Line #87 Music/SixFeetUnder


1	[[quoteright:550:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/six_feet_under_9.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:550:The band's lineup as of 2017. From left to right: Jack Owen, Marco Pitruzzella, Chris Barnes, Ray Suhy, and Jeff Hughell]]
3
4	Six Feet Under (not to be confused with [[Series/SixFeetUnder the show]]) is a DeathMetal band formed in 1993 by ex-Cannibal Corpse vocalist Chris Barnes. Initially, the band was a side project between Barnes and Obituary guitarist Allen West, but it became a full-time band after Barnes left Music/CannibalCorpse. Despite being infamous as one of the most (if not ''the'' most) polarizing bands in death metal, Six Feet Under have come a long way from being "that band Allen West and Chris Barnes started", and are now one of the bigger names in the genre.
5
6	1995 marked the release of ''Haunted'', the group's debut album, which showcased a slow, groovy approach to death metal not heard in Chris' work with CC. While it was criticized by some for sounding too much like Obituary, it was generally well-received and is still regarded as one of the band's best albums. It was the only album by the band made while they were still a side project, as well as the only album completed before Barnes' departure from CC, being recorded around the same time as the ''Created to Kill'' demos.
7
8	Two years later, their sophomore album ''Warpath'' dropped, being the final album to feature founding guitarist Allen West. Soundwise, it continued in the same vein as its predecessor and is also regarded as a good album. After this album, West left the band, and their musical direction began to change drastically. Once guitarist Steve Swanson, formerly of Massacre, joined, ''Maximum Violence'' was released, which had a more violent, blistering approach to their sound as opposed to the laid-back sound of the prior two albums, without sacrificing any of the groove that the band continues to be famous for. Like its predecessors, it received positive reviews, and is one of the only albums by the band to be enjoyed even by non-fans.
9
10	Unfortunately, however, things started to go downhill from there. The band's fourth album ''True Carnage'' was very poorly received, and to date is generally considered to be their worst album next to ''Nightmares of the Decomposed''. It was widely criticized for its overly sludgy production, sluggish pace, lazy riffs, and prominent NuMetal elements. However, some considered Barnes' temporary return to his ''Tomb of the Mutilated''-esque vocal style to be a redeeming factor. 2003's ''Bringer of Blood'' fared a tad better in the production department, but overall wasn't much better. Barnes' voice was mixed loudly and sounded almost completely blown out, the lyrical content was among death metal's most juvenile, and the NuMetal elements were severely dialed up. The song "Amerika the Brutal" even gained infamy for its absolutely cringeworthy music video. However, the album's title track became a fan favorite.
11
12	Luckily, they got back on their feet a bit with ''13'', though it did receive some backlash for its quiet production, requiring speakers to be turned to max volume to hear. The band's next two albums, ''Commandment'' and ''Death Rituals'', were greeted positively but were pretty lukewarmly received overall by fans. After ''Death Rituals'', drummer Greg Gall and bassist Terry Butler left, and due to the okay reception of the band's recent releases, Barnes decided to take a break and start everything over with Six Feet Under.
13
14	In late 2011, Barnes recruited guitarist Rob Arnold, formerly of Chimaira, and prolific death metal drummer Kevin Talley, and set out to bring SFU back to life. This lineup spent a while writing material for the band's ninth album ''Undead'', and needless to say, it took the death metal community by storm and was certainly an album that nobody saw coming. To say the least, the band was indeed reborn; Barnes rested his voice and sounded completely revamped and ferocious, the riffs were much, much more technical than ever, the drumming was fast and more brutal than prior releases, and the band as a whole sounded more energetic and hungry. It even shut up the group's detractors, and it was clear that Barnes was finally back in peak form. The album went on to be their most critically acclaimed to date.
