Published on Aug 19, 1999
For all the metal that I’ve had the pleasure of listening to
over the last few years, there has been one thing that occasionally
bugs me about the genre these days. Some bands, especially those in
the grindcore genre, make it a point to make the vocals so garbled
that even the lyric sheet won’t help you figure out what the hell
they’re saying. It’s almost as if the microphone has been jammed
down the singer’s throat, and are then told, “Okay, let ‘er
rip!”
Then I get to Six Feet Under and their latest release
Maximum Violence. Singer Chris Barnes has the grindcore
vocals down pat, as if he gargled with drain cleaner before
entering the studio. But there’s two main differences with this
band: Barnes makes sure you can understand the messages he has to
deliver, and this band is one that refuses to be lumped into any
mere classification of their music.
Sx Feet Under – Barnes, guitarist Steve Swanson, bassist Terry
Butler and drummer Greg Gall – show early and often that they are a
versatile group, often changing tempos several times in the course
of one song. Such acrobatics might seem to be confusing for the
listener, but in reality, it’s made to sound as natural as shifting
gears on your car.
Some of the content on
Maximum Violence reminds me of bands like Carcass; tracks
like “Bonesaw” are definitely not for the squeamish. Then again, if
you’re easily offended, chances are you’re not listening to this
kind of metal in the first place.
What makes
Maximum Carnage such an enjoyable album is not only the
musical and vocal crispness, but its musical power… and, frankly,
it’s a fun album to listen to. Tracks like “Victim Of The
Paranoid,” “Mass Murder Rampage” and “War Machine” all show how
enjoyable this kind of metal can be for fans of the genre.
Ah, but I said this band defies classification, didn’t I? Well,
they’re not simply grindcore, because they don’t always play at
accelerated tempos. They’re not speed metal, because they vary the
tempos of their songs a lot. They’re not simply death metal,
because there seems to be more to their music than the traditional
death metal that I’ve heard of late. (Granted, Six Feet Under is
closest to death metal than anything; if you go into this album
thinking you’re gonna hear love songs, you’ll be running for the
exits quickly.)
What impresses me about
Maximum Violence is that Six Feet Under not only create a
crisp, clean sound for their music, but that they maintain a high
level of excellence throughout the course of the album (which, at
37 minutes, is relatively short). This isn’t the album to have out
when Grandma and Grandpa come over for Saturday dinner, but it is a
great one to crank up with the headphones.