Left Hand Path

Entombed

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 28, 1994)
• Original Release Date: 1990
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Earache Records
• ASIN: B00000582R
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #52,633 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Over the years, Sweden's Entombed has evolved into one of the most original and uncompromising metal outfits, incorporating elements of hardcore and garage rock into its brutal wall of sound. But when it first started its trail of terror in 1990, Entombed was just another poorly produced death metal band. Left Hand Path features some startling tempo shifts and daunting lacerated throat howls, but it only hints at the brilliance the band would later discover on albums like Wolverine Blues and To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth. That said, tracks like "When Life Has Ceased," "Morbid Devourment," and "Abnormally Deceased" are as good as most anything by Morbid Angel, Death, or Dissection, and will surely appeal to ravenous fans of all things fetid and depraved. --Jon Wiederhorn

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Debut That Spearheaded Swedish Death Metal, June 25, 2002

By	Ken (Youngsville, LA USA) - See all my reviews

Nihilist, the precursor to Entombed started by Nicke and Alex, had actually been doing a pretty good job of making waves during the late 80's in Sweden. Their first demo, which also coincidentally featured Morbid members L.G. and Uffe, impressed the head of Earache Records so much that Nihilist looked to be on a promising road to being signed with them. However, due to inner-band turmoil they soon called it quits, although three days later Nicke, Alex, Uffe, and L.G. decided to get together for good under the name Entombed. In no time at all the three track "But Life Goes On" demo was bashed out and shipped to Earache. And to once again use the tired, old cliché - the rest is history. The Swedish counterpart to the American Death Metal movement had begun.
"Left Hand Path" was recorded in about one week in December of 1989. It was an intriguing time in Sweden, where handfuls of bands were experimenting with heavier sounds that were heard in the rest of the world. American Death Metal had broken wide open years before with Death and Possessed (among a few notable others). What made Entombed a special affair was the band's insistence on not relying solely on the strict American Death Metal palette for inspiration. They were more intent on fusing some of the defiant aesthetics of punk/hardcore as well as keeping it heavy (really, really heavy...) by writing memorable riffs rather than relying on sheer speed at every turn to make a name for themselves. Also important is the fact that "Left Hand Path" was one of the earliest Swedish albums to defined the revered and coveted "Sunlight Studio" sound that permeated most Death Metal albums released throughout the 90's in that country. Yes, it really was that influential.
What made Entombed's debut an essential listen when it was released in early 1990, and what made it an immortal classic in Metal thereafter, was the eerily sadistic atmosphere it presented. The way that each track was written put such focus and emphasis on the value of great riffs and how they could be arranged to sound vaguely familiar, yet completely fresh. Hence, a listener might be able to fleetingly point out one of Entombed's influences, but barely comprehend just how they'd drag SO MANY influences from so many different genres and styles and blend and stitch them seamlessly. And on top of all that, tuning down their guitars added to the immense weight and jarring intensity of every sadistic cut. For example, in the title track alone there are allusions to sludge-infested Death Metal somewhere between early Death (the band), Carcass, and Autopsy, and then emotionally crushing Doom Metal that would rival any Sabbath-inspired acts to this day. Nicke's insanely precise pounding and L.G.'s gravelly guttural throat finish off any doubts or petty concerns about the validity of Swedish Death. Obviously, since this album wouldn't still be so well-respected to this day if this weren't the case, the aforementioned vicious brilliance doesn't just begin and end with the first track - each of the cuts that follow brandish an immediacy and hunger that's just as antagonistic and hostile as the last.
Simply put, "Left Hand Path" was the beginning of an era - especially in Entombed's homeland, where this was the likely text that tons of bands heavily and eagerly studied to learn how Death Metal should sound. Ironically, Entombed's promising start was not necessarily a prediction of their own "left hand path" so to speak. L.G. did not appear on the band's very successful follow-up "Clandestine", although he would return soon after. Yet by "Wolverine Blues", their third album, they had definitely taken a very different direction. While Entombed has since released some extremely amazing and brilliant "death-n-roll" (as it's often called...) albums, such as "Morning Star", "Uprising", and the aforementioned "Wolverine Blues", they never returned to the familiar territories of their classic genre-defining debut. Listen to it with a sense of nostalgia if you must - but make no mistake, "Left Hand Path" is still as vital, fresh, and commanding today as it was in 1990.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Underated Classic, January 16, 2005

By	Tom Z "Crucible Of Steel" (USA) - See all my reviews

This album is proof that death metal dosen't have to be uber-technical to kick ass. This isn't as fast or fluid as say , Morbid Angel, Death, Anata, Arsis, or Theory In Practice, but it holds up well with any classic of the genre in terms of brutal intensity. This is also one of the most influencial albums to ever be released. Don't take my word for it, check out anything from Dismember, Edge Of Sanity, Carcass, At The Gates, Seance, The Haunted and you'll see what I mean. Almost all European extreme bands (especially ones from Sweden) have added some element of this album to their own works.

Brutality is what Entombed do best and is what this album will always be remebered for. The tormented growls spewing phrases of agression, pounding rhythm and buzzsaw riffs all come together for one heavy, adrenaline pumping expierence. If your looking for something that combines 27 different genres at the speed of light, look elsewhere. This is just pure, uncomprimising Death Metal and if that's what you want then you'd be hard pressed to find a better album.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The single greatest Death Metal album ever..., February 11, 2005

By	robotiq "robotiq" (UK) - See all my reviews

Death Metal at it's absolute best. The defining moment of the Sunlight Studios production sound. A mass of lo-fi crust/hardcore inspired riffs set against a backdrop of brooding, explosive anger. The epic title-track is the greatest Death Metal song ever, but listen carefully as the rest of the album unfolds with unnerving subtly. Solos buried deep beneath crushing riffs, lurching bass sounds, the menacing snarls of a rabid dog being attacked by a swarm of hornets, not a single wasted beat. Entombed never came close to this again, neither will anyone else.