” I believe it’s played on a synthesizer or something, but it doesn’t sound artificial. It sounds eerie and has a latent evil quality to it. This is where the cover comes in handy. They have really captured the feeling of this part of the song in the cover; it’s atmospheric, eerie, spacious, evil, rich vibrant. Take a look at it when you are listening to this part of the song. The left hand path beckons. Apparently the left hand path is a metaphor for the way of the devil or something like that. A close look at the tombstone reveals the epitaph “REST IN FESTERING SLIME.” We are really just beginning going down the left hand path. We are about to find out what hidden pleasures lie beyond, over the bridge, through the strange blue mist and over the horizon.
While we are drawn in by the Phantasm melody, a guitar suddenly slams with a power chord, which gives a different, slower melody over the Phantasm melody with plenty of pick slides, creating an interesting harmony. Soon the guitar takes over and the synthesizer is taken out. This is where the epic solo starts. Once again, it’s not really atonal, but has a real feeling to it. It isn’t technically self indulgent either: it has slow parts and fast parts, but is never difficult just for the sake of showing off. When it’s over, the melody is continued by the guitars, which fade out, but only slightly, so there is actually a last note which gives you a sense of closure and completeness, rather than fizzling out like some 80s pop song by fading into oblivion.

Drowned – 9/10 – This song starts off with a fast jarring riff to snap you out of the trance the last track put you in. Then just as suddenly as it started, it stops for a moment. One guitar comes in with a fast, descending riff which is joined by the second at the end. They play a slower, more open, and not as percussive riff after this. At the end there is a nice pinch harmonic and of course the atmospheric growl. This sense of space created by the slow open riff and growl is contrasted by the suffocating fast riff played at the beginning. This is where you really start to settle into the record.
The song basically switches back and fourth between the fast and slow riff, making things interesting. Near the end it gets really slow and heavy with plenty of atmospheric growls, once again making a sense of space, followed by some good solos. After this the song picks up at full speed again. All of the elements of the song, the vocals, drums, guitars, are going at full speed but then suddenly stop to end the song. I guess you could say at this point the metaphorical drowning is over. After the fast thrashing parts of you trying desperately to swim, and the slow parts of you slowly suffocating to death, your brain has finally died.

Revel in Flesh – 10/10 – This song has such a great groove to it. The simple alternating drum beat is the basis of the song, but it departs from this so many times is various ways that it sort of entices the listener to want it to come back. This is probably one of the best use of alternating tempos and song structures I have ever heard.
The song starts off with some power chords, then the main riff, and then they both come together with the drums. Just try not head banging to this part or at least tapping your foot (I find myself doing the later more, not that it makes it any worse.) The slight stops, the palm muting of the guitars, and the use of the drums are thrown at you in a different way at the end of almost each time the riff is played. This great sense of groove continues into the chorus, followed by a usual brief pause, and then goes back to the verse, back in the same groove.
At the end of the second verse, it repeats the chorus, and then gets really interesting. There is a great atmospheric bridge, supported by the atmospheric growl, then some great guitar effects with an overdrive pedal, some whammy bar, and reverb. After this, we have another great hardcore breakdown for the second part of the bridge. It’s really chunky, then gives a power chord in place of two chunks of guitar, followed by some melodic riff work to round it out. This interestingly makes your head hang on the down swing, since there is an emphasis on the last part.
At the end of the second part of the bridge, Petrov growls REVEL IN THE FLESH which is a great way to kick off the awesome solo. Just try and not play air guitar to this one. At the end of a thoughtful and melodic, yet uncompromising solo, it once stops for a moment. Then it stops for another moment. They are just playing with you now. They know you want to hear them main riff again, since it has such a great groove. It finally does and Petrov reinforces it with a perfectly used grunt. Yet they still make it interesting. After you hear the riff three more times, they use more palm muting and a different drum pattern to make things interesting, and then it falls back into the groove. The groove continues to the end, giving some different drum patterns and then finally a scream by Petrov and then the song ends with a tremolo bar crushing the last note and then letting it back up again.
When Life Has Ceased – 9/10 – A drum fill starts off this song followed by a great sense of groove similar to the last song. Just try and not head bang to this one either. Once again, the atmospheric growl is used. The first line of the lyrics is “when life has ceased” which just seems delightfully morbid to me and is repeated at various points in the song. It then goes to the chorus which is moved on by some great grunts (“ye-uh”.) It goes back to the verse again, then the chorus. The bridge is up next which is slow and heavy. It gives you six notes, and then plays them again with the drums reinforcing them to make them more brutal, a technique really used best in track 8, “Morbid Devourment.”
The song then picks up a bit, then slows down even more, with the usual atmospheric growls. It then picks up the pace again, followed by some good solos. After the solos it continues on, seeming like it could end at any second and then finally does with a grunt that is echoed and gives it a good sense of finality.

