SIX FEET UNDER (FL) — Warpath (review)

SIX FEET UNDER (FL) — Warpath album cover

Album · 1997 · Death Metal

4/5 · 2020-03-21
UMUR

"Warpath" is the 2nd full-length studio album by US, Florida based death metal act Six Feet Under. The album was released through Metal Blade Records in September 1997. Six Feet Under was initially formed as a side-project by lead vocalist Chris Barnes (Cannibal Corpse) and guitarist Allen West (Obituary), and their debut full-length studio album "Haunted (1995)" was recorded and released as such. When Barnes was fired from Cannibal Corpse in 1995, Six Feet Under became his main priority. "Warpath" would be the last Six Feet Under album to feature West. The remaining part of the lineup are bassist Terry Butler (Death, Massacre, Obituary) and drummer Greg Gall.

Stylistically the music on "Warpath" more or less continues down the same groove oriented old school death metal style of "Haunted (1995)". The guitar tone and often also the riffs lead your thoughts toward Obituary (which is only natural because it´s West playing), but Six Feet Under ultimately have their own take on death metal. Barnes has a convincing intelligible growling delivery, and also uses a higher pitched aggressive snarl, which is great for the variation of the vocals on the album. It´s not only the vocals which are a great asset to the music. The many simple, crushingly heavy, and groovy riffs, and the equally heavy and groove oriented rhythms, are also very catchy and and powerful.

The material on the 12 track, 41:30 minutes long album is generally well written and instantly catchy. It´s not everyday you´re able to growl along to almost every track on a death metal album the first time you listen to it, but "Warpath" is that kind of release. Highlights include the crushingly brutal and ultra groovy "War is Coming" and "Burning Blood", but tracks like "Nonexistence", "Animal Instinct", and the Holocaust cover "Death or Glory" are also worth a mention (the latter introduces the traditional heavy metal element, that the band would further pursue on subsequent releases). There are few slightly less interesting tracks featured on the album, but even those aren´t bad and still contribute to the overall feeling that "Warpath" is a quality death metal release.

"Warpath" features a very heavy and powerful sound production, which suits the material perfectly, and while the album isn´t the most varied or innovative you´ll ever hear in the genre, it definitely has a brutal grooving charm to it, that you don´t hear everyday in death metal. To my ears it´s a step up from "Haunted (1995)" as I find the material a bit more memorable, and a 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

more than 2 years ago
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Vim Fuego wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Obituary meets Cannibal Corpse yes, but not as good as Obituary or Cannibal Corpse.

UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

This is their best album IMO. I´m not a huge fan, but they have some good material here and there in their discography.

Unitron wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Glad to see a positive review of them for once.

Unitron wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Don't get why so many people don't like Six Feet Under, this and the debut are among my favorite death metal albums. It's like Obituary meets Cannibal Corpse, no surprise considering the members.