Entrails – An Eternal Time of Decay

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'An Eternal Time of Decay' is the seventh album of the Swedish death metal quartet Entrails. Being around for three decades already, they have become pioneers in their game. Among other acts like Bloodbath, LIK and Demonical, Entrails tackle brutality and catchy melodic lead guitars. While the songwriting follows the same formula; the newest effort yields out a defining quality. The seventh album is somehow similar to what the band has presented on 'The Tomb Awaits' and 'Raging Death'. The production and the songwriting are composed in the authentic Swedish death metal sound à la Entombed.

In spite of the brutality and aggression, the album does have some filler tracks that did not impress me much. In truth, Entrails will probably never again achieve the same form of flawlessness that they had presented on their debut album ‘Tales from the Morgue’ which in my opinion is the band’s best offering yet. The obsession with classic Stockholm death metal is brought to effect on ‘Die to Death’ which is full of contagious grooves and breakneck speed. One thing that Entrails ensures is the robust delivery of the lead guitars. Both guitarists Jimmy Lundqvist and Markus Svensson contribute some killer riffs. Without being overbearing the riff structures are monstrous. The bass guitar lines are handled by bassist/vocalist Pontus Samuelsson and they match with the bludgeoning drums. Despite being old in their game, Entrails has gained respect from the death metal community. The sheer vitality is definitely the highlight of the album. Therefore, songs like ‘Fear the End’ and ‘The Dead’ emphasize the originality of the band’s unique composition.

Nothing groundbreaking here, the formulaic elements are stale and repetitive and have somehow lost their luster. ‘Slayed to a Pile of Flesh’ offers brutal riffs, bulldozing drums and raw aggression. The 10 songs are injected with the formulaic approach to Swedish death metal. Entrails has managed to refine the method of songwriting with each studio album. Perhaps  a song like ‘Open Casket Feast’ shows the real potential of this talented musicianship. ‘An Eternal Time of Decay’ is equally catchy and aggressive. The sheer ability of the rhythm guitars to add some catchy melodies to the song showcases that classic Swedish death metal sound.

Precision blast beats and raucous buzzing guitar riffs with the rhythm guitars ensure great dynamics. Riffs inject fuel to the song composition and the hammering drums often switch to blast beats. The powerful combination of the HM-distortion merges quite well with hooky rhythm. There are some spooky movie samples used on songs like ‘Dead by Evil’ to create a sense of horror. Its striking tempo and brutal riffing make it one of the highlights of the album with the guitars flawlessly steering the tempos.

Given the abundance of catchy rhythm guitars and guitar hooks Entrails proves that it still has the knack of delivering relentless aggression. ‘Inverted Graveyard’ begins with a horrific death metal riff before the steamrolling drums and rhythm build on an effective mid-pace section. Later on, the tempo transitions to a groove-paced section whereas the buzz-sawing guitars strike up a powerful riff. Classic mid-paced riffing brings some head-banging moments with some catchy rhythm chords, offering a mixture of aggression and gruesome melody. ‘Autopsy’ stands with a brutal riffing while the soaring lead guitar counterpoints the roaring growls. There’s a d-beat edge to these songs that pinpoints the classic Swedish feel to the music overall.

Chunky riffs provide a growling rumble while the performance is extremely tight and robust. ‘An Eternal Time of Decay’ incorporates merciless aggression brought to the full level of accuracy and entertainment. After all these years the quartet finds its rank at the top of the Swedish death metal scene. Admittedly Entrails is capable of holding the listener with the remaining songs such as ‘Reborn in Worms’ exuding the classic rotten riffs as the tempo evens the straightforward hostility to the fans.  Closing off with the final track ‘Possessed’ the guitars unleash one hell of a furious riff that builds to an energetic pace with bulldozing drums. Focusing on grooves, seemingly the quartet concentrates on mid-paced, switching between melodies to create more diversity.

REVIEW SCORE

  • Music / Songwriting 6/10
  • Vocals / Lyrics 7/10
  • Mix / Production 7/10
  • Artwork & Packaging 7/10
  • Originality 9/10
7.2

‘An Eternal Time of Decay’ is sure to impress the old-school fans. The songs have different tempos executed in the traditional style of the band. Even though Entrails offers more of the same HM-2 tunes of aggression, there is still some quality that shows the refined talent of the songwriting.

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