In the liner notes of their newest album, Entombed say that they are guided by the morning star. If only other groups could find their own stars in the sky to lead them to the same excellence that Entombed was able to achieve on “Morning Star“.
It is so refreshing to hear music played with a passion and a determination that is almost unmatched in the current metal scene. There is no cookie-cutter nu-metal here, this album is full of blistering riffs, thrilling melodies, memorable lyrics and crushing passion.
The Scandinavian quintet absolutely destroy all premonitions that they are a stereotypical Swedish black metal band. There are no atmospheric overtures to their lord Lucifer (although they do thank him in the liner notes) and no murky, disorganized tales of darkness. Entombed mixed the passion of death metal, the technical prowess and riffs of thrash metal, threw in some good old rock 'n roll and came up with “Morning Star“. The music grabs attention with lyrics that address religion, greed, schizophrenia, personal delusions and war.
All of the songs on this release are worth checking out but certainly take a listen to the '80s thrash of “I For An Eye“, the testosterone-filled “Bring Of Light” and the anti-corporation “When It Hits Home“.
At times, over the course of the album, the Swedes do sound quite a bit like Slayer, but that is not something to hold against them at all. With the stagnation that has begun to set into the modern metal scene, every once in a while a disc comes by that renews your faith and love for the music. Entombed's “Morning Star” is certainly one of those.
