There are few bands who can match the power and riffing ability of Sweden's grind-core forerunners Entombed and maybe with such precedent setting releases as "Wolverine Blues" and "To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth," their latest output would've been under immense pressure to measure up even before the first note was recorded.

So what they've done here is throw the proverbial curve with "Same Difference," in opting for a slightly divergent approach as the title might indicate. Let's not go running for the doors just yet.

An influx of melody and expanded dynamics never hurt anyone-when they're properly placed as they are here. Anything but one dimensional as the reigning title-holders of dread and doom fashioned to a keyed up level of distorted measures, "Same Difference" functions in a more exploratory level seemingly inventing a new route with every twist and turn of each successive song.

"Addiction King" as the album opener could well be one of the best three or four songs they've ever done and sets the tone here with its, "It's about time for an innovation, very few have come close, so clear so right in time." opening.

There's not only a great level of flex appeal that still remains to the music, but the low end functionality from album's past remains unharmed, but an at times overactive imagination takes the lead in many instances here-"The Supreme Good, "Kick in the Head," "Same Difference." all show a broadened range of topical dexterity while at times delving now and again toward a heavy blues stomp better known from the likes of those stoner types making a nice living doing their thing wafting through the desert!

Petrov's vocals are the model of consistency, belted forth and even forced at times, "Clauses," "Close but Nowhere Near," but, undeniably dense!

With a state of the art freshness that's evident upon arrival, Entombed's strategic stab toward the broader side of heavy rock isn't far off the mark.

We do get a bit clouded toward the latter half here but aside from the minor interlude within the song structures and a wealth of six string trickery and chord play, "Same Difference" breaches expectation only slightly in its attempt at reshaping the image of a band with little left to prove.

Released by Music For Nations. 333 Latimer Road. London W10 6RA
Website : http://www.peaceville.com/

Review by Vinnie Apicella

"Seeing Red" flashes right through my listening zone here and not more than half a minute in I'm already thinking, "comeback of the year!"

Yes the new Entombed record is out and with "Uprising" I believe the message is quite clear!

This sounds like "Kick out the Jams" for the year 2000!

Second song in, "Say it in Slugs" and it's there they are peppering the target, firing off round after round of brutal aggression in the finest HC/doom tradition-off key, off kilter and raggedly precise… one of the album's best!

I hear quite a bit of Sick of it All and Napalm Death going on here as well-only with tons more groove and not even the slightest degree of a drop in intensity!

"Won't Back Down" is a thrash ridden flare up that offers a two finger salute to inexcusable liars who just need to get a life and get off their backs!

When Entombed's been at their best, there's no one who grinds out a guitar riff better than they… there's an actual chilliness in the background that you can feel-call it haunting, call it frightening, but it's there.

And I'm feeling it now, five songs in and not a weak link in the bunch!

As if on cue, their version of "Scottish Hell" comes on and is unlike any song I've ever heard them do…

We're still talking edgy and dark here but much slower and led by a piercing guitar lick that echoes melody in the distance… but the lyrics are the best part!

I don't know exactly where the group Dead Horse came from but any song that begins with "Satan Kissed my Dog…" is okay in my book!

You know what, fuck it. We could go on and on here, but this is without question comeback of the year, hands down!

It's everything an Entombed album was ever meant to be and I'm inclined to say even a bit more. The doom-driven demons have returned with a purpose!

"Uprising" has that early Slayer vibe with a hard-core and punk edge that only gets nastier as time goes on…

It's an imposing return to wherever it was they supposedly left in the first place-granted "Same Difference" was a bit too quirky but they're due for a one off lapse every now and again-I mean, with this… this is Motorhead's "No Remorse" with the imminent stench of death wafting in the background!

Pure nihilistic pleasure!

And this new release, finally released months later than in the whole of Europe, features three extra bonus tunes… now how's that for a fucking role reversal?

"Superior," begins with a tragic ending-no really, that's what it sounds like in the beginning-devilishly familiar, almost yanked right off a studio bootleg or something, very primal and Petrov clearly puts in his best vocal performance… not really!

"The Only Ones" begins and ends like classic Sabbath being fed back five times over through the already overwrought channel, and "Words" is a thrashed up speed burner.

The recordings are absolutely atrocious but the tunes ain't half bad-besides the rest of the record makes up for everything that's gone wrong in the rock world in recent years!

Released by Metal - Is

Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu]