Album Review: Six Feet Under - Undead

There's no reviewing Six Feet Under without referencing the walking punchline that frontman Chris Barnes has become for many within extreme metal. While his post-Cannibal Corpse endeavours have been afforded success, others have no respect for the man behind such abominations as the Graveyard Classics series and those bizarre used car commercials.

Despite a torrent of abuse during the past decade, the dreadlocked one has a following which laps up Six Feet Under's lowest common denominator, groove-drenched death metal. He's enlisted high-calibre new players ex-Chimaira guitarist Rob Arnold and human drum machine Kevin Talley (Dying Fetus, Misery Index, Chimaira). Thus, dismal track record aside, the band are better positioned than ever to make a halfway respectable record. Undead begins with flickers of promise, too; Frozen At The Moment Of Death offers Morbid Angel-esque riffage and Formaldehyde will have diehards gleefully hugging their Obituary LPs. After 18 Days' familiar chug it quickly comes undone though – a melange of entirely forgettable, mostly mid-paced fare littered with Barnes' gratingly one-dimensional, largely indecipherable gurgle. Reckless somewhat revisits the turgid Graveyard… era, infusing rock-style riffs and pathetic sheep-bleating vocals. The new troops are clearly skilled, but don't get much opportunity to make their mark within the formula; even Talley is left with little of note to do. The flat production renders the songs as lifeless as the murder victims the lyrics so vividly describe.

The vocalist's contributions to death metal via Cannibal Corpse shouldn't be overlooked, but he lost that fire long ago. Seth Putnam wasn't right about much, but was on the money regarding one matter – Chris Barnes sucks.