ALBUM REVIEW: Nightmares of the Decomposed – Six Feet Under

SIX FEET UNDER haven’t always had an easy time with the press and it’s easy to overlook their contributions to the wider death metal world. Rival acts might have won more critical praise, but they’ve still managed to maintain a prolific career for over two decades now. They seem to have been consistently underestimated since their founding in the early nineties and while their back catalogue isn’t universally impressive, they have created some absolute monsters in their time. Death Rituals, Maximum Violence, 13 and Undead in particular were all quality and this latest one isn’t too shabby either.

Nightmares Of The Decomposed is their thirteenth album and this virulent strain of plague-addled death metal makes a fitting soundtrack for 2020. It lurches from rabid pit-starters to mid-tempo, stoner-infused death metal for three quarters of an hour and is a thoroughly uncomplicated listen. SIX FEET UNDER settled comfortably into their niche long ago; Nightmares has no surprises but is a confident and enjoyable record. It won’t win them any new fans, but it won’t turn any away either. The fact it’s been created by a band who are too often dismissed as Neanderthals will likely make it a ‘guilty pleasure’ as well.

It helps that it has an absolute slammer of an opening track. Amputator is a ferocious starting point; a fast-paced, thrashed up growler with a deranged, borderline inhuman performance from vocalist Chris Barnes. It sets a highwater mark that the rest of the album doesn’t manage to reach, although it gets close more than once. Self Imposed Death Sentence for example is a barnstorming and surprisingly catchy highlight, while Drink Blood, Get High is remarkably light-hearted. Its an upbeat and jovial take on violent murder and is almost a death metal party track.

Death Will Follow meanwhile swaggers along caked in blood and clouded in pot smoke. It has a satisfyingly thick set of riffs to its name, but Migraine is probably the closest they get to full on stoner. This one hits the brakes hard and is a lazy, blissed out take on death metal. The chorus sees Barnes roaring with all the confused rage of a bear with its paw in a trap and sounds like it was recorded in a swamp.

It must be said though, while Nightmares Of The Decomposed is fun, it’s not a record that the bards will talk of in years to come. It’s a straightforward and enjoyable collection of horror stories turned into songs, but it’s also the audio equivalent of a fast food meal. When you’re halfway through it seems like logging onto Deliveroo was a great idea, but by the end you might feel queasy and just a little ashamed. It’s a great way to kill time but if you’re after any kind of intellectual or spiritual stimulation, this won’t help. Anyone who’s glanced at the song titles and noticed one of them is called Dead Girls Don’t Scream though has probably figured that out already.

In other words, Nightmares Of The Decomposed is great, provided you like SIX FEET UNDER. They have more than their fair share of detractors and not even one of those people will be won over by this album. For anybody in the mood for unpretentious headbanging though, SIX FEET UNDER have still got it. And who doesn’t love a takeaway now and then?

Rating: 8/10

Nightmares of the Decomposed is out now via Metal Blade Records. 

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