Left Hand Path (album)
| Left Hand Path | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Entombed | ||||
| Released | June 4, 1990 | |||
| Recorded | December 1989 | |||
| Studio | Sunlight Studio, Stockholm, Sweden | |||
| Genre | Death metal | |||
| Length | 46:38 | |||
| Label | Combat, Earache | |||
| Producer | Tomas Skogsberg, Entombed | |||
| Entombed chronology | ||||
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Left Hand Path is the debut studio album by Swedish heavy metal band Entombed, released on June 4, 1990 by Earache Records. The album was recorded in the Sunlight studio in Stockholm, Sweden during December 1989.
Background
The album's liner notes give thanks to the Swedish death metal group Nirvana 2002.
The title of the album refers to a Left-Hand Path belief system. Guitarist Alex Hellid found the term in Anton LaVey's book The Satanic Bible.[1] This is explored in the eponymous opening track of the album, with the first verse:
- I am my own God, master, slave
- And I will be beyond the grave
- No one will take my soul away
- I carry my own will and make my day
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.[2]
Influence
The album is known for defining the style of Swedish death metal by being the first recording to use the "buzzsaw" guitar tone. The tone was created by heavily detuned electric guitars (To B) 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.
Cover versions
Two songs from the album were covered by Belgian death metal band Aborted, "Drowned" for the re-release of The Archaic Abattoir and "Left Hand Path" for the EP Coronary Reconstruction.
In popular media
"Drowned" was featured in the 2009 video game Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned on the radio station Liberty City Hardcore.
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
Public reception
Left Hand Path was well received by the public. On Rate Your Music the album has an average rating of 3.88 of 5, based on more than 2,550 ratings,[4] and on Sputnikmusic the album has a "superb" average rating of 4.3 of 5, based on more than 750 ratings.[5] On Sputnikmusic Left Hand Path is Entombed's best rated studio album.[6] Left Hand Path is currently #14 on Rate Your Music's Top Death Metal albums of all time chart.[7]
Track listing
All lyrics written by Andersson, Hellid, all music composed by Andersson, Cederlund, Cuzner.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Left Hand Path" | 6:41 |
| 2. | "Drowned" | 4:04 |
| 3. | "Revel in Flesh" | 3:45 |
| 4. | "When Life Has Ceased" | 4:13 |
| 5. | "Supposed to Rot" | 2:06 |
| 6. | "But Life Goes On" | 3:02 |
| 7. | "Bitter Loss" | 4:25 |
| 8. | "Morbid Devourment" | 5:27 |
| 9. | "Abnormally Deceased" | 3:01 |
| 10. | "The Truth Beyond" | 3:28 |
| 11. | "Carnal Leftovers" (Bonus track) | 3:00 |
| 12. | "Premature Autopsy" (Bonus track) | 4:26 |
Total length: |
46:38 | |
Credits
Writing, performance and production credits are adapted from the album liner notes.[8]
Personnel
Entombed
- Lars-Göran Petrov – vocals
- Uffe Cederlund – guitar, bass
- Alex Hellid – guitar
- Nicke Andersson – drums, bass
Production
- Tomas Skogsberg – production, engeneering
- Entombed – production
Visual art
- Dan Seagrave – cover art
- Nicke Andersson – logo
- Micke Lundstrom – photography
- David Windmill – design
Studio
- Sunlight Studio, Stockholm, Sweden – recording, mixing (December 1989)
References
- ↑ J. Bennett, "Left Hand Legacy", Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces, Albert Mudrian, ed., Da Capo Press, p. 113.
- ↑ Bennett, p. 118.
- ↑ Birchmeier, Jason. Left Hand Path - Entombed at AllMusic
- ↑ "Left Hand Path by Entombed (Album, Death Metal)". rateyourmusic.com. Sonemic. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
- ↑ "Entombed - Left Hand Path User Opinions". www.sputnikmusic.com. Sputnikmusic. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ↑ "Entombed reviews, music, news". www.sputnikmusic.com. Sputnikmusic. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ↑ "Custom chart". rateyourmusic.com. Sonemic. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
- ↑ Left Hand Path (booklet). Entombed. Earache Records. 1990. Mosh 21 CD. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
External links
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