From time to time, I get really hungry for new music, and I admit I have to be extremely grateful to live in a time where the access to such art is open to everyone regardless of other inconveniences for both bands and fans. A few weeks ago I was asking for any European band that was capable of making me feel like I want to grab my axe and go hunt wolves outside. Luckily, Sweden is always a good reference to find those bands, and that’s how ENTOMBED A.D. landed in my playlist for enjoyment of this winter-ish season.
Formed in 2014, Lars-Göran Petrov (vocals), Olle Dahlstedt (drums), Nico Elgstrand (guitar) and Victor Brandt (bass) have brought ENTOMBED A.D.’s popularity to a higher level in recent years (at least to me). Barely one month ago, the band that holds the throne of extreme excellence, AMON AMARTH, announced these guys and EXMORTUS as direct support for their upcoming tour in the United States. ENTOMBED A.D. just released their second album Dead Dawn (Century Media Records) and it’s a total smash in the face. Go get it and see what I mean.
“Midas in Reverse” starts the record off with some headbanging material that gives the perfect idea of what this band sounds like. The title track “Dead Dawn” is a very good musical piece, a bit slower, but composed of very strong riffs to follow through. “Down to Mars to Ride” starts off with a few seconds of melody before bringing back the raw guitar and bass sounds, and after that you can expect five joyful minutes of a firm drum pace. “As the World Fell” is another slower tune but it won’t matter because you SHOULD be in stoner mood by the time this track plays. “Total Death” has an excellent intro, and even though it lasts less than three minutes, it’s more than enough with all the well-built tracks. So far, this band is killing it with their new release!
“The Winner Has Lost” was released as the first single and it’s another piece that will get your head moving around. The vocalist’s ability is an excellent fit with all the instruments played together and there’s no better proof than “Silent Assasin”, which is one of my favorite songs off the record and I sure hope it’s on the setlist to hear it live. “Hubris Fall” starts again with a very slow melody, great song for the solid style that ENTOMBED A.D. is known for. “Black Survival”, the second-to-last song has more changes along the way, and the riff sounds somewhat different from previous tracks. It does a good job to prepare the conclusion with “Not What is Seems”, which is a slamming tune and offers more of what the band has already done pretty well in the last nine songs.
For the release of a great record, I truly want to congratulate all members and production team for making such an excellent piece of music. With a bunch of relatively short and sweet songs that combined will make you lose your mind for over 40 minutes, Dead Dawn is the reason you need to go see ENTOMBED A.D. on their upcoming tour PLUS the full enjoyment of AMON AMARTH and EXMORTUS… sounds like a perfect Viking date to me.
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Midas in Reverse”, “Dead Dawn”, The Winner Has Lost”, “Silent Assasin”
RATING: 8.5/10
-THE ALCALDE
