ALBUM REVIEW: Bowels Of Earth – Entombed A.D.

Lars “LG” Petrov and his band of merry riff-masters are back with their third album in five years under the moniker ENTOMBED A.D.. Following on from 2016’s Dead Dawn, Petrov and co. are set to storm the death metal scene once again with Bowels Of Earth. But is the new record a return to the glory of the genre-defining Left Hand Path, or a sign that another legacy band is stuck in a rut, trying and failing to recapture the majesty of yesteryear?

The answer is not so black and white. ENTOMBED A.D. waste no time kicking things off with the quintessentially Swe-death, instant classic video single Torment Remains. Buzzsaw riffs, groove-heavy drums and Petrov‘s iconic barked growl drive through the tight run time – just shy of three minutes – in wonderfully old-school fashion. From this opening, there might be a worry that Petrov and co. are going to spend Bowels Of Earth trying too hard to replicate Left Hand Path, but worry not – where Back To The Front and Dead Dawn were a touch monotonous, Bowels Of Earth sees the band hitting their stride, and mixing things up suitably.

Single track Elimination sees more of a hard rock, death ‘n roll influence amid the grinding ferocity, with some scorching solo work that touches the soul in all the right ways thrown in for good measure, while Hell Is My Home offers a thrashier, almost Americanised brand of death metal for much of its run time. Bowels Of Earth‘s title track opens with a haunting piano intro, leading to a stomping grind, a big, hook-heavy chorus, a some almost chilled-out leads before another blistering solo. The first real wildcard comes in the form of Bourbon Nightmare. The three-and-a-half minute banger is a throwback to the Wolverine Blues era of ENTOMBED, with ENTOMBED A.D. delving more into the death ‘n roll influence than ever before. Fit For A King, initially released as a stand alone single last year, sees a return to the more classically Swe-death approach and pushes Bowels Of Earth well into its second half.

The one-two punch of Worlds Apart and Through The Eyes Of The Gods hits hard, with Worlds Apart again delving into the Wolverine Blues-esque hard rock influence while Through The Eyes Of The Gods provides Bowels Of Earth with, arguably, its heaviest moment. Submerged in a dark, crushing atmosphere, the grinding riffs and lead guitar flourishes make this one of the more memorable tracks on offer here, and a clear stand out from the record. The second wildcard comes with the penultimate track; a cover of the 1952 HANK WILLIAMS hit I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive. Let’s be real: on paper this just shouldn’t work. But through some black magic, ENTOMBED A.D. manage to pull it off excellently, doubling down on the hard-partying, fun vibe the record has had throughout. Ending on a more grandiose note, Bowels Of Earth concludes with To Eternal Night; the darkest song on the record by far. Utilising ethereal leads and restrained riffing, Petrov takes centre stage here and leads the record to its conclusion on a high.

As with every legendary, genre pioneering band, the big question when they release a new album is how it compares to their early releases. So, does Bowels Of Earth hold a candle to Left Hand Path? Behave yourself. Left Hand Path is one of the most important death metal records of all time, a bulletproof classic, and to expect Petrov and co. to recreate that magic 30 years on is asking a bit much. What Bowels Of Earth is, however, is one of the most fun death metal records you’ll hear all year, showcasing ENTOMBED A.D. finally hitting their stride as a band and having a good time doing it. Perhaps not one of the most essential death metal records of 2019, but definitely one that brings the party.

Rating: 7/10

Bowels Of Earth is out now via Century Media Records. 

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