CNE – The Chuck Norris Experiment – bizarrely has nothing to do with the iconic actor of the same name. The Swedish Hard Rock (yes, with some Punk influences) band formed in 2004 with a nod to American blues guitarist Charles ‘Chuck’ Norris. They’re currently on the cusp of releasing  Hot Stuff Vol. 3 – the third instalment in a very specific side series which encompasses a carefully curated collection of recordings spanning different sessions, years and contexts, bringing together covers, original songs and lesser-known tracks that sit outside the band’s regular studio albums. All the details here.

Meanwhile, Chuck Daniels from the band, joins is for a Why I Love on Swedish death Metallers, Entombed

GLOOM & WEIGHT

There is a very specific moment in every music lover’s life where the floor simply disappears from under your feet. For me, that moment arrived via a hissed-out, multi-generation dubbed demo tape that a friend of mine had acquired through the old-school ritual of snail-mail tape trading. I popped it into the deck, and my world changed. Up until that point, Black Sabbath had been my gold standard for heavy.

I loved the gloom and the weight of Iommi’s riffs, but what exploded out of my speakers was something else entirely. It was a sonic assault that felt dangerous, primitive, and completely alien. It was the birth of Swedish Death Metal, and I had never heard anything so brutal in my life.

A NEW STYLE

Entombed didn’t just play music, they invented a new style. When Left Hand Path was released, it set a benchmark that has never been surpassed. Even today, looking at that iconic cover art and hearing the opening title track makes me feel weak with envy. It is Swedish perfection, a raw, “buzzsaw” guitar tone (much thanks to double HM2 pedals) that feels like it’s physically tearing the air apart. It made me fall in love with the raw and the ugly, proving that there was a profound beauty in the most extreme distortion.

But what makes Entombed so special is their refusal to stay still. They took a hard left turn and essentially invented a new subgenre: Death ‘n’ Roll (or some other cool name for it). When Wolverine Blues arrived, it was another revelation for me. It had the grit of death metal but the soul and groove of garage rock.

A GO-TO RIFF

o this day, the riff to Damn Deal Done is my go-to riff every single time I pick up a new guitar, and it is the first thing I blast through the monitors at every soundcheck. If a guitar can’t handle that riff, it’s not for me. You can’t talk about Entombed without mentioning the creative powerhouse that is Nicke Andersson. The fact that he could go from drumming on the most influential death metal albums ever to fronting The Hellacopters and mastering high-energy rock ‘n’ roll says everything about his genius.

Having played in The Chuck Norris Experiment for many years, we’ve been lucky enough to share some vinyls with The Hellacopters. For a kid who started out with that grainy Entombed demo, sharing wax with Nicke’s later creation feels like an incredible honor. It’s a full-circle moment that traces back to that first time I heard the buzzsaw roar. Entombed showed me that you can evolve without losing your edge. They gave me the riffs that have become the soundtrack to my life. They are, and will always be, the kings of the Swedish underground.

Our thanks to Chuck (Daniels) for his insight into an iconic Metal outfit.

Here’s a sample of the Chuck Norris Experiment style:

You can read more from our extensive archive of Why I Love pieces from a wide array of artists on an even wider array of subjects, here.

Chuck Norris Experiment: Website

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