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Six Feet Under (band)
Encyclopedia
Six Feet Under is an American death metal
band from Tampa, Florida
, formed in 1993. The band was originally a side project by Cannibal Corpse
vocalist Chris Barnes
with guitarist Allen West
of Obituary
. They were joined by bassist Terry Butler
(formerly of Massacre and Death) and drummer Greg Gall
, Butler's brother-in-law.
Six Feet Under have released nine albums, and are listed by Nielsen Soundscan
as the fourth best-selling death metal act in the U.S., with album sales over 370,000.
with Cannibal Corpse
, Six Feet Under signed to this label.
Their first album, Haunted
, was released on September 1, 1995. Haunted was produced by Brian Slagel
(who discovered Slayer
) and Scott Burns
(who discovered Sepultura
and worked with Napalm Death
, and Deicide
, among others). Unlike either of the members' main bands, Six Feet Under did not play many guitar solos on the album, and the songwriting was still a work-in-progress. However, the grooves and the distinct vocals were praised. By this point Chris Barnes had made Six Feet Under his main priority. In 1996, in the process of recording Vile
, he parted ways with Cannibal Corpse
.
Six Feet Under's next release was the Alive and Dead
EP
on October 29, 1996. A dual studio/live EP, it contains three studio recordings ("Insect," "Drowning," and a Judas Priest
cover, "Grinder") and four tracks from Haunted performed live. The band released their second studio album, Warpath
, on September 9, 1997. Of note are the tracks "Death or Glory," which is a cover of the Holocaust
song, and "4:20," which showcases Barnes' clean vocals and his love of marijuana. "4:20," duration four minutes and 20 seconds, was recorded on April 20, 1997 at 4:20 pm.
, formerly of Massacre. This is the only line-up change that the band has had until January 2011. Combined with Barnes' departure from Cannibal Corpse, the arrival of Swanson helped turn Six Feet Under from a mere side-project to a band in its own right.
July 13, 1999, saw the release of Six Feet Under's third studio album, Maximum Violence
. As the name of the album suggests, the lyrics on this release are much more violent than on past releases. The band also recorded a death-metal retooling of the Kiss
song "War Machine." Steve Swanson brought a revamped crunch to the Six Feet Under sound with his blistering riff
s and the inclusion of solos
.
Maximum Violence had sold over 100,000 copies worldwide, a status that hadn't been reached
for a while for a death metal band during the late 90's
when death metal was a dying genre. It led to some unexpected promotional events for the band. During the summer of 2000, Six Feet Under participated in the Vans Warped Tour, a festival that, at the time, usually featured punk rock
bands.
Further pursuing their interest in cover songs
, Six Feet Under released an album entirely of covers, Graveyard Classics
, on October 24, 2000. The songs were given death metal makeovers in regards to the timbre of the vocals and instruments, but the original riffs and rhythms of the songs were left intact. Songs include Black Sabbath
's "Sweet Leaf
," Deep Purple
's "Smoke on the Water
," and Jimi Hendrix
's "Purple Haze
."
(August 7, 2001), was also their first recording to feature guest artists: Ice T
raps while Barnes roars on "One Bullet Left," and Karyn Crisis joins Barnes for "Sick and Twisted." The songwriting on True Carnage is more groove-oriented than past songs. The tracks are still crashing and mostly slow-paced, but have less static
. The musicianship was also improved, and the production is complementary to the brutality. True Carnage peaked on the Billboard Heatseeker's charts at number 18.
Six Feet Under undertook a lengthy bout of American tours, commencing in the summer of 2002, with supporters Skinless
and Sworn Enemy
. Their June 14 performance was recorded for a DVD
and live album
release, Double Dead Redux
. September 2002 saw the band touring with Hatebreed
. Around Christmas
2002, they participated in some Europe
an festivals with bands such as Kataklysm
and Dying Fetus
.
The band next released Bringer of Blood
, on September 23, 2003. The tuning
on this album is very dark and murky. In addition to his trademark guttural vocals, Barnes also began using higher pitched pig squeal
vocals on this release.
came out on October 19, 2004. This cover album focused solely on the 1980 AC/DC
album Back in Black
. Allmusic reviewer Wade Kergan remarked that the death metal-makeover on these forefather songs "are equal parts menace and kitsch... Six Feet Under are obviously having a blast as they rip through them."
