Uprising

Entombed

Threeman / Metal-Is Records, 2000

http://www.entombed.org/en/shop.php?id=22699

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 12/06/2000

On one hand, I should be thankful there is a band like Entombed out there on the market. They're from Sweden, but they don't play Viking metal. They're a metal band, but they refuse to follow a clear, cut-and-dried path that would make them easy to shove into a certain genre. In an age of digital wizardry, they prefer to have a layer of sonic grit on their music, as evidenced on their latest disc my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250 Uprising.

On the other hand, I wonder what it would have been like if the production had been a little clearer, or if vocalist L-G Petrov had been moved a little more into the foreground of the mix - or even if the band had tried to narrow down their musical attack so it would be a little easier to follow them.

Entombed, despite releasing several albums over the years (many of which I've downloaded from E-Music, and plan on reviewing here soon), might be one of the best-kept secrets in metal. Their approach to the music is kind of like what would happen if Helmet met Black Flag. There's a seriousness in the lyrics (save for their cover of Dead Horse's "Scottish Hell"), yet there's kind of a sloppy devil-may-care attitude that helps to propel the music forward.

The end result is a bit of a mixed bag. Tracks like "Returning To Madness," "Insanity's Contagious" and "Seeing Red" all demonstrate just how good Entombed can be, while others such as "Time Out," "Something Out Of Nothing" and "In The Flesh" tend to get a little bogged down by a tidal wave of sound. It's not that Uprising is bad, it's just a little unsure of itself - but I guess that's what happens when you blaze trails in unexplored territory.

Of the three bonus tracks tacked on to this disc, "Superior" and "The Only Ones" stand out. The remaining track, "Words," falls prey to the same traps as the lesser tracks on Uprising.

I can't say for sure if Uprising is the best place for newcomers to start exploring Entombed, but as long as they're willing to invest some time with this disc and allow themselves to grow into the adventure Entombed wants to take them on, it's not a bad first choice.

Rating: B-

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


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© 2000 Christopher Thelen and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Threeman / Metal-Is Records, and is used for informational purposes only.