Those that speak of ENTOMBED in the past tense may be in need of a refresher course. While it's tough to debate the quality of early platters like "Clandestine" and "Wolverine Blues" as genre-defining watershed moments for the band, discs like 2007's "Serpent Saints" show strong evidence that the band is a long way from throwing in the towel.

The greasy MOTÖRHEAD-style title track starts things off with a delightful venomous blast that pretty much carries all the way through. Legendary throat man Petrov barks, roars, and grumbles like its 1994. Fans of classic death metal will have plenty to sink their teeth into like the straight-up thrash juggernaut "Warfare Plague Famine Death" and the old-school eeriness of "When in Sodom".

It's not a perfect record - the potty-mouthed nu-tombed style of "Amok" will cause some fans of the band to wince. 'The Dead, The Dying And The Dying To Be Dead" starts off with a devastating grindcore riff pattern before settling into the silly chorus at the song's midpoint. Plus the closer/instrumental "Ten Commandments" doesn't really go anywhere and could have easily been left out.

But despite these brief irritating moments, the album is a solid slab of slimy, rock 'n roll death metal, just as you'd expect from ENTOMBED. It may not be quite up to par with "Wolverine Blues", but it's been nearly fifteen years since that one hit our collective turntables, and these guys still bring it pretty strong. Those that jumped ship around the time of "Same Difference" may want to check out some samples. You could be pleasantly surprised.

- Marchman

OFFICIAL SITE: www.entombed.org

RELATED ITEMS: Picks of the litter, 1992