Customer Reviews

Hollowman

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This little release generated a lot of interest in 1993. Entombed had set the pace for the Swedish Death Metal scene with the one-two combination of `Left Hand Path' and `Clandestine'. The band promised something a little different for their third album, and the `Hollowman' EP was released to test the waters.

The differences were apparent immediately on the title track. The blast laden Death Metal percussion had been slowed to a more sedate Rock style, albeit a very heavy one which still featured double kick breakdowns. The vocals were more enunciated, and there was almost a Hardcore feel to them in places. The chainsaw guitar sound had been retained, but like the percussion, the riffing had a large Rock element added.

"Wolverine Blues" is heavier and less refined than the album version. The lyrics still hadn't been written, so LG Petrov read an encyclopaedia entry on wolverines, which was very effective in itself. The bass on the song reaches right into your boots and rattles the bottom end of your speakers.

"Bonehouse" Sounds like a leftover from the `Clandestine' sessions. Not as fully developed as songs from that album, it is still a full on Death Metal track other bands would have traded body parts for. It also bears some resemblance to Entombed's single "Out Of Hand".

While "Hollowman" was undoubtedly the supposed focus of the EP, the best track was "Hellraiser", a Metal reworking of the theme song from the movie of the same name. It translates to Metal very well, as a dark, foreboding song with an intricate central riff. Samples from the movie added in the background make it a full on creepfest, and it is a little disconcerting to listen to the song in the dark.

Change is often not a good thing in a musical genre as restrictive as Death Metal, yet the change in style wasn't greeted with the expected cries of derision. After all, it was still heavy, dark, and uniquely Entombed. Instead, it seemed Death Metal fans wanted to see where Entombed were going to take this embryonic Death and Roll sound. Rather than spoil the surprise awaiting on `Wolverine Blues', `Hollowman' helped build anticipation for the album.

One of the greatest EP's ever in my opinion. I prefer this over the, also great, Clandestine and Wolverine Blues albums. Awesome, no I mean AWESOME, non-album tracks such as Serpent Speech, Bonehouse, Put Off The Scent and Hellraiser. The birth of rot'n'roll, this was completely new when it came out and never lost its magic! Special memories....

This is a cool EP including songs from Wolverine Blues and leftovers. "Hollowman" and "Wolverine Blues"(instrumental version) don't change from the versions on Wolverine Blues. "Serpent speech" is a fast hardcore-style song. "Bonehouse" is probably one of the most brutal and fastest songs of this Entombed era. "Put off the scent" has a groovy melodic style that shows their musical skills and quality. "Hellraiser" is a dark and doomy instrumental and "God of thunder" is a Kiss cover (not much Entombed really). A cool EP from a cooler CD. Get both!

The Entombed of yore, not to be in any way confused with their new school releases, never disappointed me. Walking down the Left Hand Path, listening to wonderful ballads like "You were suppose the Rot," always put me in the mood for love. Still, this e.p. stands high above the rest, with happily driven melodies meshing demons, the wonderful world of the wolverine, and hollowman itself posing the age-old question of who watches the doctors. Fans of a more primal, growling sound will absolutely adore this cuddly bundle of aggression.

A superb precursor to the flawless Wolverine Blues album. By far the Hollowman/ Wolverine Blues sessions created some of the best material in metal history. This cd is heavy and oh so catchy. Buy this and then Wolverine Blues. Standout tracks include Hollowman and Serpent Speech.

My introduction to Entombed was their Hollow man video, which just blew me away. Sure, I was familiar with death metal, but it never really was type of music, and at that point I can't say that I owned a single death metal record. But Entombed changed all that, when I walked into the record store and picked up the only entombed title they had: the hollow man ep.

I really can't compare this ep to any of their previous or later albums since I've never heard anything from them, but this ep is quite good. I would have to say that this turned me onto Death metal with amazing songs like Hollow man (Jesus, Satan, Hitler bought my soul?) and my favorite Put off the scent which not only has some great lyrics about fakes in society but the some awesome guitar lines as well. The instrumental version of Wolverine blues where some crazed scientist is describing everything you'd ever want to know about Wolverines in under three minutes is pretty cool. The rest is really mediocre. You have a song like Bonehouse, which has some potential but never really uses it, a weird instrumental which closes the album and the stinking Serpent speech which I skip every time.

Entombed are able to keep melody in their songs. They are not some crummy gore band like Cannibal Corpse. These guys have talent. Based on the excellent reviews here, I think I'll pick up Left hand path as my next purchase from these Swedish dudes.

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I only recently got into this album, despite having owned it for over a year. Still, if you're just beggining to get into death metal... Still, this EP holds pretty well on its own terms.

Entombed are or were among the great death metal bands that came out of Scandanavia in the early 90's. These guys know death metal and they know their instruments. Petrov's vocals have grown on me, his deep growls are unequalled in the death metal world (ok...so Obituary are close behind). This ep might not be the best place to start if your curious about Entombed death metal roots. My friend played me Left hand path and it is their definitive raw masterpiece. Still this ep really does have some great songs like Hollowman and Put off the scent. It has a decent track like bonehouse, and well the rest is pretty flat. Wovlerine Blues is the instrumental version of the same song that appears on Wolverine blues the album. This song has a pretty decent riff, but the whole tune is ruined due to some guy (probably a local drunk) moaning on and on about Wolverines and their habitat, diet etc, though it can be quite amusing at first, it gets boring really quick. The two other tracks serprent speech and hellraiser are just awful. Serpent speech sounds so uninspired and hellraiser was meant to be a spooky old school horror movie type intrumental but it's so ...[bad] I almost regret purchasing the whole EP after hearing it.

Beware of this one, the great songs are GREAT, the other ones are not good enough for band with this kind of talent.