Six Feet Under released their seventh studio album on March 21, 2005, entitled 13
. While writing the lyrics, Chris Barnes reportedly entered "a vision" from smoking large quantities of marijuana and meditating
. The sound quality is good although rather quiet - the liner notes for the album suggest turning your speakers up to maximum volume for a better experience. Overall 13 is a notable return to True Carnage-esque form, with songs like the classic death metal of "Shadow of the Reaper" and "Decomposition of the Human Race."
Metal Blade Records issued A Decade in the Grave
on October 28, 2005, a five-disc box set. The first two discs are 'best-of' material, the third is a rarities collection, the fourth disc is from one of the band's first concerts back in 1995, and the final disc is a live DVD from 2005.
In November 2005, Chris Barnes joined the Finnish
death metal band Torture Killer
as lead vocalist for a side project. His new bandmates saw this as a huge compliment, having started out as a Six Feet Under and Obituary cover band. Barnes sung vocals on their 2006 studio album Swarm!
, which was released on April 17, 2007. The album works within the band's formula. According to music critic Chad Bowar, the album has "catchy death metal songs... [that are] crushingly heavy, but also have a great groove to them."
Six Feet Under played Metalfest 2007 tour alongside openers Finntroll
, Belphegor
, and Nile
, their most heavily-promoted tour to date. A Six Feet Under first was seen in promotion of Commandment. Although the band has tried airing music videos in the past, all were banned. However, a music video
for "Doomsday" aired on MTV2
's Headbanger's Ball, starting on November 10 of that year.
On December 24, 2007, Six Feet Under announced on their website that they would go to the studio in early 2008 to record a new album. The album, titled Death Rituals
, was released on Metal Blade Records on November 11, 2008 in the US, and November 17, 2008 in the UK.
As announced on January 31, 2008 Chris Barnes officially parted ways with Torture Killer
, to be replaced by Juri Sallinen. Drummer Greg Gall is currently writing and recording material with a new band called Exitsect, along with guitarist Sam Williams
(Denial Fiend, Down By Law), bassist Frank Watkins
(Obituary, Gorgoroth
), guitarist Joe Kiser (Murder-Suicide Pact, Slap Of Reality
) and vocalist Paul Pavlovich
(Assuck
).
Terry Butler has left to join fellow death metal band Obituary.
Graveyard Classics 3
was released on January 19, 2010.
s and speed. They play a more groove oriented style of death metal, performing slower, or mid-tempo paced songs than most death metal acts. Barnes' lyrical style has changed little since his departure from Cannibal Corpse, though the lyrical content is not as shocking (i.e. killing women, children, etc.) as that of his first band. Today, Chris writes about violence, gore and death, with some political leanings, such as the legality of marijuana and criticism of the government.
Former members
Extended plays
Compilations
Video albums
Music videos
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band from Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, formed in 1993. The band was originally a side project by Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band from Buffalo, New York. Formed in 1988, the band has released eleven studio albums, one box set, and one live album...
vocalist Chris Barnes
Chris Barnes (musician)
Chris Barnes is an American singer-songwriter, best known as a death metal vocalist recognized for his very low guttural vocals and explicitly violent lyrics...
with guitarist Allen West
Allen West (musician)
Allen West is an American guitarist who has been a member of Obituary, Six Feet Under and Lowbrow. He is considered to have been one of the first musicians to play a style of music known as death metal in the 1980s.In high school, West formed the band Massacre...
of Obituary
Obituary (band)
Obituary is an American death metal band formed in 1984 in Tampa, Florida under the name Executioner, then changed the name's spelling to Xecutioner, and later changed their name to Obituary in 1988. The band comprises vocalist John Tardy, drummer Donald Tardy, guitarists Trevor Peres and Ralph...
. They were joined by bassist Terry Butler
Terry Butler
Terry Butler of Tampa, Florida, U.S., is the current bassist in the death metal band Obituary. He was also a member of Six Feet Under, Massacre and Death...