15
16	After Rob Arnold left, Barnes recruited guitarist Ola Englund of Feared and bassist Jeff Hughell formerly of Brain Drill, and was in full control of the band again, and less than a year after ''Undead'', the band's tenth album ''Unborn'' dropped, and featured a diverse mix of playing styles and contributions from numerous other death metal musicians, including Ben Savage of Whitechapel and Jari Laine of Torture Killer.
17
18	As of 2015, ''Crypt of the Devil'' has been completed in collaboration with [[Music/MunicipalWaste Phil Hall]], Josh Hall, and [[Music/{{Arsis}} Brandon Ellis]], all of Cannabis Corpse. It came out on May 5 of that same year. In January 2016, Chris announced on his Twitter page that he was recording vocals for a new ''Graveyard Classics'' album, which came out May 27. The group's 12th album, entitled ''Torment'', the first to feature original material from their new live lineup, came out in February 2017. A few months later, in a rather ironic twist, former Cannibal Corpse guitarist Jack Owen joined the band. The band's first [=EP=] in 22 years, ''Unburied'', was released digital-only on July 6, 2018, consisting of 9 previously unreleased songs recorded during the ''Undead''/''Unborn'' and ''Torment'' sessions.
19
20	Their 13th album, ''Nightmares of the Decomposed'', was released on October 2, 2020. The album reunites Chris with his old bandmate Jack Owen, marking the first time they have recorded together in studio in 26 years.
21
22	In March 2024, their 14th studio album ''Killing for Revenge'' was officially revealed for a release date in May of that year. It is their first album since ''Death Rituals'' to feature the exact same lineup as the previous and also features artwork from Cannibal Corpse collaborator Vincent Locke.
23
24
25	Current lineup:
26	* Chris Barnes - vocals (1995–present)
27	* Jeff Hughell - bass guitar (2012-present)
28	* Marco Pitruzzella - drums (2013-present)
29	* Ray Suhy - guitar (2016-present)
30	* Jack Owen - guitar (2017-present)
31
32	Former members:
33	* Allen West - lead guitar (1995-1998)
34	* Terry Butler - bass guitar (1995-2011)
35	* Greg Gall - drums (1995–2011)
36	* Matt [=DeVries=] - bass guitar (2011–2012)
37	* Rob Arnold - rhythm guitar (2011–2012)
38	* Kevin Talley - drums (2011-2013)
39	* Ola Englund - rhythm guitar (2012-2013)
40	* Steve Swanson - lead guitar (1998–2016)
41
42	Guest collaborators:
43	* John Bush (Anthrax, Armored Saint) - vocals on "Blackout" (''Graveyard Classics'')
44	* Ice-T (Body Count) - guest vocals on "One Bullet Left" (''True Carnage'')
45	* Karyn Crisis (Crisis, Ephel Duath) - guest vocals on "Sick and Twisted" (''True Carnage'')
46	* Iggy Pop - voice message on "Shot in the Head" (''Death Rituals'')
47	* Ben Savage (Whitechapel) - songwriting and guitar on "Neuro Osmosis", "Decapitate", "Fragment", and "The Sinister Craving" (''Unborn'')
48	* Rob Arnold (Chimaira) - songwriting and guitar on "Inferno" and "Psychosis" (''Unborn'')
49	* Jari Laine (Torture Killer) - songwriting and guitar on "Zombie Blood Curse", "Incision", and "Inferno" (''Unborn'')
50	* Ryley Dipaola (Dealey Plaza) - songwriting, guitar, and drums on "Illusions" (''Unborn'' digipak edition)
51	* Phil Hall (Municipal Waste, Iron Reagan, Cannabis Corpse) - songwriting, rhythm guitar, and bass (''Crypt of the Devil'')
52	* Josh Hall (Cannabis Corpse) - drums (''Crypt of the Devil'')
53	* Brandon Ellis (The Black Dahlia Murder, Cannabis Corpse, Arsis) - lead guitar (''Crypt of the Devil'')
54	* Jason Suecof (Capharnaum) - guitar solo on "Neanderthal" (''Killing for Revenge'')
55
56
57	Studio albums:
58	* ''Haunted'' (1995)
59	* ''Warpath'' (1997)
