Review: Entrails – World Inferno
In any musical movement, you’re always going to get tiers of popularity. The Swedish death metal scene of the late ’80s / early ’90s was no different. Whilst acts like Entombed, Dismember and Grave rose to the top, bands such as Sorcery and the subject of this review, Entrails, skirted along underneath. Neither of the latter two acts amounted to much, with Sorcery’s 1991 debut Bloodchilling Tales the sole full length released between them. Entrails themselves never issued a single note during their initial stint, with both acts disbanding in the late ’90s and reforming around a decade later. Since then, Entrails have become fairly prolific in their output, with four albums and a duo of splits seeing them become a prominent figure in the scene that forgot them all those years ago. 2017 marks the ninth year since their reunion, and with it comes their fifth record, World Inferno.
This album sees Entrails bedding in some new blood, with both drummer Martin “Fjalar” Mikaelsson and bassist / vocalist Tony Carlsson recording with the group for the first time. There seems to be an instant rapport established with head honcho Jimmy Lundqvist and fellow six stringer Pontus “Penki” Samuelsson, as the two go about their business in a manner that belies their brief tenure. Carlsson’s snarling rasp is that of a man possessed; his feral barks occasionally turning to guttural roars, usually on delivery of the chorus lines. Meanwhile, Fjalar takes a less is more approach with standard Swedeath style beats, but keeps things interesting with some nice variations and fills. It’s certainly a very effective choice, providing a rock solid foundation for the ever flowing stream of riffs to smother all in their path. The guitar tone is pure filth; a sordid buzz of sludge and grime that gives a monolithic weight to the riffs; a weight further compounded by a mix that accentuates the low end and the heavy snare sound, with every hit from Fjalar striking like a sledgehammer.
The production is unlikely to spring any surprises on the initiated, and the same can be said for the songs as well. This style of death metal hasn’t really seen much progression since its heyday, with most bands now content to embrace all the tropes that made it so good in its prime. It’d be valid to criticise this lack of adventure and experimentation, but to me at least, there’s also great credit to refining and perfecting a certain approach as well. This is the path Entrails have opted for since their re-emergence close to 10 years ago, and there’s no doubt that their dedication to their craft has resulted in a rock solid output in recent times. The morose melodic opening of the title track is Swedeath 101, before paving way for a relentless wave of blazing riffs, with some effective keys employed to give an atmospheric touch. The song is a great example of Fjalar’s drums pulling the strings; the slow, crushing first chorus offset against the brisker final refrain thanks to the change in his drum patterns. “Condemned to the Grave” is the first of a number of tracks with a more deliberate pace, with a nice chugging groove driven by some D-beats. There’s some good musical ideas here, but the song is a little too long, a fate that also befalls “The Soul Collector”; its instrumental components not enough to cover the ground of its 4:38 duration. “Dead and Buried”’s subtle melodic tinges separate it from the mid tempo pack, whilst the stuttering stomp of “Into Eternal Fire” defiantly trudges along, even in the face of tremolo picked riffs and a double bass barrage. It’s one of the strongest tracks on offer, constantly sounding like it’s evolving and moving forward; a well thought out song executed to perfection.
The other clear highlight is “Serial Murder (Death Squad)”, opening with a fantastic harmony over a marching beat, serving as a prelude to an absolute thrasher of a riff that morphs into a seriously monstrous groove (riff of the album for sure). “Suffer” is another rip roaring bruiser with a great set of riffs, whereas the blunt force trauma of “Insane Slaughter”’s riffing has a more bludgeoning effect; the interesting shuffle of the slightly ominous, obtuse melody in the more measured moments providing a nice contrast to the direct aural assault beforehand.
World Inferno does little to push the classic, old school Swedish sound in any radical new direction, and whilst they’ve still a little way to go to match the quality of the progenitors of the late ’80s/early ’90s, there’s no disputing that they’re one of the strongest acts in the scene today. With the plethora of incredible records that were produced in those glory days gone by, perhaps this sort of album is the best we can hope for. I expect fans will know what they’re getting before they push play, and in that regard, this album is a resounding success.
Rating: 3.5/5
Highlights: “Serial Murder (Death Squad)”, “Into Eternal Fire”
World Inferno is available worldwide on June 16, via Metal Blade Records.
