Six Feet Under – Undead

One Foot Out Of The Grave

If you have no understanding of or love for vomit-in-a-garbage-disposal vocals over fast, loud guitars with titles that could easily be horror movies, then read no further. If you are still reading, then you know what to expect from Six Feet Under’s Undead. Chris Barnes, who started with Cannibal Corpse in the late 80s, has more than proven by now that the hyperbolic macabre content of his music has an audience. And Six Feet Under has thirteen albums that show that they are neither a fluke nor a joke, although it does help to have a sense of humor.

Undead wastes no time getting to the punchline. Opening track, “Frozen at the Moment of Death,” begins at maximum volume. Less than 30 seconds later, Barnes’ unmistakable voice comes in, daring you to try and growl as long and low as he does. But before the end of the song, Barnes does work some melody in his vocals- which is an impressive feat. By the third song, “18 Days,” the melodies and rhythms have varied enough to prove that Undead is not a photocopy of previous releases.

The album soars along at this volume until the final track, “The Depths of Depravity,” which kicks in with a lighter intro (but it doesn’t last long). The songs are tight, with catchy riffs, and some clever dynamics even at full speed. Perhaps Six Feet Under picked up some songwriting pointers from its three albums filled with cover songs, Graveyard Classics. Undead, like Six Feel Under’s other releases (and Cannibal Corpse, for that matter) drives along the edge of comedy and terror. If you get the joke, you will love it. If you don’t, you won’t.