Entombed are the originators of that extremely low, evil guitar sound, that became a trademark for Swedish death metal and many bands who also wanted that sound. It was year 1990 when the band's debut album 'Left Hand Path' came out, sending waves for years to come. But Entombed themselves began to include more rock and punk music influences on their third album already, the legendary death 'n' roll platter 'Wolverine Blues' (1993).

It is very hard to get head around the fact, especially now, about 13 and a half years after its release, that 'To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth' is actually Entombed's fourth album. Fourth, 4th, IV, tredje! You see, I am not sure, that this album can be called even death 'n' roll any more. Okay, the negative vibe of death metal can be sensed on the title track, that kicks off the album. The following 'Like This with the Devil' is so bloody rock 'n' roll, albeit still heavy, that it made me fear about how the rest of the album would sound like when I spun it for the first time. 'Lights out' was a small step backwards to nastier bite. With 'Wound', guys wanted to experiment different rhythms, making one weird, but nonetheless a working song. 'They' is more bluesy, quite a lot like some Corrosion Of Conformity from same era (that means 'Deliverance' [1994] album that was in the making when this came out). 'Somewhat Peculiar' mixes death and rock in a fine way, making the song both punishing and groovy, and its melody patterns make it so catchy. 'DCLXVI' is an eerie piano interlude (well it equals 666 in Arabic numerals). Thus far the album is definitely more about rock than death metal, no matter how heavy the guitar sound is.

It is sad, that the second half is far worse than the first one, which already is a true opinion-splitter. 'Parasight', with its stupid live crowd sounds, is straight punky rock, and 'Damn Deal Done' is more about blues and okay at that. 'Put Me out' is a perfect title for this song, because it should have been left out: "Beetlejuice horror" infused weird piece is just bad. Simplified punk rock of 'Just a Sad' continues the stream of forgettable songs. 'Blues'... No, I mean 'Boats' is a pedestrian blues song, and definitely one with at least something memorable on it. 'Uffe's Freakshow' is another totally nonsense song in "let's jam" manner. The closer 'Wreckage' was the main attraction of the EP, that preceded the album. It's another jam-out. No thank you.

The best thing about this album is the ripping and heavy guitar tone. It's not as low as on the band's earlier death metal album, but it still is nasty. This is boosted by distorted bass guitar. There are a lot of abrupt-like guitar solos, by the way. Another great thing are the vocals, which are, not surprisingly, more shouty this time around, and also often effected. Still, L-G Petrov rules, as he tortures his throat through these 40 minutes. The production is good with its live vibe. Just turn up the volume and enjoy! Sadly the songs don't really grab me, but only occasionally... The movie poster like cover artwork is really eye-catching.

The drummer Nicke Andersson formed The Hellacopters in 1994 and left Entombed after this album. I really waited Entombed's next one, 'Same Difference' (1998), to be a return towards the band's roots but no, it actually became the band's most full-out rock album. 'To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth' is plagued by too big jamming factor; there simply is no good enough songs to be heard here!

Rating: 6 (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
01/16/2011 14:16