Supposed to Rot – 8/10 – This song if pretty short (only about two minutes long) and has a pretty good sense of groove like the last two songs. It starts off with the drums then an interesting riff, then a little fill, followed by the main riff. The verse continues on followed by the chorus, which is introduced by Petrov growling “you’re supposed to rot.” Once again, Entombed show their slightly humorous take on death metal. He says it again to introduce a sort of non solo, which is just a trill note on the guitar. It then goes back to the verse, followed by a brief pause, then Petrov growling “your supposed to rot…yea”, which ends the song, sort of. The tremolo bars are used to modulate the pitch and show off the guitar tone at the end, much like the end of Revel in Flesh. I think they mainly used this to put the song over the two minute mark though.
This song doesn’t have as much to offer as the songs preceding it, but it’s certainly not annoying or boring by any means. It’s still has a good feel to it, and is kept short since the ideas behind it are relatively simple. It’s strategically put here because the next song is so damn good.

But Life Goes On – 10/10 – This is one of Entombed’s first songs. It’s really simple, but it’s a lot like Mutilation by Death, or Black Magic by Slayer, or Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath, in that it’s not the most complicated or even best song that they have written, but it really gives a great sense of the band’s sound in one song.
It’s one of those no nonsense songs that doesn’t start off with a drum intro and doesn’t have any time changes, but is great in a simple way. The riff is chaotic in a way and is basically a lots of notes play really fast in an atonal fashion reinforced by power chords at the end. For the most part, it follows the traditional verse/chorus song structure and doesn’t have many tempo changes.
Most of all though, the lyrics make this song. Fortunately, they are readily available on this site. “But why should I go to heaven /And who's to say I'll enter HELL”, with the two power chords emphasizing HELL! This is followed up by the first chorus, which doesn’t give you the best part of the song right away, but then goes back to the verse, and then the chorus again. This time at the end, the phrase “Continue to seek and you will see/That life is your worst eneMY!” It’s so cheesy, but there is such an eerie sense of calm in the moment between the two phrases, and such utter conviction in how it is said. Sure it makes no sense, but you can still get the idea of what he is saying. It can also be viewed as nihilistic since it makes no sense. Petrov also screams the last syllable, which I am having trouble replicating really, but is still fun to sing along with. This line can really be seen as the apex of the whole album, which is pretty much in the very middle of the middle song. If there was an Entombed shirt which said “Continue to seek and you will see…” on the front and “Life is your worse enemy!” on the back I would buy it.
After this, there is a great bridge, with the obligatory atmospheric growl, followed by the solos. At the end of the solos, the main riff is reintroduced and the verse starts again, it ends again with instead I’ll enter HELL” and then the chorus with “Life is your worst enemy” again. This time, the last syllable is sort of turned into an atmospheric growl, since it starts off soft and then gets louder. This is followed by a quick interlude with four ascending riffs and then a satisfying grunt to end the song.

Bitter Loss – 10/10 – This song starts off with some power chords, joined in by some melodic riffing, and then, like some many other death metal songs with were probably influenced by this, the obligatory bass mini solo, which is used perfectly. It is followed by a power chord, and then it gets into a great groove. I always get this song confused with Revel in Flesh since they both have the same great sense of groove.
There are plenty of small little halts in the tempo, just like Revel in Flesh. It does this through the first verse, then also in the chorus. It settles back into the second verse. Once again, the lyrics aren’t available and hard to decipher, but I know one of the lines in the second verse is “rip you all to shreds!” which is delivered particularly well.
After this it goes into the bridge, which has a few good grunts here and there. It then goes into three or four more different bridges which shows the complex winding song structures this album has. Over one of these, it gives a good solo, then lulls for a moment, then gives a really great melodic solo. During this solo, I find myself equally intrigued by both the solo and the riff that supports it so I find myself listening to on and then the other.
After this it settles back into the verse, after a brief lull, which basically brings it back home. At the end Petrov, keeps repeating what I think is “It’s just a momentary loss,” but of course I am probably wrong since the lyrics aren’t available. This is followed by some melodic riffing. At the end off each riff, it seems like the song is going to end, and then after three times it finally does with an extra power chord at the end.
Morbid Devourment – 9/10 – The song starts off slow and heavy with an atmospheric growl, then it suddenly stops completely for a second, then it comes back with the tempo increased by the slightest amount. Once again, you want to headbang to this since it has such a great sense of groove. It eventually slows down, then speeds up. Next it pauses and gives us nine notes played twice each in so it’s more of a tremolo type thing, which set us up for something interesting later. It then goes back to the main groove, and then back to the same nine notes again. Right after the nine notes are played the way it was the first time, two each, and then Petrov yells GO and the notes are now power chords played once each and supported by the drums so it gives you more of a sense of getting punched in the face. They go back to playing them tremolo a couple more times, with a good scream, and then suddenly slow it down, then pick up the pace slightly and add a blast beat. This is followed by the solos ending the song, then an interesting “bleh” which is echoed to give a sense of space and an ending to the song.

