Six Feet Under - "Next to Die", 2026

I was excited about getting a new SFU album, especially since I quite liked 2024's "Killing for Revenge." I thought it was a return to form after the semi-debacle of "Nightmares of the Decomposed." However, when the new album "Next to Die" was announced, guitarist Jack Owen's description in the press release sounded slightly alarming: "It started out as an album full of death metal songs with speed and aggression, then Chris had the brilliant idea to keep half of those death metal songs and add some groovier songs in the vein of the early Six Feet Under material. Chris emphasized tempo, so keeping with the beats per minute for early SFU classics, I wrote a side of tasty groove-laden music."

I sincerely like Chris Barnes, and I've followed his career since the early 90s, but we all know that some of his "brilliant ideas" over the years were not necessarily the best (who said "Graveyard Classics"?). The early, groovier Six Feet Under material was great, but that formula worked largely thanks to Allen West's signature riffing style. When he left and Steve Swanson joined, the band still managed to release some decent to very good records—also thanks to former bassist Terry Butler and drummer Greg Gall's contributions—although the groove factor was mitigated by some faster sections. At some point, that formula clearly started to show signs of stagnation, and when that lineup disintegrated, Barnes took the chance to refresh the band's sound by inviting a number of external songwriters and session players onto the records. This led to fantastic releases such as "Undead" and "Unborn," as well as the excellent "Crypt of the Devil," which showcased a more technical side of the band, featuring more elaborate songwriting, blast beats, and faster songs, with the singer displaying renewed enthusiasm. "Torment" revealed yet another aspect of this SFU transformation, presenting a tracklist split between fast songs and groove-oriented songs, with uneven but still enjoyable results. In summary, the years from 2012 to 2018 produced some of the band's best material since its classic 1995 to 2000 run, and no one really felt the need for another groove-laden era, as everything that could be said about that style had already been thoroughly explored during both the West and Swanson eras. This is one of the reasons why 2020's "Nightmares of the Decomposed" failed, in addition to the now-notorious, questionable vocals. "Killing for Revenge," on the other hand, was a much more furious death/thrash effort that—aside from a couple of stinkers—restored a sense of urgency to the band, delivering a mostly fast-paced collection of songs.

From Owen's description, it seemed that "Next to Die" might have turned out similarly to "Torment," attempting a mix of groovier, old-school SFU-style songs and faster, more modern ones. On paper, this approach could have worked, although I would have preferred “an album full of death metal songs with speed and aggression,” without the groovier side. In practice, the album isn't even a half-and-half situation, as it basically sounds like a fine-tuned version of "Nightmares of the Decomposed," plus a few ideas that seem like leftovers from "Killing for Revenge" and some riffs that vaguely recall early SFU output like "Haunted" and "Warpath."

Lyric credits are once again split between Owen and Barnes, with the singer writing all the songs on side B. While not reinventing the wheel, Chris still manages to pen some interesting meditations on the subject of death—though far from his best work—while Owen's contributions are decent but rather predictable. Vocally, Barnes continues to progress since the "Nightmares of the Decomposed" setback, delivering his best performance in quite a few years. There are no pig squeals here, and his well-known guttural tone leads the proceedings with a certain ferality, though it's definitely one-dimensional. His growling is not as consistent or powerful as on older records such as "Haunted" and "True Carnage," or even the relatively more recent "Undead," but given his current age, the singer does a solid job here and serves the material well. He also appears to have resolved his previous timing issues, as the phrasing is consistently perfect throughout the album. He either worked hard on this aspect or the studio engineers finally did their job and fixed that during editing, unlike many of their predecessors.

While Barnes seems largely back on track, Owen remains something of an enigma as a composer. Since joining the band a few years ago, he has written a large amount of material but with little quality control. The three albums he wrote with SFU sound rather generic, as he has not developed much of a personal style over the years, unlike his predecessors. Allen West always had his distinctive riffing style; Swanson was somewhat more generic but still managed to write many good songs during his tenure. Owen, however, often seems to imitate one or the other to fit within the boundaries of SFU's style without adding much of his own personality, at best resorting to homages to his late 80s thrash/death metal roots. He was a much more imaginative songwriter during his Cannibal Corpse days, and I'm sure that in 2020, many hoped his renewed collaboration with Barnes would return the duo to its former glory, but that was definitely not the case. While I'm sure he lifted Barnes' spirits, the music didn't turn out as convincing as one might have expected; at least "Killing for Revenge" sounded like the band was pissed off and still had some hunger left. Its thrashy death metal fury was somewhat aimless but ferocious enough to satisfy anyone looking for raw, unrefined aggression. In contrast, "Next to Die" mostly sounds like a slightly ballsier version of "Nightmares of the Decomposed" with improved vocals, but it ultimately feels rather tired and somewhat uninspired.

