Metantoine: I added the poll!

I know that 'versus' threads are typically considered the purview of ignorant newbs on messageboards. But that's what I am. So bite me.

And I'm sure this has been discussed before, but I didn't see anything on the first several pages. And so...

Carcass and Entombed. Two masterful bands that pioneered the extreme outer fringes of metal well before many of their peers had even picked up their first guitars. But along the way, both bands dipped their proverbial toes into controversial musical wells - namely by releasing records steeped in a more traditional rock-and-roll songwriting structure while retaining signature death metal musical stylings, in the albums Swansong and Wolverine Blues respectively.

I feel like Wolverine Blues has become more well-received by Entombed's core fanbase, while Carcass' outing is more controversial, perhaps owing to the somewhat 'poppier' and more melodic structures of the tracks on Swansong. But those of us who are partisans of the latter record (and I admit to numbering myself among them) often feel that Swansong is pretty underrated by metal elitists who can't stand even the slightest taint of a 'sell-out' album. From the first bruising bass riffs of "Keep On Rotting...", I feel that the more melodious instrumentation on Swansong is actually productive to strong songwriting, keeping the band focused and perhaps helping them lose some of the excesses that I feel plagued its predecessor, Heartwork.

Don't take me as bashing on Entombed in any way. I love Wolverine Blues. It's definitely 'truer', and tracks like "Demon" demonstrate a strong mastery of the metal art form. But at the end of the day... it's Swansong I come back to again and again. It has an almost hypnotic rhythm to it that keeps me listening to it on repeat for hours.

I've never listened to Wolverine Blues. I have Swansong. and all I remember of that record is Keep On Rotting... so I guess I like that one more.

There's one thing I think we all can agree on here: both bands did it infinitely better than Six Feet Under.

i vote for the crown and gorefest

Entombed all the way. Grooves the size of football fields.

For me both bands have their individual style. I adore Heartwork as well as Wolverine Blues but really don't find any similarities to compare the bands

perhaps that's because you're comparing wolverine blues to heartwork instead of swansong like the op

Seriously.I mean c'mon, just listen to this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56NfNEQlumg

I don't ridicule Carcass for wanting to play rock music or anything, and for sure there are actually a lot of good ole' heavy metal riffs on Swansong...but the album seriously lacks energy and spirit. It sounds so dry and forced; I'm not even convinced the band really wants to make it. INterestingly some of the songs on the Wake UP compilation that didn't feature on the album, namely "Edge of Darkness", are pretty cool and better than most of the album tracks. Entombed remembered to keep the energy and anger in their death 'n' roll or whatever you might want to call it. I think this comes from their hardcore background. Also, L. G.'s pissed off shouting was by this point a lot more convincing than Walker's tired snarls.

I've never thought of later Carcass as death n' roll, actually. Even so, Wolverine Blues is easily the best death n' roll album ever, so Entombed win by a long shot.

Gorefest - Erase is way better imo or even their later albums

I guess I'll create a poll to please everyone.

That's a damn shame, Wolverine Blues is pure awesomeness.

Entombed's later albums better than WB? Maaaan, you crazy. Or did you mean Gorefest? I'm not that familiar with them, I'll have to educate myself.

I was never a fan of Entombed and I'm a huge fan of anything Gorefest. Dutch OSDM for the win!

This was no direct comparison, I could pick any Carcass after "Necroticism" and any Entombed after "Clandestine" and wouldn't find any comparable details

This. All of this.

Now, to answer the poll, I'd say that while I'm much more of a Carcass fan, Wolverine Blues is a superior representation of death 'n' roll than Swansong. I like the latter, don't get me wrong, but the former simply uses that very formula in a much more successful way; killer grooves, timeless hooks, and a fuckton of attitude.

I voted for Wolverine Blues but in my heart I voted for Erase by Gorefest.

Ugh, why can't I vote for a dead rat or something?

Entombed for sure. Carcass sucked after Symphonies.

I'd vote for Entombed but in all fairness, both bands are still very different and incomparable. While Entombed leaned towards the more groovier aspect of Death Metal, Carcass added their 2 cents to the whole melodic death metal scene with Heartwork. More than Carcass, Black Star was more in the vein of a death n' roll band.

Entombed all the way. So pissed off and energetic, gotta love the feel.

I love Carcass but this is really no contest. Swansong is a turd compared to Wolverine Blues.

Wolverine Blues. No contest. They were still filthy, just with more of a rockin edge. Swansong is solid but it's a album I hardly pull off the shelf these days.

Gotta love Out of Hand, Wolverine Blues, Rotten soil, Demon, Eyemaster... Shit this album got better with age methinks. I like swansong a little but it is the weakest carcass material whereas I think entombed really had something to pioneer with Wolverine Blues, in other words it was far from their "swansong".

Entombed are the original and the best of death 'n' roll. Gorefest are also brilliant.

I really wish this style had caught on. It's got to be one of the must under-utilised subgenres around.

Just don't care, but now that it's been brought up... Totally go with Gorefest: Erase a million fold. I love that album.

If Entombed had never existed (an idea that fills me with dread), Gorefest would definitely be the kings of this 'genre'.
'Erase' and 'Rise To Ruin' are stellar albums.

Oh, and a similar band that gets far too few kudos is Sweden's mighty 2 Ton Predator, especially their 2005 album 'Untitled'. Goddamn, it's a monster.

None.

Convulse - Reflections is a pretty good twisted death 'n roll album too. I'd prefer that over Carcass and Gorefest, but Wolverine Blues is still the king of this genre.

I was thinking about Convulse's album too. That has some great rocking riffs, good guitar tone, and a more sinister vibe. Twisted, as you say. Listen to "The Green is Grey" for some great 70's riffing. I've never listened to Swansong though so I can't contribute to the the Carcass and Entombed comparison. Morgoth's Feel Sorry for the Fanatic was interesting too. Kind of a stretch to call it death'n'roll, it was more alternative or even grunge than anything, but it still had some dirty death metal riffs, and the vocals had some bite.

I'll go with Entombed, Wolverine Blues was still very death metal while i think Swansong was more Hard Rock-ish.

And Wolverine Blues's title track is a total headbanger

Gorefest 8)

Feel Sorry for the Fanatic doesn't sound much like "grunge" to me; it sounds like Killing Joke! Kind of cool album, in parts, actually...

Got to hear that second Convulse disc I guess!

LIke a few others have said, for death 'n roll its no contest. Not only because Entombed started it and nailed it, but because Swansong isn't even death 'n roll. Aside from the vocals it just seems like 70's influenced hard rock with some decent metal riffing included. I find Swansong to be enjoyable to listen to in the car or as background music, but Wolverine Blues has become a classic and deserves it.

This is not even a competence, Swansong is a horseshit; terrible songwriting, mediocre riffing, 0% energy/attitude... even U2 and Radiohead has stronger songs with way more enthusiasm into the performance than that abomination.

Swansong just sounds like a really pissed off 90's Megadeth album. Really hard for me to take it seriously.

Even though Entombed completely lost me after Wolverine Blues (which was a massive let down after Clandestine), it still gets my vote in this context. Swansong was awful...

Convulse - Reflections, I remember getting this back in the day and just not liking it at all. maybe i'll give it another shot but I doubt my mind has changed much.

Entombed, by far. The title track for "Wolverine Blues" is a fucking monster of a song and beats the everloving shit out of anything Carcass did on "Swansong". That's not surprising. "Left Hand Path" also stomps all over "Symphonies of Sickness", even though I love both.

I'd actually throw in Pungent Stench's 'Club Muondo Bizarre' as one of the better from a relatively small genre. When I think of it, it comes in second place after Wolverine Blues. That one is even more twisted than Convulse.

Other honourable mentions are Konkhra - Weed out the Weak, Daemon - Seven Deadly sins, The Second Coming, In the Colonnades - Rest and Recreation. I guess Atrocity's 'Blut' could be considered death n' roll too?

Helvede, you forgot Xysma - First and Magical