Six Feet Under – Undead (2012)

With Cannibal Corpse returning this 2012 with an impressive release, ex-CC member Chris Barnes the folks at Six Feet Under fire back with the hyper groovy “Undead”. After the lukewarm “Death Rituals” back in 2008, it is nice to hear that Six Feet Under is still capable of delivering a solid album with plenty of meaty hooks and excellent chugging sections.

Opening with the powerful “Frozen At the Moment of Death”, the riffing immediately stands out due to its timeless DM vibe. The drumming is pretty hectic and Chris Barnes vocals perfectly fit the bill. While the raw power he had in the past is not there anymore, he can still deliver excellent growls by DM standards. Aside from the meaty hooks presented in tracks like “Fromaldehyde”, “18 Days”, “Molest Dead”, and “Blood on My Hands”, the slow groovy vibe that SFU constructs around their songs is what makes them standout in the scene.

In a more traditional DM setting, “Missing Victims” and “Near Death Experience” have that timeless sound of the genre that made the Florida DM scene so popular in the 90’s. The more dynamic songs like “The Scar”, “Reckless” and “Vampire Apocalypse” keep things a bit more aggressive, but it is a great contrast when you compare SFU with how dynamic and fresh Cannibal Corpse sounds in “Torture”. However, if you prefer the timeless ‘classic’ DM sound, then SFU will surely satisfy you.

The only song we found the most interesting was “The Depth of Depravity”. This track is clearly very different from the other ones and features a sound that is not as linear as the previous 11 songs. The riffing is nice and catchy, the growls are consistent and deep, and the drumming is quite well fitted for this excellently weird track.

While “Undead” is not a super awesome release, we nicely appreciate the dated and old-school sound it has. Death Metal has been pushed forward by many technical wizards in the past few years and it is nice to hear that SFU still keeps the Florida DM flame alive. That being said, if you are looking for a DM album that sounds like your CD’s from the 90’s, go right ahead and pick this one up. However, if you are looking for something more technical and involved, go and find something else.

Release: May 22th, 2012

Country: USA