Album Review: Six Feet Under – Nightmares of The Decomposed

Album jolts veins with solid music

Florida natives Six Feet Under have been creating music since 1993, and earlier this month they released their album Nightmares of The Decomposed. The instrumentation on this record is wild because the guitar playing by Jack Owen, Ray Suhy and Jeff Hughell lights up each track with blazing guitar notes that can cause people to headbang like crazy, the drum playing by Marco Pitruzzella is quick and powerful and vocalist Chris Barnes empowers each tune with his sharp and authoritative voice. But the most important aspect of Nightmare of The Decomposed is that Barnes and Owen were bandmates in Cannibal Corpse, and when both musicians reunited to create Nightmare of The Decomposed, both men did their best to provide death metal for people who are craving it. Nightmare of The Decomposed is a well done record, and it proves how well Six Feet Under have grown as a band throughout the years.

Banging “Amputator” displays how talented Barnes is as a vocalist. Barnes’s vocals keep the music together, as he sings in a low, commanding voice. Also, Barnes’s vocals can cause some listeners to headbang to the music, as he delivers a knockout punch of madness every time time he sings the lyrics. “Amputator” welcomes people to Nightmare of The Decomposed, and Barnes isn’t afraid to show the world what he is capable of as a vocalist. Fans will be blown away with how Barnes delivers a solid vocal performance on this track.

Jamming “Migraine” has a thrilling sound of drum playing by Pitruzzella. The clashing noise of Pitruzzella smashing the cymbals introduces listeners to the start of tune, but the fun part is found after the cymbal playing because Pituzzella starts to perform rhythmic drum beats that bring a vibe of rock into the composition. In some ways, the drum playing signifies how Pitruzzella isn’t afraid to show how fast he can play because when he smacks his drum heads, the pace gets faster with each beat. The drum playing from Pitruzzella gives “Migraine” a dose of madness.

Catchy “Dead Girls Don’t Scream” has a kick of righteous guitar playing by Owen, Suhy and Hughell. At the beginning of this piece, a thunderous sound of  bass guitar notes shakes the background with intensity while Owen and Suhy play ear-bleeding guitar riffs that bring excitement. Also, the guitar solo in the middle of this composition closes the entire song with electrifying sounds that might cause some people to air guitar while they listen. “Dead Girls Don’t Scream” shows how hard Owen, Suhy and Hughell worked to create a satisfying sound of metal music.

“Drink Blood, Get High” is a vicious song, referencing criminals who live to kill people. The lyrics “Beware the night and pray for the victims/ Violate the body of the innocents/ Tap the vein of the one I have slain” emphasize how innocent people are not safe because the killer is always watching them, and when an innocent person dies, the killer has satisfied the need to hurt people for no reason. Although some of the lyrics are hard to articulate, the emotion of no remorse can be felt through the whole piece. “Drink Blood, Get High” is a dark piece that has well-written lyrics filled with strong and eerie emotions that could leave some listeners feeling afraid to leave their houses at night. 

Savage “Zodiac” is Six Feet Under’s strongest piece because the instrumentation and vocals fill the atmosphere with the sound of surging metal. Owen’s and Suhy’s guitar style rules the track, with deep and hard-hitting riffs that create an untamed feeling of chaos. Hughell’s bass guitar riffs are righteous with each rumble shaking joyously, Pitruzzella’s drum play is erratic because his beat picks up speed after each hit and Barnes’s vocals are grungy and powerful while he sings and growls out the lyrics. “Zodiac” is a killer track because of how the five musicians can work together to create an astounding musical piece. 

Nightmare of The Decomposed signifies how Six Feet Under is back with louder and better tunes that have the instrumental and vocal qualities to create death metal for those who want to hear it.