(formerly of Massacre and Death) and drummer Greg Gall
Greg Gall
Greg Gall, of Tampa, Florida, was the drummer for the death metal band, Six Feet Under. He does not play the classic death metal style of drumming...
, Butler's brother-in-law.
Six Feet Under have released nine albums, and are listed by Nielsen Soundscan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
as the fourth best-selling death metal act in the U.S., with album sales over 370,000.
Formation, Haunted, and Warpath (1993–1997)
After Barnes and West joined forces, they recruited Terry Butler, who knew West from his involvement with Massacre, and Greg Gall, Terry Butler's brother-in-law. Six Feet Under first played in 1993 at clubs, performing mostly cover songs. The band began writing original material in the middle of 1994. Because Barnes was already signed to Metal Blade RecordsMetal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records is a record label which was founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The U.S. corporate office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Arizona, Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distributed in the U.S. by Sony BMG Music...
with Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band from Buffalo, New York. Formed in 1988, the band has released eleven studio albums, one box set, and one live album...
, Six Feet Under signed to this label.
Their first album, Haunted
Haunted (Six Feet Under album)
Haunted is Six Feet Under's debut album. It was released on Metal Blade in 1995, after Barnes' departure from Cannibal Corpse.-Track listing:*All Songs Written By Chris Barnes & Allen West.#"The Enemy Inside" - 4:17#"Silent Violence" - 3:33...
, was released on September 1, 1995. Haunted was produced by Brian Slagel
Brian Slagel
Brian Slagel is the owner and founder of Metal Blade Records. Slagel is known for giving Metallica their first break in 1982, with an appearance on Metal Massacre, a compilation album on Metal Blade, and has since released seminal albums by Slayer, Mercyful Fate, Cannibal Corpse, Fates Warning,...
(who discovered Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
) and Scott Burns
Scott Burns
Scott Burns is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.-Football career:Originally from Norwood Football Club in the South Australian National Football League, Burns was drafted by the Collingwood Football Club with the 90th selection in the 1992 National Draft...
(who discovered Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
and worked with Napalm Death
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
, and Deicide
Deicide (band)
Deicide is an American death metal band formed in 1987. Their first two albums, Deicide and Legion, are ranked second and third place in best-selling death metal albums of the SoundScan era.-As Amon/Carnage :...
, among others). Unlike either of the members' main bands, Six Feet Under did not play many guitar solos on the album, and the songwriting was still a work-in-progress. However, the grooves and the distinct vocals were praised. By this point Chris Barnes had made Six Feet Under his main priority. In 1996, in the process of recording Vile
Vile (album)
Vile is the fifth studio album by American death metal band Cannibal Corpse. It was released in 1996 through Metal Blade Records. It was originally titled Created to Kill and was recorded with founding vocalist Chris Barnes...
, he parted ways with Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band from Buffalo, New York. Formed in 1988, the band has released eleven studio albums, one box set, and one live album...
.
Six Feet Under's next release was the Alive and Dead
Alive and Dead
Alive and Dead is Six Feet Under's first EP, released October 29, 1996. The EP compiles a handful of live songs culled from Six Feet Under's debut album, Haunted, and features three new studio tracks, including a cover of Judas Priest's "Grinder."...
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
on October 29, 1996. A dual studio/live EP, it contains three studio recordings ("Insect," "Drowning," and a Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
cover, "Grinder") and four tracks from Haunted performed live. The band released their second studio album, Warpath
Warpath (album)
Warpath is Six Feet Under's second studio album. Tracks on this album include "Death or Glory", which is a cover of a song originally done by Holocaust and "4:20", a song 4:20 in length which, according to the liner notes, was recorded at 4:20 PM on April 20, 1997-Track listing:#"War Is Coming" –...
, on September 9, 1997. Of note are the tracks "Death or Glory," which is a cover of the Holocaust
Holocaust (band)
Holocaust is a heavy metal band based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded in 1977 while still at high school, the original lineup, featuring guitarists John Mortimer and Ed Dudley, vocalist Gary Lettice, bassist Robin Begg and drummer Paul Collins, became part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
song, and "4:20," which showcases Barnes' clean vocals and his love of marijuana. "4:20," duration four minutes and 20 seconds, was recorded on April 20, 1997 at 4:20 pm.
