Left Hand Path (1990) - Entombed

 

Tracklist:

1. Left Hand Path
2. Drowned
3. Revel in Flesh
4. When Life Has Ceased
5. Supposed to Rot
6. But Life Goes On
7. Bitter Loss
8. Morbid Devourment
9. Abnormally Deceased
10. The Truth Beyond
11. Carnal Leftovers
12. Premature Autopsy

Left Hand Path is not just an album—it’s a defining moment in death metal history. Released in 1990, this debut from Sweden’s Entombed reshaped the genre with its signature blend of crushing riffs, punk-infused aggression, and an otherworldly guitar tone that became the foundation of Swedish death metal. Heavily influenced by bands like Autopsy, Slayer, and Repulsion, Entombed took death metal’s raw intensity and injected it with a sense of groove and melody, crafting something both sinister and undeniably catchy.

The album’s production, courtesy of Tomas Skogsberg at Sunlight Studios, is legendary in itself. The infamous "buzzsaw" guitar tone—created using heavily distorted Boss HM-2 pedals—became the calling card of Swedish death metal and has since influenced countless bands. It’s filthy, abrasive, and absolutely massive. Combine that with L-G Petrov’s guttural, commanding vocals and the relentless drumming of Nicke Andersson, and you have an album that doesn’t just pummel—it buries you alive.

The title track, Left Hand Path, immediately sets the tone for the album. Opening with a haunting melody before exploding into a relentless barrage of riffs, it’s a death metal anthem. The outro, a chilling, doom-laden segment lifted from the Phantasm movie soundtrack, cements it as one of the greatest death metal songs ever recorded.

Drowned is a furious assault, built around a driving rhythm and some of the most sinister guitar harmonies on the record. It’s the perfect example of how Entombed blended brutality with eerie melody.

Revel in Flesh delivers some of the album’s most relentless riffing, its breakneck pace only briefly giving way to a stomping groove that showcases the band’s hardcore punk influences.

But Life Goes On is one of the album’s catchiest tracks, built around a thrashy, almost upbeat riff that feels almost celebratory in its aggression. The band’s punk influence shines through, making this one of the most infectious songs on the record.

The Truth Beyond closes the album with an ominous, almost suffocating atmosphere, proving that Entombed could be just as effective when slowing things down as they were at full throttle.

The addition of Carnal Leftovers and Premature Autopsy, originally from their But Life Goes On demo, gives this version of the album even more raw intensity. Carnal Leftovers is pure unfiltered aggression, while Premature Autopsy offers a glimpse into the band's early songwriting, dripping with the filth and fury that made them legends.

Left Hand Path is one of the most important death metal albums ever recorded. It laid the blueprint for Swedish death metal, influencing bands like Dismember, Grave, and Bloodbath, while also inspiring the evolution of the genre as a whole. The chainsaw guitar tone, the punk-infused aggression, and the eerie melodic sensibilities all combine to make an album that still sounds as ferocious today as it did in 1990.

Whether you’re a death metal veteran or new to the genre, Left Hand Path is essential listening. It’s raw, it’s brutal, and it’s a masterclass in how to make death metal both horrifying and addictive.