Six Feet Under's 13: Stoner Death Metal?

I'm a casual fan of Six Feet Under, but most of the metal masses either love them or hate them. To be fair, it's really easy to hate them. Chris Barnes' gravel-coated voice is inconsistent, the music isn't particularly complex, and the lyrics are beyond redundant. However, it's just as easy to enjoy SFU if you give them a chance. Haunted and Maximum Violence are rooted, stated slabs of meat 'n' potatoes "death rock." The rest of their discography doesn't sit well with me. I had no clue what to expect from 13, as the quality of SFU's output ebbs and upsprings with incidental inquietude. As it turns out, this latest opus is their most listenable recording since Maximum Violence. That doesn't guarantee a "comeback" of any sort, but I might as well enjoy 13 for what it is.

How does the album differ from past releases? For one thing, the tempo has been inseminated with a shot of speed. Some of the songs actually resemble metal, but surprisingly, the most rewarding carols (I could definitely see these tunes played on Christmas Eve) are groove-oriented. "Deathklaat" and "The Poison Hand" galumph along at a bowel-braying clip. Sure, the slower tunes are interchangeable, but this isn't intellectual prog rock. If two songs sound the same, all that means is that we get one long burial march that is fun to snap your neck to. To drive my point home, check out the grinding breakdown that slices "Stump" in half. Now that, my children, is a riff.

Speaking of riffs, I should growl the praises of guitarist Steve Swanson. He never seems to run out of hooks, and his leads aren't half bad either. What can I say about Chris Barnes that hasn't been said already? His vocal work with Cannibal Corpse was preeminent, but it appears as though he has smoked one too many joints. Either he's holding back on 13, or his voice is emphysematous in perpetuum (READ: blown out). His gnarr is never considerably deep in comparison to what's out there. At times, he simply runs out of breath. This has occurred on prior SFU albums. Does he do this on purpose? If so, why? I'll always respect the man for his undeniable contributions to death metal, but he needs to shape up.

In addition to fronting the band, Barnes took on production duties for this gory gramophone. In my eyes, he should stick to "singing." The record sounds muffled, and the drums aren't nearly resonant enough. A clean, full-toned production would have given 13 another brownie point. Still, I listen to it a lot and I do have fun with it. If I'm in the mood for straightforward, no-nonsense hard rock/metal/polka, I turn to SFU's catalogue. On a sidenote, the video for 13's leadoff single, "Shadow of the Reaper," has an Argento vibe to it. Plus, the song itself is easily the best hymn on the entire album. If you're not familiar with Six Feet Under, said video makes for a perfect introduction to the group.