Entombed

 Today in 1998 Entombed released the album Same Difference

Stockholm,Sweden Death Metal/Death 'n' Roll

Status:Active

Years active: 1987-1989 (as Nihilist), 1989-present

Entombed was at the forefront of the first wave of Swedish death metal in the early nineties, with their first two releases (Left Hand Path and Clandestine) widely regarded as landmarks in the field. By 1994, they shifted direction somewhat, starting with Wolverine Blues, towards a more punk-oriented, stripped-down yet still quite heavy style, prompting the coining of phrases such as "death 'n roll" and "death rock" by fans and critics. Predictably, the change in style split existing fans, some of which wanted more traditional death metal and others welcoming the new sound. The past several years has seen Entombed tinkering with their style, offering slight deviations here and there but basically sticking to a now-reliable formula that continues to serve them well. The general consensus is that Same Difference is the lone substandard release in their back catalog, with newer albums such as Morning Star and Uprising receiving the most accolades.

The band fractured in 2013, when guitarist Alex Hellid sat out a tour and then commenced to work with older former members. The rest of the band pressed on, recording an album that ended up being released under the name Entombed A.D., and that band can now be considered the logical successor to Entombed. While a 2014 ruling said that no one could use the Entombed name, Hellid, along with old-time members Uffe Cederland and Nicke Andersson and two new guys, played a gig as Entombed in October 2016, so for the moment, both bands are active.

Music for Nations

Jörgen Sandström - Bass

L-G Petrov - Vocals

Alex Hellid - Guitars

Ulf "Uffe" Cederlund - Guitars

Peter Stjärnvind - Drums

1. Addiction King (2:56)

2. The Supreme Good (4:15)

3. Clauses (3:38)

4. Kick in the Head (3:29)

5. Same Difference (4:00)

6. Close but Nowhere Near (2:56)

7. What You Need (2:49)

8. High Waters (3:39)

9. 20/20 Vision (3:03)

10. The Day, the Earth (2:45)

11. Smart Aleck (3:19)

12. Jack Worm (2:51)

13. Wolf Tickets (3:52)

Recorded at Polar Studios, Stockholm, August 1998.

Mixed at Baby Monster Studios, NYC, September 1998.

Mastered at Masterdisk.

Limited edition bonus track:

14. Dagger [3:32]

Japanese bonus track:

15. Vices by Proxy [2:59]

The Brazilian edition featured the bonus tracks:

14. Kick out of the Jams

15. 21st Century Schizoid Man

16. Bursting Out

17. Under the Sun

18. Vices by Proxy

19. Dagger

Same Difference is the fifth full length album by Swedish metal band Entombed. It was released in 1998

Feeling they had explored their Death'n'Roll sound as far as they could, Entombed wanted to stretch their legs a bit on 'Same Difference'. But the difference with previous albums isn't too big in fact. At least not as big as the PR machine (back in the day) might have wanted you to believe.

The main difference is that both guitarists forgot to open up the gain of their amps. So Entombed sounds lighter and more rocking here. But the songwriting hasn't changed much in fact Lars Petrov screams as of old and the new drummer Peter Stjärnvind keeps the beat in its usual rolling speed. Imagine this album with more distortion and you're not far off from 'To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak The Difference'. With that whole matter out of the way, I need to point out that, despite these minimal changes, this album just doesn't really work. I don't think the songs are to blame but without their usual heaviness and bite, Petrov's shouting is in vein. The rest of the band is simply miles behind and doesn't add the power and oomph to make it work.

It's a deserving attempt from Entombed to try their style with a new and less metallic sound. But that's simply not why God created Entombed. We want to hear this band roar!, not striving for subtlety. Somehow they got the message and they've stuck to their guns ever since