Lars-Göran Petrov (17 February 1972 – 7 March 2021), often abbreviated as L-G or LG Petrov, was a Swedish singer. He is best known for his work with

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...

band Entombed.

Career

Petrov's musical career began with his playing drums in Morbid, a Swedish

extreme metal Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. It has been defined as a "cluster of metal subgenres characterized by sonic, verbal, and visual tran ...

band which featured

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vocalist Per Yngve "Dead" Ohlin in its original lineup. He soon joined the band Nihilist, the precursor to Entombed. In 1991, Petrov was forced to quit Entombed, due to his "making an ill-advised pass" at the girlfriend of Entombed drummer Nicke Andersson. In 1992, he returned to Entombed. Also in that year he contributed vocals to fellow Swedish death metal band Comecon's debut album ''

Megatrends in Brutality ''Megatrends in Brutality'' is the debut album of the Swedish death metal band Comecon. It was released in 1992 on Century Media Records. Contrary to the album credits, the drums were recorded using a drum computer; Anders Green who is listed ...

''. In 2014, Petrov, along with Olle Dahlstedt, Nico Elgstrand, and Victor Brandt, formed Entombed A.D. after a legal dispute with founding guitarist Alex Hellid over the name ''Entombed''. From 2012 until his death he also served as lead vocalist of Firespawn, a death metal

supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to: * Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields * Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry * Supergroup ...

featuring Victor Brandt and members of Necrophobic, Unleashed and Dark Funeral.

Style and influences

Petrov was known for his brutal and aggressive death metal delivery, but on occasion showcased a controlled clean baritone, such as on the tracks "Bitter Loss" from Entombed's debut album, ''Left Hand Path'', and on "Death by Impalement" from the Firespawn album ''The Reprobate''. Metal Hammer described Petrov's voice as an "utterly unmistakable, glass gargling, slurring belch" as well as "throat shredding".

Jesse Leach Jesse David Leach (born July 3, 1978) is an American musician from Providence, Rhode Island, and is the lead vocalist of the metalcore band Killswitch Engage. He is also a vocalist for Times of Grace and The Weapon. Leach co-founded Killswitch En ...

of Killswitch Engage described Petrov's voice as "raw unrefined brutality". Petrov has talked about an early admiration for British heavy metal such as Iron Maiden,

black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...

such as Bathory and Mercyful Fate, and thrash metal such as Voivod.

Personal life and death

Petrov was of

Macedonian Macedonian most often refers to someone or something from or related to Macedonia. Macedonian(s) may specifically refer to: People Modern * Macedonians (ethnic group), a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group primarily associated with North M ...

descent through his mother and Finnish descent through his father, Toivo Taivalmäki, who was from Virrat, Finland. He is especially well remembered among fellow musicians and fans in the death metal world for his friendly personality, enthusiastic performance, and propensity to smile. On 9 August 2020, Petrov publicly announced on his GoFundMe page that he was battling an incurable form of

bile duct cancer Cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer, is a type of cancer that forms in the bile ducts. Symptoms of cholangiocarcinoma may include abdominal pain, yellowish skin, weight loss, generalized itching, and fever. Light colored s ...

. On 8 March 2021, Entombed A.D. announced via their Facebook page that Petrov had died.

Legacy

When reporting on his death several music publications noted Petrov's influence on metal music.

Loudwire ''Loudwire'' is an American online media magazine that covers news of hard rock and heavy metal artists. It is owned by media and entertainment business Townsquare Media. Since its launch in August of 2011, ''Loudwire'' has secured exclusive ...

called Petrov "legendary" and stated that he "influenced generations of metal singers". Metal music website ''Metal Injection'' also hailed Petrov as "legendary" and a "highly influential vocalist". Decibel magazine named Petrov a "death metal legend". Nick Ruskell of Kerrang! recognized Petrov as a "death metal master", declaring that "the legacy of LG Petrov is enormous". On social media, numerous metal bands took notice of Petrov's death and praised his work, among them

Opeth Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal/rock band from Stockholm, formed in 1990 by lead vocalist David Isberg. The group has been through several personnel changes, including the replacement of every original member; notably Isberg in 1992. Mikael ...

, Converge and

Amon Amarth Amon Amarth () is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Tumba, formed in 1992. The band takes its name from the Sindarin name of Mount Doom, a volcano in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. Their lyrics mostly deal with Viking mythology and hi ...

Discography

;Entombed * '' Left Hand Path'' (1990) * '' Wolverine Blues'' (1993) * '' DCLXVI: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth'' (1997) * '' Same Difference'' (1998) * '' Uprising'' (2000) * ''

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'' (2001) * '' Inferno'' (2003) * ''

Serpent Saints – The Ten Amendments ''Serpent Saints: The Ten Amendments'' is the ninth album by Swedish death metal band Entombed, released in June 2007. It was their last one before their two-year breakup from 2014 to 2016. It is the first album with bassist Nico Elgstrand and ...

'' (2007) ;Entombed A.D. * ''Back to the Front'' (2014) * '' Dead Dawn'' (2016) * ''Bowels of Earth'' (2019) ;Firespawn * ''Shadow Realms'' (2015) * ''The Reprobate'' (2017) * ''Abominate'' (2019) ;Allegiance * ''Sick World'' (1989) ;Comecon * ''Merciless/Comecon'' (split) (1991) * ''

'' (1992) * ''The Worms of God'' (compilation) (2008) ;Morbid * ''Rehearsal 7 August 1987'' (demo, 1987) * ''

December Moon ''December Moon'' is the debut demo tape by Swedish extreme metal, metal band Morbid (band), Morbid. The album was recorded at Thunderload Studios in Stockholm on 5 and 6 December 1987. With this demo, Morbid became notorious and had a great impa ...

'' (demo, 1987) * ''Last Supper'' (demo, 1988) * ''December Moon'' (EP, 1994) * ''Death Execution'' (compilation, 1995) * ''Live in Stockholm'' ( LP, Reaper, 2000) * ''Death Execution III'' ( 7", Reaper, 2001) * ''Year of the Goat'' (compilation, Century Media, 2011) ;Nihilist * ''Premature Autopsy'' - Demo (1988) * ''Only Shreds Remain'' - Demo (1989) * ''Drowned'' - Demo (1989) * ''Drowned'' - 7" Single (1989) * ''Nihilist (1987-1989)'' - (2005) ; E-Type * '' Loud Pipes Save Lives'' - (2004)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Petrov, Lars-Goran 1972 births 2021 deaths Deaths from cholangiocarcinoma Swedish people of Finnish descent Swedish people of Macedonian descent Swedish heavy metal singers Place of birth missing Place of death missing Death metal musicians Deaths from cancer in Sweden 21st-century Swedish singers 21st-century Swedish male singers Entombed (band) members