Entombed (band)

Entombed is a Swedish death metal band formed in 1987 under the name of Nihilist. Entombed began their career as an early pioneer of Scandinavian death metal which initially differed from its American counterpart by its distinct "buzzsaw" guitar tone. However, their sound had evolved by the early-to-mid-1990s and the band began to explore influences of progressive, punk, hard rock, garage rock, and groove metal.

History

Early career (1987–1991)

Entombed are rooted in the band Nihilist who were formed by drummer Nicke Andersson, guitarist Alex Hellid and bassist Leif Cuzner, who formed the band in 1987. After using a number of temporary vocalists for their initial shows, the band eventually recruited L.G. Petrov, Left Hand Path and its follow-up, Clandestine, Although the release was divisive amongst the band's fanbase, it established their mainstream and critical reputation. Wolverine Blues is considered a classic of early 1990s death metal. He was replaced by Peter Stjärnvind.

2001–2009

In 2001, the band worked with performance artists Carina Reich and Bogdan Szyberb, and the Royal Swedish Ballet. The production was entitled Unreal Estate.

Hellid, Cederlund, and Säfström reunited to perform "Clandestine" in its entirety with the 65-piece Gävle Symphonic Orchestra and a 40-piece choir in February 2014. Thomas von Wachenfeldt played bass. Nicke Andersson intended to participate, but was prevented by scheduling conflicts.

Hellid, Andersson and Cederlund reunited to perform as Entombed in October 2016. They were joined by Robert Andersson (vocals) and Nicke Andersson's half brother Edvin Aftonfalk (bass), both formerly of the Swedish death metal band Morbus Chron. Their first performance was at the Close-Up Båten festival cruise. In November they performed a double set in Malmö to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Clandestine, where the album was performed in its entirety twice. The first set was a performance by Hellid, Cederlund, Andersson with Säfström and von Wachenfeldt and the Malmö Symphony Orchestra and the second set was a regular performance with Andersson and Aftonfalk.

2021–present

On 7 March 2021, former vocalist Lars-Göran Petrov died from cholangiocarcinoma, aged 49.

On 14 July 2022, Entombed performed at Gefle Metal Festival. The band consisted of Alex Hellid, Nicke Andersson, Uffe Cederlund and Jörgen Sandström. Vocals were performed by Sandström and guest vocalists Tomas Lindberg, Scott Carlson, Johnny Hedlund, Urskogr, and Cronos. Former Entombed drummer Peter Stjärnvind was guest on drums.

On 1 March 2025, the members of Entombed announced that the band were "back in the studio – after all these years" working on new material for their first album in nearly two decades.

Artistry

thumb|Entombed performing in 2010

Style and legacy

Music journalists have referred to Entombed as one of the "big four" of European death metal, along with Dismember, Grave, and Unleashed. The band became known for their "buzzsaw" guitar tone, which was achieved through the use of a Peavey amplifier and a Boss HM-2 distortion pedal.

According to drummer Nicke Andersson: "We were at least amongst the first to pick up on that underground American scene with Death, Possessed, Repulsion and Autopsy. Prior to that we listened to any fast music, really, from Slayer to D.R.I., and bought albums by Kreator, Sodom, Testament. But when we got into this death metal underground we felt nothing could top that. If you were into heavy music, once you heard it, there was no turning back. We're talking weeks or months of evolution, everything happened quickly, but thrash metal was out the window for us. It seemed silly music, for wimps." GBH, Suicidal Tendencies, Discharge, Anti-Cimex, Atheist, Executioner, Dirty Rotten Imbeciles, Slayer, Celtic Frost, Repulsion, and Autopsy.

Personnel

;Current members

Alex Hellid – guitar, backing vocals (1987–2014, 2016–present)
Uffe Cederlund – guitar, organ, backing vocals (1987–2005, 2014, 2016–present), bass (1989–1990)