Veteran death metallers Six Feet Under have shared a lyric video for their newly released song ‘Gore Hungry Maniac’. The track is from a brand new digital-only collection of previously unreleased 6FU songs, Unburied, surprise released today by Metal Blade Records. The tracks are all leftovers from recent albums by the band such as 2012’s Undead, 2013’s Unborn, and 2017’s Torment.Continue reading
In the twenty years since Chris Barnes first brought his Six Feet Under project to zombiefied life with the cult classic Haunted (all 6FU releases are Metal Blade) he has seen opinion of his outfit swing from much anticipated to laughing stock with the release of their Graveyard Classics series (particularly Part 2) before clawing back credibility with some decent, if unspectacular Death Metal fare, culminating in the stronger Unborn in 2013.
Since then, though, in true Six Feet Under style, line ups have altered nearly as often as Mr. Barnes has skinned up (well, probably not…), and considering his views on hailing the leaf, it is perhaps not unsurprising that his backing band for studio album number eleven (!) Crypt Of The Devil is comprised of Cannabis Corpse, with guitarist Phil Hall working closely with Barnes on the compositions, and the rest of the band laying down the rhythm tracks.
However, any thoughts that (another) new line up and writing team would be injecting anti-coagulants into the bloodstream of the lumbering cadaver that is 6FU and producing a thinner, quicker, revitalized sanguinity are churlish as it is rather the case of meet the new blood, same as the old blood, as Crypt Of The Devil churns out more serial killer rhetoric over chugging churning Death Metal.
What you get is a set of very listenable, very competent and very safe Death Metal tracks. You’ll nod along, there will be bits that will snap, and some that will bite, but in the main this is a very unobtrusive and, with the exception of ‘Broken Bottle Rape’ (are we really doing this still? Fuck sake, man), inoffensive album. ‘Open Coffin Orgy’, in particular, is catchy and ‘Gruesome’ kicks things off with twisted intent, but beyond that, the rest of the album is comprised of stock chugging and predictable tracks that merge together.
It may come as very little surprise to learn that, while nothing is particularly wrong with Crypt of the Devil, it won’t change your life, nor demand your attention enough to justify picking it up.
6.0/10
STEVE TOVEY