By the mid-00s, Six Feet Under’s ‘classic’ lineup had long run its course, merely digging their grave deeper with each new album. So even if it was unprecedented in death metal, Chris Barnes’s decision à la Ozzy Osbourne three years ago to rely on a revolving cast of hired guns was maybe the best decision of his career.
Even smarter was to get the Hall brothers, aka Landphil and HallHammer, for this 14th full-length: two diehard fans who went as far as forming Cannabis Corpse to pay tribute to Cannibal Corpse’s early days and were more than willing prove their worth to their hero.
Both rise to the occasion. Their riffs hark back to the classicism of Six Feet Under’s best album, Warpath, abandoning its obvious Obituary leanings but with that evil thrash vibe that will almost take you back to Cannibal Corpse’s Eaten Back To Life debut.
Sadly, their efforts are ruined by their boss’s lack of commitment. In full autopilot mode and not in his best shape vocally, Chris Barnes’s little horror stories – written from the perspective of a serial killer –feel old, no matter how hard his current employees work to spice them up./o:p
