Entombed
Wolverine Blues

THE REVIEW

About Entombed, once upon a time, there was a lot of talk.

Like all the seminal bands of a certain genre, they have influenced armies of musicians and provided fodder for hordes of journalists and enthusiasts, never forgetting to supply good doses of venom to their detractors. All of this, Entombed knows well.

Starting with two classics of the Death Metal genre like “Left and Path” and “Clandestine,” which clearly and precisely defined what “Swedish Metal” was and meant, without unnecessary and superfluous subjugation to the American scene of the genre, they went on to be the champions of “super contaminations”, influencing everything good or bad that Swedish Death, but not only that, has put out in the future.

“Wolverine Blues” has been considered the “turning point” between the fierce and extremist past of “Clandestine” and the not-so-rosy future of the band’s subsequent (and sometimes shameful) works. On one hand, it’s easy to understand why Entombed managed to ride the wave of their success and exploit it to the fullest. Already, one can foresee the “not entirely orthodox contaminations” they would propose in the future. Nevertheless, the extraordinary violence this work perpetuates in every groove is strong and undeniable: the anger of Lars Goran Petrov is tangible and ever-present, giving this album a unique and fascinating pathos; the guitars in their screeching and crude progress, simple yet dark, and the drums that perform exemplary work, must necessarily please.

Even if it is a work that we’ll call a “transition”, the massive doses of Entombed’s blasphemous and fierce soul are absolutely present. Just listen to “Eyemaster,” “Wolverine Blues,” and the beautiful, equally enraged “Full of Hell”, the best track of the work, which seems to overwhelm the listener’s ears with a textbook-calculated fury that is compelling, to which it is impossible to remain indifferent.

I always like to remember this album as both the summation and, at the same time, the testament of Entombed, precisely because I believe that, after this one, nothing has managed to fully equal the works of those who, I say as an admirer, could have spared us some disgraceful episodes of their discography, as they were superfluous, useless, and ultimately unworthy of a band with such a sonic caliber.