60	* ''Maximum Violence'' (1999)
61	* ''True Carnage'' (2001)
62	* ''Bringer of Blood'' (2003)
63	* ''13'' (2005)
64	* ''Commandment'' (2007)
65	* ''Death Rituals'' (2008)
66	* ''Undead'' (2012)
67	* ''Unborn'' (2013)
68	* ''Crypt of the Devil'' (2015)
69	* ''Torment'' (2017)
70	* ''Nightmares of the Decomposed'' (2020)
71	* ''Killing for Revenge'' (2024)
72
73	Cover albums:
74	* ''Graveyard Classics'' (2000)
75	* ''Graveyard Classics 2'' (2004)
76	* ''Graveyard Classics 3'' (2010)
77	* ''Graveyard Classics IV: The Number of the Priest'' (2016)
78
79	[=EPs=]:
80	* ''Alive and Dead'' (1996)
81	* ''Unburied'' (2018)
82
83	----
84	!!The band provides examples of:
85	* AuthorVocabularyCalendar: If you took a drink for every time they said the word "grave", you'd be dead before you got halfway through their albums.
86	* CarefulWithThatAxe: Chris' signature high-pitched screeches, which somehow get even ''more'' ear-piercing with age.
87	* ConceptAlbum: ''Killing for Revenge'' is said to be a loose one about the concept of revenge as a whole, either by nature or man. It wasn't intended to be one, but the band noticed after writing it that the songs all had an overarching theme, so they rolled with it.
88	* ContemptibleCover:
89	** Most of their album covers aren't very graphic, but [[https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Qad7DlZ6L.jpg Nightmares of the Decomposed]] breaks the trend. The unused cover, which Chris stated was deemed too graphic, was unveiled via the band's social media on the album's third anniversary, and to say the least, it's [[https://twitter.com/sixfeetofficial/status/1709304695641235573?t=u2qMoHwUXTiKiUzgPFmu2Q&s=19 extremely unnerving]], easily harkening back to his early days in Cannibal Corpse.
90	** The cover for ''Killing for Revenge'' is easily their goriest to date, unsurprising given that Vincent Locke drew it.
91	* CoverAlbum: 4 albums under the Graveyard Classics moniker, with the second being a cover of Music/{{ACDC}}'s entire ''Music/BackInBlack'' album.
92	** CoverVersion: Their original albums occasionally feature one cover; "Grinder" by Music/JudasPriest on their first [=EP=] ''Alive and Dead'', "Death or Glory" by Holocaust on ''Warpath'', "War Machine" by Music/{{Kiss}} on ''Maximum Violence'', "Bastard" by Music/MotleyCrue on ''Death Rituals'', and "Hair of the Dog" by Nazareth on ''Killing for Revenge''. They also covered "Decency Defied" by Music/CannibalCorpse live in 2017, making it the first CC song performed by the band that Chris had no involvement in initially.
93	* DarkerAndEdgier: Their albums from ''Undead'' onward are much heavier, faster, more technical, and ''far'' more lyrically gruesome than what came before.
94	* DeathMetal: What else?
95	** [[DoomMetal Death/Doom]]: Their slowest songs (e.g. "Necrosociety", "Neuro Osmosis", "Shortcut to Hell") border on this.
96	** [[DeathMetal Brutal Death Metal]]: ''Undead'' features heavy elements of this.
97	* DrugsAreBad: Barnes is infamous for his extremely heavy marijuana usage and the damage that it has done to his throat. According to him, he ended up quitting smoking weed in late 2022 for unknown reasons.
98	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The two albums with [[Music/{{Obituary}} Allen West]] on guitar basically sound like Obituary with Chris Barnes, which is a sound that was largely dropped after Steve Swanson joined the band.
99	** This even applies to Barnes himself, as he still sported the same hairstyle he did with Cannibal Corpse during production of the Allen West albums; he did not get his now-signature dreads until production of ''Maximum Violence''.