Maximum Violence and Graveyard Classics (1998–2000)
In 1998, Allen West left to rejoin Obituary and was replaced by Steve SwansonSteve Swanson
Steve Swanson, of Tampa, Florida, is the current lead guitarist for the death metal band, Six Feet Under. He took over guitar duties from Allen West . Allen left the band in late 1997. Before Steve joined he was in Massacre with Terry Butler on bass...
, formerly of Massacre. This is the only line-up change that the band has had until January 2011. Combined with Barnes' departure from Cannibal Corpse, the arrival of Swanson helped turn Six Feet Under from a mere side-project to a band in its own right.
July 13, 1999, saw the release of Six Feet Under's third studio album, Maximum Violence
Maximum Violence
Maximum Violence is Six Feet Under's 3rd studio album. The Album goes back to Chris Barnes' roots in Cannibal Corpse with a more violent track listing...
. As the name of the album suggests, the lyrics on this release are much more violent than on past releases. The band also recorded a death-metal retooling of the Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
song "War Machine." Steve Swanson brought a revamped crunch to the Six Feet Under sound with his blistering riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
s and the inclusion of solos
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
.
Maximum Violence had sold over 100,000 copies worldwide, a status that hadn't been reached
for a while for a death metal band during the late 90's
when death metal was a dying genre. It led to some unexpected promotional events for the band. During the summer of 2000, Six Feet Under participated in the Vans Warped Tour, a festival that, at the time, usually featured punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
bands.
Further pursuing their interest in cover songs
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
, Six Feet Under released an album entirely of covers, Graveyard Classics
Graveyard Classics
Graveyard Classics is a cover album by American death metal band Six Feet Under. It includes cover versions of such classic rock hits as "TNT" by AC/DC, "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple, and "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix.-Track listing:...
, on October 24, 2000. The songs were given death metal makeovers in regards to the timbre of the vocals and instruments, but the original riffs and rhythms of the songs were left intact. Songs include Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
's "Sweet Leaf
Sweet Leaf
"Sweet Leaf" is a song by Black Sabbath from their 1971 album Master of Reality. The song, a hymn to recreational cannabis use, got its title from a packet of cigarettes bassist Geezer Butler bought in Dublin that claimed the tobacco was "the sweet leaf." The song begins with a tape loop of...
," Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
's "Smoke on the Water
Smoke on the Water
"Smoke on the Water" is a song by the British hard rock band Deep Purple. It was first released on their 1972 album Machine Head. In 2004, the song was ranked number 426 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, and in March 2005, Q magazine placed "Smoke on the Water"...
," and Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
's "Purple Haze
Purple Haze
"Purple Haze" is a song written in 1966 and recorded in 1967 by The Jimi Hendrix Experience and released as a single in both the United Kingdom and the United States. It appeared on their 1967 album Are You Experienced...
."
True Carnage and Bringer of Blood (2001–2003)
The group's fifth studio album, True CarnageTrue Carnage
True Carnage is the fourth album by death metal band Six Feet Under. The album contains fan favourites such as "The Day the Dead Walked", "One Bullet Left" and "Sick and Twisted".-Track listing:#"Impulse to Disembowel" - 3:11...
(August 7, 2001), was also their first recording to feature guest artists: Ice T
Ice T
Tracy Marrow , better known by his stage name Ice-T, is an American musician and actor.He was born in Newark, New Jersey and moved to the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles when he was in the 7th grade. After graduating from high school he served in the United States Army for four years...
raps while Barnes roars on "One Bullet Left," and Karyn Crisis joins Barnes for "Sick and Twisted." The songwriting on True Carnage is more groove-oriented than past songs. The tracks are still crashing and mostly slow-paced, but have less static
Static
Static has several meanings:* Static electricity, a net charge of an object** The triboelectric effect, e.g. from shoes rubbing carpet* White noise, a random signal with a flat power spectral density** Noise , a type of radio interference...
. The musicianship was also improved, and the production is complementary to the brutality. True Carnage peaked on the Billboard Heatseeker's charts at number 18.
