The saga of Swedish death metal pioneers Entombed became a little convoluted in recent years. The long and short of it is that after disputes between former bandmates, there was until recently two Entombeds, the official band and Entombed A.D. featuring founding frontman Lars-Göran Petrov. However, Entombed A.D. appears to have ended when Petrov’s death was announced Monday, and now the band’s original members have paid touching tribute to the frontman themselves.
“All the years, all the toil, all the dreams, the struggle, the rewards, the humor, the laughter, and the tears,” said guitarists Alex Hellid and Uffe Cederlund in a collective statement. “It’s been a long damn journey and the memories are many and fantastic. Everything we’ve experienced and laughed at together, the big and the small, from being teenage kids to almost growing up. Your now legendary and unique sayings, your ‘LGisms’, must surely one day find their way into the dictionary. How can you argue against ‘Pizza was invented in the late ’70s by Turkish people in Bredäng (Sweden)’!
“Our thoughts go to your family, and your wider other family — your many friends all around the world. Through everyone you’ve touched, you live on. We will forever miss you, a member of our family, and we will always keep the good memories with us.
“Rest in peace LG.”
Back in August of 2020, it was revealed that LG had incurable bile duct cancer, for which a crowdfunding campaign had been started.
For metal fans around the world, Entombed were the greatest death metal band of all time, the combination of their arch melodies and sheer brutality defining a special niche within the genre. But in the many social media tributes that have been posted in LG’s memory, the recurring commentary is not just Entombed’s power as a band, but Petrov’s influence as a person — his generosity, good humor, and ever-present smile.
Everyone at The Pit sends their heart out to Petrov’s family, friends, fans and collaborators during this difficult time.
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Words by Chris Krovatin
