•
Rating: When I think of Entombed, the first image that comes to mind is a small live music venue on the outskirts of any provincial European city, packed to the brim. Outside, it's winter, and the fog barely outlines the shapes of the few who haven't managed to find shelter inside. The atmosphere inside is incendiary, and five black-clad Swedes pour their souls into playing ROCK. Yes, rock, because twenty years after their first official album, that "Left Hand Path" which shook the global death scene and sanctioned the birth of the Swedish-Scandinavian movement, Entombed have never become the rockstars they deserve to be, on par with Slayer and Metallica, but they have remained to this day affable and approachable people, aware of having at the very least paved the way for Scandinavian death metal and later revolutionized that sound by infusing it with rock and blues, and in 1993 with "Wolverine Blues," they opened new doors to a new sound that would gain followers. In short, always ahead in every sense.
"Morning Star" represents exactly the album of their career, the one made with years of experience under their belts and concerts in front of large audiences, perhaps supporting big names, but also in front of a few loyal fans, playing on a small stage with sweat dripping from their brows, visible to the naked eye.
It was released in 2001, after two somewhat underwhelming works like the mediocre "Same Difference," released after the departure of drummer Nicke Andersson, who became the frontman of the Hellacopters, and after "Uprising," which tried to reestablish the connection with the group's early Death period. What emerges is perhaps their most balanced and perfect album to represent their entire career. An album that positions itself exactly between their two key albums and undoubtedly represents their creative pinnacle and rebirth. Where the Thrash metal of Slayer's "Season in the Abyss" period, represented by Chief Rebel Angel, I for an Eye meets the hardcore of Ensemble Of the Restless and Young Man Nihilist and the death'n'roll of Out of Heaven meets the Sabbathian doom of the slower parts. In short, from Cederlund's guitar, the main composer of the group, twelve shards emerge that are as predictable—the trademark is as always—as they are wild, for the eagerness and desire to show that the group of the past is still there. Petrov's voice, as usual, is perfectly raw, and the guitar work by Cederlund and Hellid has nothing to envy of the best axe-twins in the Metal scene. All the songs are worth the album, no fillers, from the killer groove of Bringer Of Light to the more modernist and subdued Mental Twin.
Entombed will release the Sabbathian "Inferno" (2003) and the last "Serpent Saints" released in 2007. Unfortunately, too many lineup changes have somewhat undermined the group's image, but they continue to take the stage as if those twenty years of career have yet to pass. Honor, therefore, to a group that has never hidden its desire to modernize a genre like Death metal, incorporating massive doses of rock without ever selling out, but always remaining credible and honest.
Meanwhile, the small peripheral venue is about to close, it's the dead of night, Entombed are signing the last autographs and drinking the last beers with the few fans still in the venue. The tour bus awaits them...
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Chief Rebel Angel (04:40)
Down here on the ground
since it all began.
Experiment in moral and behavior.
In spite of all imperfection,
I'm a fan of man.
The worm is my rose too.
Many my name
but one and the same
chaos, being
and the everlasting flame
Phosphoros,
Lucifer
Stand up!
In praise of the morning star!
Phosphoros,
Lucifer
Say it!
Chief rebel angel!
Phosphoros,
Lucifer
Stand up!
In praise of the morning star!
Don't get too cocky,
keep yourself small.
Don't ever let them see you coming.
Look at me,
underestimated from day one.
You never see me coming,
I'm a surprise.
Solid my game,
we're one and the same.
The chaos, the being,
and the everlasting flame!
Phosphoros,
Lucifer
Stand up!
In praise of the morning star!
Phosphoros,
Lucifer
Say it!
Chief rebel angel!
Phosphoros,
Lucifer
Stand up!
In praise of the morning star!
Watching, waiting
Holding my breath,
but I'm no puppeteer
The stage is set,
you pull your own strings now.
Like butterfly wings,
once they're touched,
they never leave the ground.
No, I don't make things happen here!
Phosphoros,
Lucifer
Stand up!
In praise of the morning star!
Phosphoros,
Lucifer
Say it!
Chief rebel angel!
Phosphoros,
Lucifer
Stand up!
In praise of the morning star!
Phosphoros,
Lucifer
Say my name!
Phosphoros,
Lucifer
Say my name!
Phosphoros,
Lucifer
Say my name!
02 I for an Eye (03:07)
God is waiting, always hating
Endlessly
Loss of life means nothing now
That everything is free
Never in your wildest dreams could you anticipate this loss
impotent redeemer hanging helpless on the cross
I for an eye, tooth for a truth
Pain in kind
Try to see things straight
The hate has made you blind
Inbred soul cries out in anguish
Nightmare ended, life surrended
Spent a lifetime shooting up
But still they drag you down
Deliberate infliction
From a whiter shade of brown
I for an eye, tooth for a truth
Spinal staircase
Comprehension sets in violent embrace
I for an eye, tooth for a truth
Pain in kind
Manic,
Always searching what you'll never find
(You're blind)
03 Bringer of Light (04:02)
Listen,
no-one knows.