Six Feet Under undertook a lengthy bout of American tours, commencing in the summer of 2002, with supporters Skinless
Skinless
Skinless is a death metal band that was formed in 1992 and disbanded in 2011.-History:Skinless was formed by Ryan Wade and Noah Carpenter in the town of South Glens Falls, New York...
and Sworn Enemy
Sworn Enemy
-Biography:The band formed in 1995 as "Downfall" and later on as "Mindset", a product of the extremely expansive and influential New York Hardcore scene...
. Their June 14 performance was recorded for a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
release, Double Dead Redux
Double Dead Redux
Double Dead is a CD/DVD Set by death metal band Six Feet Under. It was released in 2003 on Metal Blade Records.-CD:#"The Day The Dead Walked"#"The Murderers"#"Waiting For Decay"#"Impulse To Disembowel"#"Feasting On The Blood Of The Insane"...
. September 2002 saw the band touring with Hatebreed
Hatebreed
- History :Hatebreed was formed in 1994 in Bridgeport, Waterbury and New Haven. They began by recording a three song demo and selling it to locals. Those three songs would eventually be released on a split seven inch with New York's Neglect in 1995...
. Around Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
2002, they participated in some Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an festivals with bands such as Kataklysm
Kataklysm
Kataklysm is a Canadian death metal band. They call their musical style "northern hyperblast" after an advertisement in M.E.A.T. magazine describing another band, Fear Factory, as "hyperblast". The term refers to the extremely fast blast beats that Kataklysm's drummer, Max Duhamel, fuses into the...
and Dying Fetus
Dying Fetus
Dying Fetus is an American death metal band from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Formed in 1991, the group is known for their outspoken political views, and for being one of the few death metal bands who follow a political nature. Earlier lyrics showcased the common death metal trait of explicit violence...
.
The band next released Bringer of Blood
Bringer of Blood
Bringer of Blood is Six Feet Under's fifth studio album. Bringer of Blood contains fan favorites such as Amerika the Brutal, Murdered in the Basement, When Skin Turns Blue, and Bringer of Blood...
, on September 23, 2003. The tuning
Musical tuning
In music, there are two common meanings for tuning:* Tuning practice, the act of tuning an instrument or voice.* Tuning systems, the various systems of pitches used to tune an instrument, and their theoretical bases.-Tuning practice:...
on this album is very dark and murky. In addition to his trademark guttural vocals, Barnes also began using higher pitched pig squeal
Death growl
A death growl, also known as death metal vocals, guttural vocals, death grunts, and harsh vocals among other names, is a vocalisation style usually employed by vocalists of the death metal and black metal music genre, but also used in a variety of heavy metal and hardcore punk subgenres.Death...
vocals on this release.
Graveyard Classics 2, 13, and A Decade in the Grave (2004–2006)
Graveyard Classics 2Graveyard Classics 2
Graveyard Classics 2 is the second cover album by Six Feet Under. It is an album cover version of AC/DC's 1980 album Back in Black.-Track listing:All Songs by Brian Johnson, Angus Young and Malcolm Young#"Hells Bells" – 5:11...
came out on October 19, 2004. This cover album focused solely on the 1980 AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
album Back in Black
Back in Black
Back in Black is an album by Australian rock band AC/DC. It is the seventh Australian and sixth internationally released studio album by the band....
. Allmusic reviewer Wade Kergan remarked that the death metal-makeover on these forefather songs "are equal parts menace and kitsch... Six Feet Under are obviously having a blast as they rip through them."
Six Feet Under released their seventh studio album on March 21, 2005, entitled 13
13 (Six Feet Under album)
13 is the sixth studio album by death metal band Six Feet Under. The album was released in 2005 on Metal Blade Records.-Track listing:#"Decomposition of the Human Race" – 3:42#"Somewhere in the Darkness" – 3:53#"Rest in Pieces" – 3:08...
. While writing the lyrics, Chris Barnes reportedly entered "a vision" from smoking large quantities of marijuana and meditating
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
. The sound quality is good although rather quiet - the liner notes for the album suggest turning your speakers up to maximum volume for a better experience. Overall 13 is a notable return to True Carnage-esque form, with songs like the classic death metal of "Shadow of the Reaper" and "Decomposition of the Human Race."
