The ground-breaking Tampa-bred death metal titans Six Feet Under return with their 14th studio album “Killing for Revenge”.
Since the band’s birth in 1993 by legendary frontman Chris Barnes SFU has been flying the flag for their own primal & brutal brand of death metal.
In 2020 riff master & fellow ex Cannibal Corpse member Jack Owen joined SFU & created the muchly polarising album “Nightmares of the Decomposed”. Now say what you want about the group but their output has always been to the highest standard & have released some of the most brutal music since their inception.
“Know-Nothing Ingrate” smashes their latest release. With a thrashy style track that has its foot firmly on the gas pedal. Barnes’ vocals right from the first few lines sound stronger than ever. His pronunciation has always been one of his signature elements & here you hear every word he says with his perfect cadence.
Next up and increasing the brutality “Accomplice to Evil Deeds” is full of chunky riffing might you say some classic Cannibal Corpse feeling rhythms. The drumming on this track is top-notch. Helmed by Marco Pitruzzella the production on drums is really raw, The double kits & tom hits are deep & hold weight. Adding his own groove to the track this one is a real brutal one.
The second single “Ascension” brings back that faster pace which breaks up the album nicely. Pretty much from the start its blastbeat central & the riffs don’t stop! The lead work on this track by Ray Suhy is fierce. Really serving the track & not noodling for the sake of it the solo section on this track rips HARD!
A track like “Neanderthal” really slows the slower, doomy side of SFU which I’ve always loved. The stomping pace of this one is a nice halfway breather & really shows off the pure brutality the group has. If you love classic “Haunted” era SFU material you will lap this up!
The closing track “Spoils of War” keeps the brutality & pressure high. Really cutting through the mix nicely Jeff Hughell’s bass is right in the pocket & locked in with Pitruzzella’s drumming. This gives the whole album a thick & full raw tone that a lot of modern bands miss. Thankfully having the album mixed and mastered by Chaz Najjar, Badlands Recording (Denver, Colorado) has given the album that classic Tampa death metal feel while still keeping a modern edge that stands tall next to the new generation of death metal.
“Killing for Revenge” is a truly solid album. Which in 2024 it can be a rare feat to find. And a band like Six Feet Under is still able to keep a merciless & ruthless sound within their arsenal. This really touches upon all eras of Six Feet Unders already legendary discography but also helps them show that they can hold their own even thirty-plus years later!
Review: Guy Williams
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Mixed and Mastered by Chaz Najjar, Badlands Recording, Denver, Colorado
Six Feet Under is:
Chris Barnes – vocals
Jack Owen – rhythm and lead guitar
Ray Suhy – lead guitar
Jeff Hughell – bass
Marco Pitruzzella – drums
Discography:
Haunted (1995)
Warpath (1997)
Maximum Violence (1999)
True Carnage (2001)
Bringer of Blood (2003)
13 (2005)
Commandment (2007)
Death Rituals (2008)
Undead (2012)
Unborn (2013)
Crypt of the Devil (2015)
Torment (2017)
Nightmares of the Decomposed (2020)