True evil never shows.
You cannot
see its face.
True evil travels without trace.
No, it never dies.
Always on the rise.
Evil this good need no disguise.
Shit-caked.
Moral slide.
Soul-sized token entry side.
No, it never dies.
A modern hell is an enterprise.
At the head of all tables,
bringer of light.
Here I am.
I'm your man.
I will kill you if I must,
I will help you if I can.
I'm your man.
At the head of all tables,
bringer of light.
Here I am.
I'm your man.
I will help you if I must,
I will kill you if I can.
It's a cosmic gag reel,
life turning on itself.
Cathedral-sized egos,
empty top shelves.
The rules are set in opposition.
It's the goof of all times.
Schoolgirls selling sex at intermission.
It's ok, it's not a crime.
I give you pleasure,
fulfill every need.
I take the bricks out of the briefcase.
I set this whole thing free.
I am your man.
At the head of all tables,
bringer of light.
Here I am.
I'm your man.
I will kill you if I must,
I will help you if I can.
I'm your man.
At the head of all tables,
bringer of light.
Here I am.
I'm your man.
I will help you if I must,
I will kill you if I can.
04 Ensemble of the Restless (02:35)
Uncivilize,
destroy our youth.
There's no end of
this shocking truth.
Reinforcements
of postponed sell outs.
We're all starving
and full of doubts.
No, no ground of truth.
No, no foundations.
What's this coming to?
Hail, hail the devestation.
Is it the truth or your image
that makes your life worth living?
You're in love with a dream
of an image not given.
Take out their palace
and burn their flags.
You're all dying
in your dress rehearsal rags.
Reinforcements,
we're more than less.
An auto-pilot.
Ensemble of the restless!
No, no ground of truth.
No, no foundations.
What's this coming to?
Hail, hail the devestation.
Is it the truth or your image
that makes your life worth living?
You're in love with a dream
of an image not given.
They don't like us around here.
They hate us everywhere.
We'll deny nothing.
We hate eachother
Openly!
08 Fractures (03:33)
This is my opinion
These are my demands
It is my new face
It's where I stand
This is not a lecture to increase your wealth
And it's not a permit to only think for yourself
I'd like to see you corrected
I'd like to see you destroyed
What is not believd in
I'm glad to be of use
What is not in need for
Still a bit obtuse
My independence is my dependence
It's my only option
It's all that makes sense
Your basic standards
The thorn in your side
The technology that you're imprisoned by
I'd like to see you corrected
I'd like to see you destroyed
What is not believd in
I'm glad to be of use
What is not in need for
Still a bit obtuse
What is not believed in
In these fractured skulls
What is not in need for
Of these poor old gulls
09 When It Hits Home (02:22)
Greed
It's really no mystery
Where these people come from is so fucking plain to see
They fist-fuck the planet and smile
And lick their fingers clean
Hey
You're better than all the rest
You're god's special creature
Intelligence at it's best
You fist-suck the planet in style
And lick your fingers clean
But now you wake up in a pile of shit
Gone is the dream
[Chorus:]
And you scream but there's no-one there
You got to pay your own fare
Your dick is sore and you're all alone
Hurts like hell when it hits home
Now, listen
Prepare to suck cock in hell
It's really not all that bad once you get past the smell
You fist-fucked the planet and smiled
And licked your fingers clean
As gods come and go
You did not make the winning team
[chorus]
You're god's special little creature
11 About to Die (02:12)
I am the machine
I am the insect
I am the one you least suspect
I am the cancer in your soul
Better treat me with respect
The moment you saw me you knew you were in shit
You hate me all the time you can
And your tomorrow is gonna be a drag
Go on and scream while you still can
Cuz you're about to die
Die, you know it
You're about to die, die
I'm the unbalance
I'm the terror
In your made up atmosphere
I'm the disturbance of the universe
Your constant living fear
You're about to die
Die, you're about to die
I am and I shall be to the end
Can you spend your life like this?
You're crying like a woman
When you're about to die
die, just fucking die
12 Mental Twin (03:14)
Me and myself
We're not one of you
We have an alibi to always get thru
Me and myself
My mentor and guide
You're my tormentor
Always by my side
Not going downward - mental twin
Not going downward - mental twin
Not going downward, downward
Instrument evil mental twin
Me and myself
We're king, yeah, we're kong
We will let you down
When you're weak we are strong
Not going downward - mental twin
Not going downward - mental twin
Not going downward, downward
Infernal evil mental twin
Me and myself
We do what we claim
We mean what we say
Only shreds will remain
Loading comments slowly
Other reviews
By wwwhatemoornet
This Morning Star marks the return of Entombed to the levels we were accustomed to with albums like Left Hand Path or Clandestine.
A nice, angry, and genuine record, as opposed to a certain CD with an orange cover that someone wanted to pass off as Metallica’s latest work.
