Screaming Bloody Oranges

Screaming Bloody Oranges, Episode #13: L-G Petrov, RIP (1972-2021)


On March 7th, 2021, Lars Göran Petrov (known as L-G for short), most renowned as the long time vocalist of Swedish death metal originators Entombed, passed away from bile duct cancer. Petrov’s diagnosis was revealed last August, setting up a Gofundme campaign to help pay his medical bills in dealing with what he described was an incurable disease. In this sense, it can’t be claimed to be a surprise, but the inevitable (as he himself had described it) coming true still sent shockwaves through the metal community. Fans from across the world shared their sorrow online while fellow contemporary musicians and his own former bandmates honored his history and impact.

Petrov’s career extends from some of the earliest beginnings of the Swedish extreme metal scene to participating with some of the metal world’s more recent stars. He actually got his start as the drummer for proto-black metal legends Morbid, playing alongside “Dead” Per Yngve Ohlin before he subsequently left to join Mayhem, leaving to then become a founding member of the prototypical demo-days death metal band Nihilist. After a line-up shuffle Nihilist would become Entombed and their debut album Left Hand Path became the breakout release for the entire Swedish death metal scene, breaking ground that not only every other contemporary band would follow but future generations of Swedish metalheads would tread upon to reach global shores.

Besides a singular absence on Entombed’s second release, Petrov remained Entombed’s vocalist through seven more albums (including the death n’ roll genre defining Wolverine Blues) until fissures split the group in 2014 and legal proceedings prompted him to continue separated from all his original bandmates with Entombed A.D.. Even while playing in one of death metal’s most legendary bands, Petrov found time to roar in other acts like Comecon and Firespawn. He was also able to lend his ferocious pipes as a guest on recordings for numerous acts including Amon Amarth, Rotten Sound, and Volbeat.

In the spirit of wanting to show respect and admiration to a fallen hero of the metal community, Invisible Oranges has gathered a number of our writers/staff to pay tribute on the Screaming Bloody Oranges podcast. Join us as we give a final guttural scream out to the void for one of our own who left far too soon.

—Joe Aprill

What man has created,
Man can destroy,
Bring to light,
That day of joy

—Entombed, “Left Hand Path”

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