Metal Blade Records issued A Decade in the Grave
A Decade in the Grave
A Decade In The Grave is a box set by death metal band Six Feet Under. It was released in 2005 on Metal Blade Records. Ten years later of SFU formation, Metal Blade celebrated the band's longevity with A Decade in the Grave, a five-disc box set...
on October 28, 2005, a five-disc box set. The first two discs are 'best-of' material, the third is a rarities collection, the fourth disc is from one of the band's first concerts back in 1995, and the final disc is a live DVD from 2005.
In November 2005, Chris Barnes joined the Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
death metal band Torture Killer
Torture Killer
Torture Killer is a Finnish death metal band from Turku, Finland, formed in 2002. The band consists of four members, Jari Laine , Tuomas Karppinen , Kim Torniainen , and Tuomo Latvala...
as lead vocalist for a side project. His new bandmates saw this as a huge compliment, having started out as a Six Feet Under and Obituary cover band. Barnes sung vocals on their 2006 studio album Swarm!
Commandment, Death Rituals, and Graveyard Classics 3 (since 2007)
Six Feet Under toured for the majority of 2006 before hitting the studios to record their next album, CommandmentCommandment (album)
Commandment is the seventh album by death metal band Six Feet Under. It was released April 17, 2007, on Metal Blade Records. They have released videos for "Ghosts of the Undead" and "Doomsday"...
, which was released on April 17, 2007. The album works within the band's formula. According to music critic Chad Bowar, the album has "catchy death metal songs... [that are] crushingly heavy, but also have a great groove to them."
Six Feet Under played Metalfest 2007 tour alongside openers Finntroll
Finntroll
Finntroll is a folk metal band from Helsinki, Finland. They combine elements of black metal and folk metal. Finntroll's lyrics are mostly in Swedish, the only exception being the song "Madon Laulu" on Visor Om Slutet...
, Belphegor
Belphegor
In demonology, Belphegor is a demon, and one of the seven princes of Hell, who helps people to make discoveries. He seduces people by suggesting to them ingenious inventions that will make them rich. According to some 16th century demonologists, his power is stronger in April...
, and Nile
Nile (band)
Nile is an American death metal band from Greenville, South Carolina, formed in 1993. Their music and lyrics are inspired by Ancient Egyptian/Near Eastern mysticism, history, religion, and art, as well as stories by H. P. Lovecraft.- History :...
, their most heavily-promoted tour to date. A Six Feet Under first was seen in promotion of Commandment. Although the band has tried airing music videos in the past, all were banned. However, a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Doomsday" aired on MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
's Headbanger's Ball, starting on November 10 of that year.
On December 24, 2007, Six Feet Under announced on their website that they would go to the studio in early 2008 to record a new album. The album, titled Death Rituals
Death Rituals
Death Rituals is the eighth studio album by American death metal band Six Feet Under. It was released on November 11, 2008 through Metal Blade Records. It is also available in a limited digipak edition with three live bonus tracks....
, was released on Metal Blade Records on November 11, 2008 in the US, and November 17, 2008 in the UK.
As announced on January 31, 2008 Chris Barnes officially parted ways with Torture Killer
Torture Killer
Torture Killer is a Finnish death metal band from Turku, Finland, formed in 2002. The band consists of four members, Jari Laine , Tuomas Karppinen , Kim Torniainen , and Tuomo Latvala...
, to be replaced by Juri Sallinen. Drummer Greg Gall is currently writing and recording material with a new band called Exitsect, along with guitarist Sam Williams
Sam Williams
Sam Williams is an American journalist. He is perhaps best known as the author of a biography of software programmer Richard Stallman, Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software . Prior to beginning Free as in Freedom he met his wife Tracy. She had originally proposed the...
(Denial Fiend, Down By Law), bassist Frank Watkins
Frank Watkins
Frank Watkins is an American heavy metal musician best known as the former bass player for the death metal band Obituary. As of September 2010, Watkins is no longer a member of the band...
(Obituary, Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. Formed in 1992 by Infernus , the band is named after the dead plateau of evil and darkness in the land of Mordor from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. The group is currently signed to Regain Records and have released...
