April 2021 – Page 2

Entombed – Wolverine Blues (1993)

There are few albums that have done so much for a genre than Wolverine Blues. It redefined what death metal could be, just a few years after its inception. With LG Petrov (R.I.P) back on vocals, the album is generally slower than Left Hand Path. It also changed a lot of other aspects than just the tempo of the songs. I would explain Wolverine Blues as a groovy album, especially the titular track.

For me the standout tracks are Eyemaster, Rotten Soil, Wolverine Blues, Demon, Blood Song and Out of Hand. They define what Entombed are going forward, heavy, groovy without losing anything from their legacy from Left Hand Path, just building on it. This being said, there are many more strong tracks.

LG Petrov’s less guttural vocals introduced in Wolverine Blues became a Entombed staple. It gives the songs a personality that a lot of other death metal bands miss since the voice is more distorted. No one can hear Petrov’s vocals and not hear it’s him and Entombed.

The heaviness in tthe tracks are elevated by the drumming, that varies from very heavy to more fleeting ride heavy sections, which adds to the grooviness in the album. They also let the music breathe, and not making a wall of sound for 30 minutes like some black metal bands from around the same time, creating a dynamic sound unique for the time. This said, they accomplish this without sacrificing anything from their past.

Wolverine Blues is so iconic and so versatile that you hear ingredients for other genres that Entombed don’t identify as. This is what the album is doing so well, making something that is so clearly death metal, but not alienating people that don’t see themselves solely as death metal heads. There is something so everyone, bluesy riffs and solos, heavy slow riffs for the doom enthusiast etc. As a progressive metal fan I hear riff that could’ve been found in songs by Dan Swanö, like the opening riff in Blood Song.

I can’t do anything but to recommend this album for pretty much anyone that wants a solid listen and a lesson in Swedish death metal history.

Updates

I have updated the site with a better structure for the categories. I have also bought a new computer, so I’m hopefully gonna post more different things here, since I don’t have to write on my phone anymore. I separated the writeups and the other stuff.

A lot of things have happened since I last posted. I have like I said, bought a new computer. I have also purchased an audio interface and new headphones. Now I can play bass without annoying my girlfriend and the neighbors. I also have the option to record ideas and possibly songs in the future. I have a lot to learn when it comes to recording. I also need to derust my bass playing-skills.

I recently started listening to a lot more death metal again, especially Entombed. Thanks to my friend Jason! He also inspired me to pick up the bass again!

On the gaming front, I got the PS5 on release and I love it. I played a lot the first couple of months, but have been in a rut lately, at least when it comes to PS5 gaming. I played through Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Spider-Man: Miles Morales (Platinum), Spider-Man: Remastered (Platinum), Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Platinum), Ghost of Tsushima (Platinum), Maneater (Platinum) before slowing down. So I have already gotten my money’s worth. Might do a writeup on some of them in the future.

We got an LG OLED CX on the Black Friday sale. I’m very happy with it, especially with the PS5 and also my retro setup, since it’s very compatible with my upscaler. We had planned to buy that model on Black Friday so when our old TV died the same day I got the PS5, I was both sad and happy at the same time. Had to play on my computer monitor for about a week or two.

PS5 on my computer monitor, since the TV died the same day I got the PS5.

When it comes to retro gaming I have gotten a OSSC v1.6 which has audio over HDMI, which means I now have a solution that can take and upscale all my retro consoles to my OLED. I also have a HDMI dongle for the Nintendo Gamecube booked which hopefully arrives April 30th. So I hope to play a lot more Gamecube in the future, since this device opens up the possibility for digital to digital 480p signal, so I don’t have to bother with an interlaced signal, really excited about that. I just need to figure out the optimal setup when it comes to switches, since I don’t have anymore free HDMI ports on the TV.

My current retro setup, the OSSC v1.6 to the right being the heart of the setup.

That’s pretty much what I have been doing music and gaming-wise. Been focusing a lot more on what I enjoy, so in addition to gaming and music, we have started taking long walks so get outside more. This have been helping me a bunch, so I’m feeling much better in these pandemic times.