Six Feet Under gets angry again.
Four years after one of the most controversial albums in Death Metal history, Chris Barnes (vocals, ex-Cannibal Corpse) is back again, accompanied by Jeff Hughell (bass, Darkside of Humanity), « Lord Marco » Pitruzzella (drums, Sleep Terror, Solus Ex Inferis, Waking the Cadaver, ex-Brain Drill, ex-The Faceless… ), Ray Suhy (guitar, ex-Cannabis Corpse) and Jack Owen (guitar, Empty Throne, ex-Cannibal Corpse, ex-Deicide) and release Killing For Revenge, their eighteenth album, on Metal Blade Records.
The band kicks off with Know-Nothing Ingrate, a relatively solid, catchy first composition in which Barnes‘ growls seem to have regained their edge. The lead part lends an ominous touch to the rhythm, which breaks regularly, and then some more complex spikes appear on Accomplice to Evil Deeds, leaving the musicians to place jerky but effective riffs. The solo repeats the pattern of the previous track, then Ascension follows with an assertive Old School approach that lets the raw sound shake our skulls frantically throughout its four minutes. The wild power of When the Moon Goes Down in Blood continues with its cutting harmonics, which at times reinforce the dark, intriguing aspect of certain passages, while at the same time creating a contrast with the slow, heavy Hostility Against Mankind, where the groovy sound is literally suffocating. The term « Death’n’Roll » takes on its full meaning on this track, before giving way to Compulsive and its more aggressive overtones bolstered by heavy guitars, before savagery takes the reins again for Fit of Carnage and its chopped-up blast-driven patterns. Neanderthal, the longest of the album’s tracks, has a certain quietude about it, making it slower and more accessible, but the carnage resumes as soon as Judgement Day, where the band accelerates significantly and delivers massive riffs that match the vocalist’s hoarse cries. Bestial Savagery picks up roughly where its predecessor left off, with a slightly slower tempo but similar punching power, before moving on to Mass Casualty Murdercide, where the riffs don’t allow any downtime, striking relentlessly as the frontman rants and raves. Spoils of War takes its place with Heavy/Thrash influences adding a pinch of diversity to the composition, before the album comes to a close with Hair of the Dog and its surprisingly danceable introduction, which assumes its kitsch Hard Rock roots.
Six Feet Under‘s opening tracks prove that the band still know how to make effective Death Metal with Death’n’Roll sauce, but the album remains fairly uneven. Some tracks are quite good, but Killing For Revenge quickly runs out of steam, with that bitter déjà vu feeling.
55/100