), guitarist Joe Kiser (Murder-Suicide Pact, Slap Of Reality
Slap Of Reality
Slap of Reality is a melodic punk/hardcore band from Tampa, Florida. Forming in late 1987, Slap of Reality were one of the pioneers of the melodic hardcore sound. The band went to to release 2 full length LPs, 3 EPS and 2 US tours, sharing the stage with such acts as 7 Seconds, Slapshot, Fugazi,...
) and vocalist Paul Pavlovich
Paul Pavlovich
Paul Pavlovich is an American artist, graphic designer, and musician. Currently living in St. Petersburg, Florida, he is best known as the first lead singer for the legendary anarchist grindcore band Assück which he co-founded in 1987...
(Assuck
Assück
Assück was an anti-capitalist and anarchist grindcore and deathgrind band from Saint Petersburg Florida, active from 1987 to 1998. The band proved influential, with their album Anticapital voted number 4 in the Terrorizer list of their top 20 US grindcore albums, who described it as a "low-calibre...
).
Terry Butler has left to join fellow death metal band Obituary.
Graveyard Classics 3
Graveyard Classics 3
Graveyard Classics III is the third cover album by Six Feet Under. It was released on January 19, 2010 on Metal Blade Records.The Album was Recored at D.O.I. Digital Audio in Tampa, Florida...
was released on January 19, 2010.
Musical style
Barnes is considered to be the Godfather of guttural vocals. Chris formed Six Feet Under with the intention of writing death metal that wasn't simply about blast beatBlast beat
A blast beat is a drum beat often associated with extreme metal and grindcore, although its usage predates the genres, and is utilised by many different styles of metal...
s and speed. They play a more groove oriented style of death metal, performing slower, or mid-tempo paced songs than most death metal acts. Barnes' lyrical style has changed little since his departure from Cannibal Corpse, though the lyrical content is not as shocking (i.e. killing women, children, etc.) as that of his first band. Today, Chris writes about violence, gore and death, with some political leanings, such as the legality of marijuana and criticism of the government.
Members
Current members- Chris BarnesChris Barnes (musician)Chris Barnes is an American singer-songwriter, best known as a death metal vocalist recognized for his very low guttural vocals and explicitly violent lyrics...
− vocals (1995−present) - Steve SwansonSteve SwansonSteve Swanson, of Tampa, Florida, is the current lead guitarist for the death metal band, Six Feet Under. He took over guitar duties from Allen West . Allen left the band in late 1997. Before Steve joined he was in Massacre with Terry Butler on bass...
− guitars (1998−present) - Rob ArnoldRob ArnoldRob Arnold is a member and lead guitarist of the metal band Chimaira. In an interview with Roadrunner Records, he named Kirk Hammett, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman and Kerry King as being influential to his playing style...
− guitars (2011−present) - Matt DeVriesMatt DeVriesMatthew DeVries is the rhythm guitarist in the heavy metal band Chimaira. He, along with Rob Arnold and Mark Hunter writes a large number of the band's songs...
− bass (2011–present) - Kevin TalleyKevin TalleyKevin Talley is an American death metal drummer. He has performed with Dying Fetus, Misery Index and Chimaira, and he is currently the drummer for the bands Dååth, Six Feet Under and Nothnegal.- History :...
− drums (2011−present)
Former members
- Allen WestAllen West (musician)Allen West is an American guitarist who has been a member of Obituary, Six Feet Under and Lowbrow. He is considered to have been one of the first musicians to play a style of music known as death metal in the 1980s.In high school, West formed the band Massacre...
− guitars (1995–1998) - Terry ButlerTerry ButlerTerry Butler of Tampa, Florida, U.S., is the current bassist in the death metal band Obituary. He was also a member of Six Feet Under, Massacre and Death...
− bass (1995−2011) - Greg GallGreg GallGreg Gall, of Tampa, Florida, was the drummer for the death metal band, Six Feet Under. He does not play the classic death metal style of drumming...
