Entombed side-projects galore

Any avid reader of this blog would know my love for Stockholm's metal heroes Entombed. I've dedicated several posts to them, and included them in many of my mp3 shuffles. And as we all know, they made the best album of the 90's.

As I posted yesterdays mp3 shuffle (which not only included Entombed but also Haystack, a band featuring Entombed's then-guitarist Ulf Cederlund) I couldn't help but think of all of the side-projects the Entombed lads have been involved with over the years. Here follows some of my favorites:

This first one is the debut album by death metal duo Comecon, on which Entombed singer L-G Petrov provided the vocals. I admit it's not technically a side-project, as L-G sang on this after he had been fired from Entombed. He would soon rejoin the band, but that's a whole different story.

I really like Megatrends In Brutality which often sounds more like late 80's Sepultura than "regular" death metal, with L-G's vocals sounding quite a bit like a young Max Cavalera. A bit strange, since he's never sounded like that before or since. The drum machine also gives the album a light hint of Nailbomb. A forgotten gem for sure.

(mp3) Comecon - The future belongs to us
(mp3) Comecon - Good boy Benito
Available on Megatrends In Brutality (1992)

Next up is Leadfoot, starring drummer Nicke Andersson (here on vocals and guitar) and the aforementioned Cederlund from Entombed, and singer/guitarist Nix Wahlgren and drummer Jocke Ericson from The Nomads. If I understand it correctly. Feel free to point out how wrong I am.

Leadfoot existed for less than a year and only did one recording session, during which a four song demo was put together. Andersson would later thank the experience in Leadfoot for giving him the confidence to front his own band The Hellacopters a year later.

(mp3) Leadfoot - Suckerpunch (1993)

Speaking of The Hellacopters, here they are. They formed in 1994 and as mentioned Nicke Andersson was the frontman for the band's fourteen year existence. Other members were Andersson's childhood friend Kenny Håkansson on bass, Robert Eriksson on drums and Dregen from Backyard Babies on guitar.

There's not much to say about the Hellacopters other than that they were one of the best band in the history of music. Download, listen, worship.

(mp3) The Hellacopters - 24h hell
Available on Supershitty To The Max! (1996)

(mp3) The Hellacopters - Colapso nervioso
Available on Payin' The Dues (1997)

Ulf Cederlund had, and I suppose still have, a big love for American noise rock and started his own band Haystack in the mid 90's while Entombed was on semi-hiatus due to snafoos with their label.

I wrote quite extensively about all of this almost two years ago, so click here for more info. If you like Unsane and/or The Melvins, it would be a crime not to look into Haystack.

(mp3) Haystack - Inside
Available on Right At You! (1996)

(mp3) Haystack - An object I can't control
Available on Slave Me (1998)

Daemon has been covered on this blog before, right here to be precise, so click that and have a look. A death metal band formed by Andersson and Konkhra frontman Anders Lundemark. Andersson played on the first album, Seven Deadly Sins.

(mp3) Daemon - Sloth
(mp3) Daemon - Gluttony
Available on Seven Deadly Sins (1996)

Retro death metallers Murder Squad formed in the early 90's by Cederlund and singer Matti Kärki and bassist Richard Cabeza from Dismember. Peter Stjärnvind from Merciless played drums. Stjärnvind would later join Entombed in 1997 when Andersson quit to devote himself to The Hellacopters full time.

The first album came out in 2001 and was a glorious exhibition of old school death metal, festering with bile and maggots. In July 2008 I wrote the following about the second album Ravenous Murderous: "Old school death motherfucking metal. The kind that stinks of sewage, vomit, piss, and maybe some bongwater that someone spilled on the couch the night before. The kind that never gets laid and will die with a beer gut."

Very well put, David. Very well put indeed.

(mp3) Murder Squad - Bloodfreak
Available on Unsane, Insane And Mentally Deranged (2001)

(mp3) Murder Squad - Spunkslut
Available on Ravenous Murderous (2003)

Stjärnvind and Entombed's then-bassist Jörgen Sandström (here on guitar) formed the doom metal supergroup Krux with Candlemass' bassist Leif Edling. Fredrik Åkessson from Talisman (he would later play with Arch Enemy and today he's in Opeth) played lead guitar and Mats Levén of Therion and Yngwie Malmsteen fame handled mic duties.

They've released two albums so far, and both are fabulous.

(mp3) Krux - Omfalos
Available on S/t (2003)

(mp3) Krux - Pirates
Available on II (2006)

Lastly we have another band featuring Ulf Cederlund. The indie-rockish Alpha Safari featured three former Misery Loves Co members as well - singer Patrick Wirén, bass player Patrik Thorngren and drummer Olle Dahlstedt. The latter replaced Peter Stjärnvind as Entombed's drummer in 2006.

Dahlstedt also played drums on Kelly Clarkson's smash hit Since U Been Gone in 2004. How fucking awesome is that?

The correct answer: Extremely awesome.

(mp3) Alpha Safari - Disappear
Available on Commercial Suicide (2004)

(mp3) Alpha Safari - It wasn't designed for us (b-side)

Alright, that'll keep you busy for a while. More Entombed next week, don't miss it.