100	* {{Gorn}}: Not quite as over-the-top as Chris' [[Music/CannibalCorpse previous band]], but they still have some really violent stuff. With song titles like "Impulse to Disembowel", "Hacked to Pieces", "Molest Dead", and "Cadaver Mutilator", one can certainly expect Barnes is just as violent as ever.
101	** Their recent lyric videos are ''very'' unsettling, particularly the ones for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qoj0XVY-ug Gore Hungry Maniac]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBfGx0YQQn0 Sacrificial Kill]].
102	* IAmTheBand: Again, Chris Barnes. As of ''Undead'', he's the only original member left. The second-longest serving member, guitarist Steve Swanson (who first appeared on ''Maximum Violence'') left in 2016.
103	* InTheStyleOf: If Chimaira played death metal and had Barnes on vocals, ''Undead'' is basically what you would get. Then again, that's pretty much what it was.
104	** "Fragment" off of ''Unborn'' is basically a Whitechapel song with Chris Barnes on vocals.
105	** "Escape from the Grave" from ''Bringer of Blood'' is written in the style of a classic Music/{{Death}} track. This could be a nod to then-bassist Terry Butler's stint with them.
106	** "Murder Addiction" from ''Death Rituals'' bares a more-than-passing resemblance to ''Eaten Back to Life''-era Cannibal Corpse.
107	* LaterInstallmentWeirdness: Their 2010s material is much different from their other albums, being faster and more technical, as they not only feature none of the original lineup besides Chris, but also feature an almost entirely different group of musicians on each one. Further exemplifying this is the fact that their later material gets performed live basically never.
108	* LeadBassist: Jeff Hughell is a ''major'' Type A, but he doesn't really get a chance to go crazy here.
109	* LongRunnerLineUp: After Allen West left in 1997 and was replaced with Steve Swanson the following year, the lineup remained the same for 13 years until 2011.
110	* LoudnessWar: Avoided for the most part, but ''Bringer of Blood'' and all their albums from ''Undead'' onward are pretty bad about this.
111	* MinisculeRocking: "Skin" from ''Unburied'', clocking at a mere 31 seconds.
112	* NewSoundAlbum:
113	** ''Maximum Violence'' featured more aggressive songwriting and shed the "Obituary with Chris Barnes" sound that dominated the first two albums.
114	** ''True Carnage'' had subtle but noticeable NuMetal elements, which were expanded on ''Bringer of Blood'' and dropped entirely afterwards.
115	** ''13'' returned to their ''Maximum Violence'' sound, which lasted until the band's drastic lineup change in 2011.
116	** ''Undead'' featured a more modern and technical sound, as well as many landmarks of Chimaira thanks to Rob Arnold's presence.
117	** ''Unborn'' was more atmospheric and played with minor elements of {{Deathcore}} on some songs due to songwriting from Whitechapel's Ben Savage.
118	** ''Crypt of the Devil'' returns to their earlier sound, albeit with some of the hallmarks of Cannabis Corpse (due to recruiting the band as session musicians).
119	** ''Torment'' is a return to the more technical stylings of ''Undead'' and also features an increased blastbeat presence due to Marco Pitruzzella. It also features their most polished production to date, resulting in their most modern-sounding album.
120	** ''Nightmares of the Decomposed'' is rawer and reminiscent of Cannibal Corpse, albeit with a distinct death 'n' roll bend and changes to accompany Barnes' aged voice, most notably slower tempos.
121	** ''Killing for Revenge'' showcases a faster and more traditional Florida death metal sound than anything prior.
122	* NuMetal: ''True Carnage'' had elements of this, featuring stripped-down musicianship and many riffs that wouldn't sound out of place on a Music/{{Korn}} or Music/CoalChamber album. ''Bringer of Blood'' expanded upon these elements, and went away completely afterwards.
123	* OneWordTitle: Over half their albums.
