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Six Feet Under - Graveyard Classics III review



Reviewer:
4.0

70 users:
6.39
Band: Six Feet Under
Album: Graveyard Classics III
Release date: January 2010


01. A Dangerous Meeting [Mercyful Fate cover]
02. Metal On Metal [Anvil cover]
03. The Frayed Ends Of Sanity [Metallica cover]
04. At Dawn They Sleep [Slayer cover]
05. Not Fragile [Bachman-Turner Overdrive cover]
06. On Fire [Van Halen cover]
07. Pounding Metal [Exciter cover]
08. