Search - Six Feet Under :: Warpath

I see......

S. Flask | the Pequod | 01/19/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"you know when you get in the car on a cold morning, and you look at the cd booklet, and are trying to decide? you look through....cephalic carnage? no. napalm death? oh, no. the crown? no. cryptopsy? oh, hell no. Six feet under? aahhh...yep, this is death metal for deathmetalheads who need to give their necks and ears a rest, or who just haven't woken up yet. hmmm...so-so guitar work. not that innovative. same for everything else. and man, is this repetitive. so why do i love this so much? BECAUSE IT'S CATCHY!! something hypnotic about barnes' vocals. you remember it all. these guys could probably be more innovative if they stopped smoking so much grass, but then it just wouldn't be the same. this would be awesome background music for a party, that is if you can get a group of people that can handle it in the first place. this albums is awesome for what it is. it's not for all occasions, but it has its place. it is thoroughly fun and enjoyable, and the ladies like it more than the fast stuff! thanks...p.s. 4:20 is great because barnes can't hold the growling all the way through the lines, and at the end you get a taste of his actual voice. it's extremely interesting to listen to, and is worth the price of the album alone."

Solid follow up to Haunted

Nick Danger | Manchester, England | 04/15/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Foreword



If you're reading this you probably know what SFU sounds like. For those who don't- it's groove based DM with growling courtesy of ex Cannibal Corpse frontman Chris Barnes. I've been a fan since 2001 upon picking up their fourth album which released that year- True Carnage.



As SFU albums go TC was a good one, but as much of a Barnes fan I am, I can't help but feel disappointed by the last couple of SFU albums. To be honest they have sucked. The music has been plodding, monotonous & boring while Barnes' growl is not what it once was. In fact, it's not often these days he is able to turn in a reasonable performance in the studio. Notable exceptions to this include SFU's unintentionally amusing Graveyard Classics cover albums and Torture Killer's second album 'Swarm' for which he provided vocals.



After deleting the last few SFU albums from my ipod I decided to go back and listen to their second album- Warpath. A disc I had always previously avoided based on the memory of some negative reviews.

To my surprise, I thought it was quite good.



Review



This was the final SFU album to feature original guitarist (formerly of Obituary) Alan West. It was on Obituary's early 90's albums West helped pioneer the groove metal sound that later characterized SFU.



After hearing the first few tracks of Warpath it becomes apparent this album is unlike most others from the band, as not every song is a story of death and dismemberment. On Warpath the lyrical subject matter is much more varied. In the tracks 'War is Coming', 'Nonexistance' & 'A Journey into Darkness' there is no mention of graphic gore but instead the lyrics speak of impending doom, paranoia and a desire for change. Reading the words or even listening to these tracks they sound as if they could be cover versions of songs by 1980's hardcore bands. This is a good thing. The variation in subject matter is quite refreshing, it seems Barnes' has found his voice on this release, at least lyrically if not vocally.



Vocally Barnes' is trying to do something different. Often growls trail off into an attempt at clean vocals. Problem is it does not work. I can however still appreciate what he was shooting for- an original approach. I think he would have been better off keeping the clean vocals and growls separate.



Some of the middle tracks drag on and feel like filler material inc Barnes' love letter to marijuana- `4:20'. No doubt an important song to Barnes, but the music on offer behind the message is decidedly lacking. Towards the end of the album the music picks up again as `Revenge of the Zombie' & `As I Die' offer the same satisfying crunch as the opening numbers. The final track `Caged And Disgraced' is built around a slow Sabbath type riff while the lyrics deal with the judicial system imprisoning persons for `victimless' crimes. One can only assume this is another pro drugs song. As a non drugs user, I can't say I share Barnes' sympathies.



In short- there is nothing particularly new or amazing on offer here, but there's enough of an interesting mix of lyrical subject matter coupled with heavy and catchy songs to warrant a listen. Some DM fans criticized early SFU albums as being derivatives of Obituary and Cannibal Corpse.. If however like me you cannot stand John Tardy's vocals but loved Obituary's riffs, early SFU is the way to go.

Warpath rocks and is a solid release.



7/10 or 4/5 stars"

KILLER TRACKS

N. Sanchez | georgia | 01/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yeah, it's not as agressive as their other releases but definately worth checking out, it was my first cd that I got from the and I still love it!!"