124	* OutOfGenreExperience:"Crossroads to Armageddon" is a dark ambient song with whispered vocals.
125	* ReligionRantSong: , "Brainwashed" from ''Maximum Violence'', "My Hatred" from ''Bringer of Blood'' and "Break the Cross in Half" from ''Crypt of the Devil'' are all Type 2.
126	* RevisitingTheRoots: ''True Carnage'' and ''Undead''/''Unborn'' feature Chris revisiting his guttural ''Butchered at Birth''/''Tomb of the Mutilated'' vocal style on select songs, noticeable examples being on "Cadaver Mutilator" from the former as well as "Formaldehyde" and "Decapitate" from the latter two.
127	* SelfDeprecation: When asked on Twitter by a fan about how to sound like him when singing, he replied with "Practice and lots of weed."
128	** In Goniloc's [=YouTube=] video [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNpXcfg2OsE&t=59s "A Bastardized History of Death Metal"]], he makes a joke that Chris had a "fate worse than death" after leaving Cannibal Corpse, with the punchline being a picture of the cover art of the first ''Graveyard Classics'' album. Chris' response? "Oh, no he didn't!" followed by a laughter emoji.
129	* SerialEscalation: How much longer will Barnes' dreads get?
130	** The more time passes, the higher Barnes seems to be capable of screeching. Some have even compared the pitch of a few of the ones he's pulled off to that of ''cicada chirps or a swarm of bees''.
131	* SignatureStyle: Expect heavy grooves, emphasis on hooks, and song structures and playing styles different from many other classic death metal bands. Not to mention Barnes' distinct voice. Love 'em or hate 'em, there aren't really any bands in death metal who sound quite like them.
132	* ShoutOut: The song "Hacked To Pieces" is one to Barnes-era Music/CannibalCorpse. Just read the lyrics!
133	** Chris himself stated that "Bloody Underwear" from ''Torment'' is a sequel song to the Cannibal Corpse song "Fucked with a Knife", sung from the perspective of the same killer.
134	** The song "Rest in Pieces" from ''13'' features a rather obvious callback to CC with the line "Rest in pieces in the tomb of the mutilated".
135	** Some of the lyrics Barnes recorded for the ''Vile'' demo ''Created to Kill'', which was his last recording with Cannibal Corpse, were re-worked into some of the band's earlier songs. However, according to a response to a fan, Chris himself does not personally recall resuing said lyrics, possibly due to how long ago it was.
136	** ''Killing for Revenge'' takes its title from a line in their song "Murdered in the Basement".
137	* {{Supergroup}}: Not entirely, but they've had numerous members who have played in other bands join the band or just play with them. Taken to extremes with the recording lineup for ''Crypt of the Devil'', which is essentially "Cannabis Corpse feat. Chris Barnes".
138	* ThreeChordsAndTheTruth: Many of their songs are extremely simple in nature, especially for death metal. Averted on much of their most recent material, however.
139	** An example of this would be "Knife, Gun, Axe", which consists of only '''6 notes'''.
140	* VocalDecay: Performing guttural vocals for over 2 decades combined with his excessive weed smoking has made Barnes' voice become a ''lot'' more hoarse over the years, resulting in a staggering difference in his voice over the years, to the point that his vocals on ''Torment'' are closer to grunting than growling. However, as evidenced on a few of their songs (like "Decapitate" off ''Unborn'', recorded in 2013) he ''can'' still sing like he did in his prime if he really wants to. This is especially noticeable when he performs the band's older songs live, in which he sounds much different than when they were originally recorded.
141	* WordSaladLyrics: "Zodiac" is supposed to be about, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the Zodiac Killer]], but you wouldn't know if it weren't for the title and the chorus because the lyrics are just a jumble of words.
142	-->Right now, in my brain\
143	A slight tilt to the darkness\
144	And I feel cold inside\
145	The life washed out of my mind\
146	The body way long back\
147	Pick up the pieces of my destruction

Context Music / SixFeetUnder