Lars-Göran Petrov (17 February 1972 – 7 March 2021), often abbreviated as L-G or LG Petrov, was a Swedish vocalist, best known for his work with
death metal band
Entombed.
He soon joined the band
Nihilist, the precursor to Entombed.[2] In 1991, Petrov was forced to quit Entombed, due to his "making an ill-advised pass" at the girlfriend of Entombed drummer
Nicke Andersson.[3][4] 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.
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.
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.[citation needed]Metal Hammer described Petrov's voice as an "utterly unmistakable, glass gargling, slurring belch" as well as "throat shredding".[6]Jesse Leach of
Killswitch Engage described Petrov's voice as "raw unrefined brutality".[7]
Petrov was of
Macedonian[10][11][12][13][14][15] descent through his mother and
Finnish descent through his father, Toivo Taivalmäki, who was from
Virrat, Finland.[16] 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.[17]
On 9 August 2020, Petrov publicly announced on his
GoFundMe page that he was battling an incurable form of
bile duct cancer.[18][19] On 8 March 2021, Entombed A.D. announced via their
Facebook page that Petrov had died.[20][21]
Legacy
When reporting on his death several music publications noted Petrov's influence on metal music.
Loudwire called Petrov "legendary" and stated that he "influenced generations of metal singers".[22] Metal music website Metal Injection also hailed Petrov as "legendary" and a "highly influential vocalist".[23]Decibel magazine named Petrov a "death metal legend".[24] Nick Ruskell of
Kerrang! recognized Petrov as a "death metal master", declaring that "the legacy of LG Petrov is enormous".[25]
On social media, numerous metal bands took notice of Petrov's death and praised his work, among them
Opeth,[26]Converge[27], and
Amon Amarth.[28]
^"Entombed Interview". Heavymetal.about.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2021.{{
cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
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^"Entombed Interview". Heavymetal.about.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2021.{{
cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
link)