Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Entombed - Wolverine Blues (1993)
After making two timeless additions to traditional Swedish death metal, Entombed was ready to try a new approach while keeping their roots. Their 3rd album marked the beginning of a new inspiring era, an era that would later be unappealing when two more albums take the band farther away from their death metal roots. Wolverine Blues, together with Carcass' Heartwork, marked a big historical turn for their label Earache in 1993, attracting new fans with a somewhat more melodic sound. While Carcass invented the melodic death metal genre with barely any prior experimentation, Entombed added pieces of hard rock, hardcore, and Pantera-like groove metal for something more groovy with slight hints of melody, death 'n' roll. Desultory also experimented with that subgenre, but Entombed succeeded in making that potential new hybrid.
With a title like Wolverine Blues, was there any relation with the wise invincible Wolverine from Marvel Comics? Yes there was! Even though the band were against anything to do with Wolverine, Earache went behind their backs to make a deal with Marvel for mainstream promotion. That's part of how this album became a successful leap for this band, label, and much of extreme metal. I can understand other aspects of their success. Lars Göran Petrov (RIP), who was absent for their second album Clandestine, returned and stayed with the band until their first breakup. The tone maintains their earlier dark atmosphere while slamming through rock-infused compositions.
Feedback rising and a sample from Hellraiser, "I am the way" (one of a few audio samples removed for later editions due to copyright issues), begin the opener "Eyemaster". A searing groove chugs along to show you what to expect in the subgenre before an unforgettable riffing force. It's stunning how no one had this idea before Entombed did and that's what makes them a prominent part of death metal history. Another good track, "Rotten Soil" pummels with thundering fists of fury, taking a minute to switch from the groove in the verses to amazing riffing before a breakdown of war. Phenomenal punk rhythms appear while not forgetting their usual death metal. The title track was originally in an earlier EP with audio samples in the place of vocals. The one-minute mark turns the opposite way, from riffing to a bluesy groove.
My favorite track here is the super-groove-crusher "Demon". The vocals are some of Petrov's most memorable, as if he's a preaching town crier announcing incoming evil. I was almost convinced enough to find something to fight off that evil. The thrashy rhythms and lead are brilliant there. Death 'n' roll has not gotten a better establishing point than that! "Contempt" weaves through solid melody and breaks down into hard rock, moving in the same tempo as the previous two tracks, sounding evil in the melody intervals. "Full of Hell" has the most rock in this album, with memorable hooks grunge bands wish they could've had earlier.
More of the grunge madness can be heard in "Blood Song". I'm genuinely surprised this song has never appeared in at least one episode of True Blood, particularly in a hillbilly vampire scene. Plus, the lyrics can range from funny to frightening, so it definitely would've worked well for that show. Punk thunders through again, with leads that guide you through a killing trail. "Hollowman" is not bad, but it's weaker than the rest and definitely not a favorite. This is more like Hillbilly Blues at this point, especially the bridge harmony midway through. The verse riff in "Heavens Die" is a soul-burner, but the punk rhythm sounds too basic and doesn't level up the psychotic lead that follows. Absent in the Marvel edition, "Out of Hand" is far less memorable. And don't ask me about their poor cover of "State of Emergency" by Stiff Little Fingers.
Wolverine Blues is a turning point in Swedish death metal history. It is the bridge between their sense of creativity from their first two standard death metal albums and the switch to deathless mediocrity in the two albums after this one. Slightly flawed especially towards the end, but a better offering of death metal. It was time for the small influences the band hinted earlier to fully see the light of day and the core of their writing, one part of death metal refreshing into different subgenres in 1993. Entombed continue their innovation that would build up a higher following. Unfortunately, they were so motivated that they would later fall into the deathless rock 'n' roll Hellhole....
Favorites: "Eyemaster", "Rotten Soil", "Demon", "Full of Hell", "Blood Song"