Entombed - Morning Star (2001)

This album is not as great as everyone claims it to be, just like 'To Ride, Shoot Straight...' is not as bad as everyone claims. This album sure as fuck isn't a "return to form" as many have fraudulently stated in the past. It is merely one of those "identity crisis" albums that Entombed has seemingly resigned to put out for the remainder of their existence. Kinda reminds me of Donnie and Marie Osmond. You know, "I'm a little bit country... I'm a little bit rock & roll". Barf.

Anyway... 'Morningstar' is safely tucked into the middle of Entombed's best and worst list. It sure as fuck aint no Left Hand Path but it doesn't quite fall into the same category as 'Same Difference' either (though, I actually have something of a soft spot for that album. Yeah, sue me). More than anything, I'll always long for that good ol' Sunlight sound. With Skogsberg's production to bolster their riffing, just about anything the band does would turn to gold. However and for whatever it's worth, it seems like those days are long gone as the band has long since ditched that approach for a more stripped down aesthetic.

The songs on display here are a wet dream for someone who suffers from ADD. There's a little thrash, a little stoner variety doom, a little rock (-aka- "death") & roll, etc. Not a whole lot of death metal, though, and that's what effectively prevents this from being a so called "throwback" album. I'm not sure what the fuck people are yammering about when they claim that this sounds as good as 'Clandestine' or 'Left hand Path'. Hell, this doesn't even come close to 'Wolverine Blues' in my own personal dimension! That's not to say that it's a bad album by any means though, as Entombed haven't really ever put out a "bad" album. Sure, there have been some serious motherfuckin' changes in style and approach but the quality has always remained from each record to the next.

Again, each Entombed album is co chock full o' ideas that it almost feels like you're listening to a compilation of different bands as opposed to the same album by a particular artist. Boring is a word I couldn't imagine anyone using to describe an Entombed album, whether they liked it or not.