Entrails is a band that has taken some lumps over the years here at DR. There were some things that were a bit hard to swallow, such as the complete aping of Entombed’s logo (not to mention their music). But, being as objective as possible, something happened when Obliteration was cranked for the first time (as well as the repeat performances). There’s some real death metal energy here that was not present in their previous releases.
Obliteration feels as if the band finally started to kick things up a notch or three. Granted, it’s still the same old format that you would expect to hear from the band but they’ve done a great job at putting some fireworks into the mix. The riffs feel more lively, despite their quasi-borrowed status, which is really the key factor that separates the good from the bad with old school death metal worship bands such as this. There’s some genuine thunder behind the filthy guitar tones of “Bonestorm” and “No Cross Left Unturned” that is sure to get folks in the headbanging spirit. The melodies of those such as “Epitome of Death” and “Midnight Coffin” are quite compelling and really exemplify how this band has improved their game.
Obliteration turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise. For big Entrails fans, you may not notice a huge jump in what the band has set out to accomplish, but the advances in the songwriting department are quite distinct. Perhaps they’ve finally found their stride in the old school death metal world. Now four albums in, perhaps it is possible to teach an old dog new tricks after all.