Entombed - Clandestine

Oh man did they ever find what was missing. From start to finish this is a fucking masterpiece. Clandestine appeared out of nowhere and stayed in heavy rotation for almost a year both at home and in our radio shows. I can't for the life of me figure out what it is that makes this so damn different than the rest of the stuff out there, but it is. Brutal guitar work, in your face drumming and vocals from the bowels of the earth all combine into this relentless juggernaut of power. Listening to this album feels like someone is reaching into your brain and yanking your spinal cord from your body. I guess that there is just this general envelopment by the music, it surrounds you in this cloak of anger/despair/darkness/power with layer upon layer of chords. Nicke Andersson must be recognized for his achievement here, this is basically his album. Providing the vocals as well as contributing songwriting skills on every track, it is apparent that he is a major driving force in the band. This is not to overshadow his drumming, which ranks as some of the best in metal today. This is one of the top 25 metal releases of all time, and mandatory listening for all.