There can be few bands more synonymous with their respective genre than Entombed. Death Metal stalwarts since the genres inception and credited by most as the founders of the 'Stockholm sound', and despite numerous line-up changes and some mediocre releases during the mid nineties Entombed have always stood for extreme music. With "Left Hand Path", "Clandestine" and "Wolverine Blues" in your back catalogue this mantel is carried with some authority.

Entombed in recent years have by their own standards under delivered. While many would be proud to call even the most average of Entombed releases their creations, such is the benchmark set by much of their earlier work that every single release is scrutinized and dissected to the point of absurdity. So no pressure then!

"Serpent Saints" predecessor, the "When In Sodom" EP, gave everyone a flavour of things to come, and the album does not disappoint. The departure of Uffe Cederlund was seen by some as the beginning of the end for Entombed, but like a good boxer who finds himself on the ropes, Stockholm's favourite sons have come out fighting with the most vicious sounding album in many a long day. While inherently still Entombed, and their famed 'death 'n' roll' styling is still evident, there is however a much harder, rawer vibe flowing through this album. With L.G Petrov returning to his Death Metal roots, his vocal style has taken on a gruffer more urgent sound to his guttural screams; almost a step back in time to the Nihilist days. One has only to look at "Thy Kingdom Come" as a case in point. While in the live enviroment the one guitar attack can come across light weight, within the studio Alex Hellid's sound rekindles days long since past when the likes of "Dark Recollections" and "Where No Life Dwells" were new releases.

The heyday of Death Metal is most certainly gone forever, and its like will not be seen again. We live in an age where MP3's rule and the whole ideal of tape trading has long since been laid to rest. There are however still a select few who carry the flag and refuse to submit; holding fast their beliefs, the ideals that founded the scene in the first place. "Serpent Saints" signals the awakening of one of Death Metal's true giants, so you best beware as this is Death Metal et al 1990, and it never sounded better.