A breakthrough album for death metal, Left Hand Path also helped to establish the "Sunlight Sound". The guitar sound IS godly, and the drumming just kicks ass, but songs start to run into each, other, and the album starts to grind towards the end. Granted, Bitter Loss rocks, and is livens up the second half, but there's something missing... Lyrics are hilarious, but there is no denying that the first two songs knocked the metal world on it's ass. This is the album that inspired everyone to tune to C and destroy the world.

Oh man did they ever find what was missing. From start to finish this is a fucking masterpiece. Clandestine appeared out of nowhere and stayed in heavy rotation for almost a year both at home and in our radio shows. I can't for the life of me figure out what it is that makes this so damn different than the rest of the stuff out there, but it is. Brutal guitar work, in your face drumming and vocals from the bowels of the earth all combine into this relentless juggernaut of power. Listening to this album feels like someone is reaching into your brain and yanking your spinal cord from your body. I guess that there is just this general envelopment by the music, it surrounds you in this cloak of anger/despair/darkness/power with layer upon layer of chords. Nicke Andersson must be recognized for his achievement here, this is basically his album. Providing the vocals as well as contributing songwriting skills on every track, it is apparent that he is a major driving force in the band. This is not to overshadow his drumming, which ranks as some of the best in metal today. This is one of the top 25 metal releases of all time, and mandatory listening for all.

Wow, big changes here. Lars-Goran Petrov is back on vocals, and the band, although sporting a meatier guitar sound (if that's possible) has slowed down considerably. Most people either love or hate this album. Many fans disowned the band upon this release, and I have to agree, it is major step away from Clandestine. The question is, of course, is it a step backwards? I don't think so. I think that the band realized that there would never be another Clandestine, and moved on. Sure, the songs are more accessible, but upon closer listen, there is some good stuff here. Rotten Soil just rocks, and Heavens Die has some awesome riffs in it. One has to wonder also how much of the problem was the band's signing to Sony Records, and what effect they had on the final sound of the album. Probably a good one to pick up used if you can find it.

After Wolverine Blues, and their parting with Earache/Sony, everyone was anxious to see what Entombed would do next. Recorded in 1996, To Ride spent a year on the shelves before it saw the American Shores. Evidently Entombed decided to release the album under their own label to ensure artistic integrity, (what DID happen on Wolverine Blues???) evidently for good reason, To Ride is ten times better than their previous venture. This may be due to the fact that no one was expecting another Clandestine, but To Ride is riff-o-matic death metal at it's finest. Tempo changes between tracks, a piano interlude, all out rockers, a death blues song... the entire spectrum of death is covered. A good recovery for a band that was almost forgotten.

So by now we all know that Entombed will never make another Clandestine, and for a while, that bothered me. Everyone I know just loves Wolverine Blues, but to me it signified the end of an era for Entombed, one that followed culminated in the poorly received Same Difference. I only "say" poorly received because I didn't care enough to buy it, and honestly, had Uprising not been sent to me, I never would have bought it. Which would have most definitely been my loss, for the association with Man's Ruin records has appeared to sharpen Entombed into a band which is at times reminiscent of (if anything) 80's skate punk. Very strange, but very catchy, giving nothing but good memories and for once, rockin' tunes that don't seem to pander to an audience quite so much. The tracks kinda bounce along for the most part, but something feels different. The boys grew up, opening the vaults on their influences to come up with an album that sounds like it should have been recorded in Southern California 15 years ago. Should they have kept the Entombed name? Who knows, who cares. All is forgiven with this one, an album which is 100% middle finger in the air fuck you to everything commercial in the world today. A collection of anthems for all of us who refuse to grow up.