Abnormally Deceased – 8/10 – This song starts off slow and then picks up the pace. This song doesn’t have as much to offer really, but a nice “DIE!” keeps you engaged. It’s pretty much the typical verse/chorus/solo structure, and isn’t really bad, but it doesn’t have much going on that is special like the other songs.

The Truth Beyond – 9/10 – This song is somewhat epic, like the first one and is a good serves as a bookend like the first to keep things memorable. It starts off a little slow then has some nice dual pick sliding action and then picks up the pace. This song gives an intelligent critique of organized religion, and fortunately the lyrics are available, but it sort of shoots itself in the foot when it talks about dissecting Jesus Christ, which is fine by itself, but I was hoping that the whole song would keep the theme of being critical but instead mixes in some brain dead gore, which once again is fine on it’s own, but sort of undermines the song here.

Carnal Leftovers – 8/10 – Here we have the first bonus track. This song has some time changes and is pretty good, but doesn’t nothing really worth pointing out.

Premature Autopsy – 9/10 – ATTENTION CANNIBAL CORPSE FANS: This song has the riff that Cannibal Corpse ripped off for their number one hit “Hammer Smashed Face!” Listen to the two songs and compare the main riff. They are damn near identical. This album was released AT LEAST two years before Tomb of the Mutilated, so it’s obvious that Cannibal Corpse ripped this song off, like they rip everything off. It’s also interesting that it’s pretty much Cannibal Corpse’s best, most notorious song and for Entombed it’s just a bonus track. Yet at the same time Cannibal Corpse is more popular. Life’s not fail I guess.
I do appreciate how CC did give actually point out that the riff sounds like you were actually pounding someone’s face in, but Premature Autopsy is still a pretty cool name. Entombed also use a different vocal style here. The vocals sound more processed and it gives some nice variation from the same voice you have been hearing the whole album. It’s a pretty straightforward song with an interesting scream at around 2:05 that gives the album a great sense of finality. It continues on for a little more, with some good grunts and some good solos and finally ends with a lull and then a crushing power chord.

So there you have it. Looking at the other reviews, it seems that not enough people have this album, so more people should get it. It’s pretty much a buy or die situation.

The guitar sound on this album still ranks as one of the most eeeeevil tones ever put to tape! And it was done with a cheapo Peavey amplifier and a Boss Heavy Metal distortion box, recorded for the equivalent of $8,000 US dollars (!) they've said--proof positive that high-end gear is not always necessary to make classic sounds. And Entombed made one hell of a mighty ruckus on this classic debut with those unearthly guitars and an airtight rhythm section that sincerely raised Old Scratch himself.

With a vicious blending of mid-paced to thrashy death metal and UK '82 punk, this was unique and still is to this day. The riffs are catchy and well-structured, making for memorable somgs--amazing considering how young they were when they recorded this album--and they go right to the heart of the matter on every song. The crushing riff salvo in the title track's first five seconds alone after the harrowing intro noises is the aural version of a concrete boot to the head! From there, after that tune, they mix up metal riffs with punk tempos and vice versa, with the odd thrash and blast beats thrown in for good measure, and the resulting stew is a thick, murky, and altogether nutritious mmm-mmm good one! The keyboard section that leads to the rideout of that title track alone is so majestic and fits so perfectly, I want it played at my funeral! Evil occult/horror lyrics only add to the atmosphere of impending doom on every song. L.G. Petrov's ugly vocals will scare your parents into premature white hair, too, it bears mentioning.

What the hell are you waiting for? Quit reading this review and get this damn CD and see what made all the other Swedish bands decide they just had to sound like! Literally, this is true--every Swedish band (at least the Stockholm bands) worked with the Swedish Scott Burns, Tomas Skogsberg--why do you think most of 'em from that era sound alike?