Years before there was “nu-metal” there was
this. “Left Hand Path” is the debut studio album by Swedish death metal band Entombed, released on June 4, 1990.
My “introduction” to this style of music came a few years later when an older kid in our neighborhood let me borrow his copy of “World Downfall” by Terrorizer.
My parents, especially my Mom, hated this type of music. Even Metallica and Slayer were preferable. So naturally, I loved it.
True story: My friend also loaned me a CD of “Eaten Back to Life” by Cannibal Corpse. I kept this one hidden and was careful not to play it when my parents were around. Still, my Mom found it and threw it in the trash. I had to buy my friend a new CD.
According to Wikipedia, the title of the album refers to the “Left-Hand Path” belief system. Guitarist Alex Hellid found the term in Anton LaVey's book The Satanic Bible.
The more melodic, ambient section that comes in at 3:54 of the title track is a cover of the theme from the 1979 horror film Phantasm.
The album is known for defining the style of Swedish death metal by being the first studio album to use the "buzzsaw" guitar tone. The tone was created by heavily detuned electric guitars used with a maxed out Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal Pedal and the DS-1 Distortion pedal into a Peavey amp. The originator of this guitar tone was Nihilist guitarist Leif "Leffe" Cuzner.
"Drowned" was featured in the 2009 video game Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned on the radio station Liberty City Hardcore.
You learn something new every day…
