The Death Metal Thread

Six Feet Under - "Haunted" (1995)

I picked this debut album up from Neuropath vocalist Mark Wangmann shortly after it was released. The whole band was looking forward to it at the time given the star-studded lineup. Six Feet Under comprised of Cannibal Corpse/Torture Killer front man Chris Barnes, guitarist Allen West (Massacre/Obituary), bassist Terry Butler (Inhuman Condition/Left to Die/Obituary/Death/Massacre) & future Nasty Savage drummer Greg Gall so it was a bit of a who's who of the Florida scene. Now, Six Feet Under get universally slammed these days but I have to admit that I quite liked this one back in the day, even though I haven't felt the urge to return to it since. It sounds very much like Barnesy singing over Obituary's instrumentation but that can't be such a bad thing. Unfortunately, it's very, very simply in its structure & execution & Barnes' higher register vocal stuff has never offered me much appeal but there's enough groovy graveyard shit here to keep me interested, particularly the very solid "Lycanthropy" & my personal favourite "Remains of You" which might as well have been taken straight from Obituary's "World Demise" album. In fact, I'm gonna suggest that "Haunted" is still Six Feet Under's best album all these years later.

For fans of Torture Killer, Obituary & Jungle Rot.

3.5/5

Fossilization - "Advent of Wounds" (2026)

This one is getting some praise on the internet and it is not hard to see why.  Full of the best bits of Dead Congregation, Incantation and a selection of death/doom acts to boot this is pretty intense stuff from these two Brazilians.  Justin Stubbs of Encoffination fame makes an appearance to provide additional vocals on track three.  It's right up my street this one is as I have been finding a renewed interest in death metal this year and this one has made a real splash after three spins.  Might get around to a review at some point.  Also reminds me of early Altarage (opening to 'Scalded by His Sacred Halo', especially). 

I was a fan of Fossilization's debut album, "Leprous Daylight", albeit with a couple of reservations, so I will definitely check this out soon to see if they have ironed the wrinkles out and turned in the top-knotch OSDM album that I am sure they have got in them.

I've quite liked all of Fossilization's releases to date & I'm hearing great things about this one so I certainly have it on my radar.

I'm done with it.  Due to the praise, I expected it to make 8-9/10, but not quite.  The instrumentation of Leprous Daylight was very cool at first, but the same tricks were rehashed, so I gave that one about a 78.  This one seems less technical and is largely relying on heaviness to do the work, although I admit it's extremely difficult to find more heavy music than this.  Even Blood Incantation can learn something from this heaviness.  And that can be said about the last album, and this album's a little heavier anyway.  I'm gonna give this a 75.

Incantation - "Upon the Throne of Apocalypse" (1995)

While I really dug 1992's "Onward to Golgotha" debut album, it was New Jersey death metallers Incantation's 1994 sophomore full-length "Mortal Throne of Nazarene" that really made me into a full-blown worshipper, so much so that I bought 1995's "Upon the Throne of Apocalypse" CD blind upon release without realising that it was in fact a different mix of the same album. The band apparently hated the previously released mix of "Mortal Throne of Nazarene", preferring an earlier rough mix to the one that eventually saw the light of day. "Upon the Throne of Apocalypse" shows why & in no uncertain terms too because it's an absolute beast of a record, highlighted by one of the most punishing & cavernous bass-heavy sounds the metal world had heard to the time. The slower material is taken to another level here while the faster sections sometimes lack the intelligibility of its predecessor so I'd suggest that it's really just a matter of taste as to which version of the album you prefer. Personally, I've always preferred this one but both are genuine classics as far as I'm concerned with songs like "The Ibex Moon", "Iconoclasm of Catholicism", "Demonic Incarnate" & incredible opener & clear album highlight "Abolishment of Immaculate Serenity" sitting amongst Incantation's finest work.

The incredibly deep death growls of guitarist Craig Pillard (Disma/Methadrone/Evoken/Goreaphobia) are an absolute masterclass in monstrous atmosphere while Jim Roe's (Disciples of Mockery/Goreaphobia) battering yet precise drumming is also worth mentioning. Bassist Dan Kamp (Crucifier) & guitarist John McEntee (Funerus/Goreaphobia/Mortician/Revenant) chime in beautifully throughout too with some of the best down-tuned tremolo riffing you could ever wish for. If only it was possible to make out those more blasting sections where the percussion becomes a little over-powering... Oh well... you can still take solace in the fact that the doomier parts of the album are utterly mind-blowing. 1998's "Diabolical Conquest" may always be my favourite Incantation record but this one is a pretty close second & should be essential listening for all members of The Horde.

For fans of Immolation, Dead Congregation & Disma.

4.5/5