− drums (1995−2011)
Discography
Studio albums- HauntedHaunted (Six Feet Under album)Haunted is Six Feet Under's debut album. It was released on Metal Blade in 1995, after Barnes' departure from Cannibal Corpse.-Track listing:*All Songs Written By Chris Barnes & Allen West.#"The Enemy Inside" - 4:17#"Silent Violence" - 3:33...
(1995) - WarpathWarpath (album)Warpath is Six Feet Under's second studio album. Tracks on this album include "Death or Glory", which is a cover of a song originally done by Holocaust and "4:20", a song 4:20 in length which, according to the liner notes, was recorded at 4:20 PM on April 20, 1997-Track listing:#"War Is Coming" –...
(1997) - Maximum ViolenceMaximum ViolenceMaximum Violence is Six Feet Under's 3rd studio album. The Album goes back to Chris Barnes' roots in Cannibal Corpse with a more violent track listing...
(1999) - True CarnageTrue CarnageTrue Carnage is the fourth album by death metal band Six Feet Under. The album contains fan favourites such as "The Day the Dead Walked", "One Bullet Left" and "Sick and Twisted".-Track listing:#"Impulse to Disembowel" - 3:11...
(2001) - Bringer of BloodBringer of BloodBringer of Blood is Six Feet Under's fifth studio album. Bringer of Blood contains fan favorites such as Amerika the Brutal, Murdered in the Basement, When Skin Turns Blue, and Bringer of Blood...
(2003) - 1313 (Six Feet Under album)13 is the sixth studio album by death metal band Six Feet Under. The album was released in 2005 on Metal Blade Records.-Track listing:#"Decomposition of the Human Race" – 3:42#"Somewhere in the Darkness" – 3:53#"Rest in Pieces" – 3:08...
(2005) - CommandmentCommandment (album)Commandment is the seventh album by death metal band Six Feet Under. It was released April 17, 2007, on Metal Blade Records. They have released videos for "Ghosts of the Undead" and "Doomsday"...
(2007) - Death RitualsDeath RitualsDeath Rituals is the eighth studio album by American death metal band Six Feet Under. It was released on November 11, 2008 through Metal Blade Records. It is also available in a limited digipak edition with three live bonus tracks....
(2008)
Extended plays
- Alive & Dead (EP, 1996)
Compilations
- Graveyard ClassicsGraveyard ClassicsGraveyard Classics is a cover album by American death metal band Six Feet Under. It includes cover versions of such classic rock hits as "TNT" by AC/DC, "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple, and "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix.-Track listing:...
(2000) - Graveyard Classics 2Graveyard Classics 2Graveyard Classics 2 is the second cover album by Six Feet Under. It is an album cover version of AC/DC's 1980 album Back in Black.-Track listing:All Songs by Brian Johnson, Angus Young and Malcolm Young#"Hells Bells" – 5:11...
(2004) - A Decade In The GraveA Decade in the GraveA Decade In The Grave is a box set by death metal band Six Feet Under. It was released in 2005 on Metal Blade Records. Ten years later of SFU formation, Metal Blade celebrated the band's longevity with A Decade in the Grave, a five-disc box set...
(Box set, 2005) - Graveyard Classics III (2010)
Video albums
- Maximum Video (2001)
- Double Dead (Live Album/Video, 2002)
- Live with Full ForceLive with Full ForceLive with Full Force is a DVD set by death metal band Six Feet Under. It was released in 2004 on Metal Blade Records.-Live With Full Force DVD:#"Silent Violence"#"Suffering in Ecstasy"#"The Day the Dead Walked"#"Hacked to Pieces"#"Human Target"...
(2004)
Music videos
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Lycanthropy" | |
| 1997 | "Manipulation" | David Roth |
| 1999 | "Victim of the Paranoid" | |
| 2002 | "The Day The Dead Walked" | |
| 2003 | "Amerika the Brutal" | David Aronson |
| 2004 | "Bringer of Blood" | Ronald Matthes |
| "Dead & Buried (Living Life In The Grave)" | Jerry Clubb | |
| 2005 | "Shadow of The Reaper" | Gary Smithson |
| "Deathklaat" | Ronald Matthes | |
| 2007 | "Ghosts of The Undead" | Mario Framingheddu |
| "Doomsday" | ||
| 2008 | "Seed of Filth" |