"Killing for Revenge" was overproduced, with drums that sounded like a drum machine. "Next to Die" takes the opposite approach, opting for a more stripped-down sound that results in a fairly natural-sounding drum kit. I usually appreciate this kind of production choice, although the snare here is tuned much like on a grindcore record, with that hollow, metallic quality that makes it sound pretty weak on slower songs and mid-paced skank beats. Combined with a very clicky kick drum, it creates a thin sound that lacks impact. On the positive side, the guitars sound much better and fuller than the grating ones on the previous record, and the bass is clearly audible in the mix. Overall, the vocals and drums seem to prevail in the mix, and while this is common in modern productions, the album ultimately sounds a bit flat because of the drum sound.

"Approach Your Grave" is definitely the wrong choice for the album opener; it's a plodding track that falls between the "Nightmares of the Decomposed" style and some Swanson-era material, featuring a predictable chord progression and rather generic tremolo sections that are redeemed exclusively by the lead guitar work, including a guest solo by Jason Suecof. Fortunately, things improve on more energetic tracks such as "Destroyed Remains," "Unmistakable Smell of Death," "Mutilated Corpse in the Woods," and "Naked and Dismembered." Building on the "Killing for Revenge" style, these songs offer a balance of short blastbeat sections, double kick-driven riffs, faster thrashy death metal passages, heavy mid-tempos, and doomy breakdowns, often highlighted by Ray Suhy's precise lead guitar work. While nothing remarkable and somewhat undercooked, it's still honest material and quite enjoyable to listen to. If the rest of the record had a similar sound, I would have enjoyed it much more.

The central part of the album attempts a "Haunted"/"Warpath" revival, with riffing often reminiscent of Allen West's Obituary-infused style, with varying degrees of success. While the title track is somber enough to keep the listener engaged, "Skin Coffins" has a good premise but ultimately feels underdeveloped, and "Grasped from Beyond" comes across as rather awkward, from the bare-bones skank beat at the start to a series of predictable riffs hastily stitched together through a strategic stop-and-go. When it comes to goofiness, the amusingly titled "Mister Blood and Guts" takes the prize; it's a double kick-driven mid-tempo track with annoyingly simplistic, uplifting riffs that sound neither dark nor menacing. There's a good solo, and the chorus is somewhat of an earworm, but not necessarily because it's good; it's just unintentionally funny.

Tracks like "Wrath and Terror Takes Command" and "Mind Hell" rely on familiar tropes but remain unmemorable, with the latter lifting its central section directly from Black Sabbath's "Zero the Hero," only to clumsily return to the main riff through another awkward stop-and-go. The album's closer, "Ill Wishes," surprisingly turns out to be one of the best songs, featuring doomy riffs alternated with clean, arpeggiated atmospheric sections and eerie whispered vocals by Barnes. The singer delivers one of his best performances of the record here, displaying strong vocal arrangements that make good use of clever overdubs. It's quite original by the band's standards, and I wish such a creepy mood appeared more often throughout the rest of the album.

A quick note about the artwork: painted by the relatively underground Indonesian artist Sandy Rezalmi, it looks very old-fashioned, almost naive, in an early '90s demo style. Its appearance and colors reminded me of some old Finnish death metal releases such as Purtenance's "Member of Immortal Damnation" or Sentenced's "Shadows of the Past." It's a somewhat odd choice, but it somehow fits the primitiveness of the band's approach.

"Next to Die" isn't necessarily a terrible album, and it flows well enough as background music or in the car. However, it becomes a bit of a chore to sit through if you listen attentively, and it feels like a tired effort, especially compared to a fierce record like the previous "Killing for Revenge." The band should have probably taken more time to refine its ideas and create a more convincing set of songs. It's better than "Nightmares of the Decomposed" (if anything, for the vocals), but not by much, and it definitely belongs in the lower tier of the band's discography. If you can't stomach Six Feet Under, this album will not change your mind, and if you are a fan, you may end up disappointed after the initial excitement.

LISTEN: Spotify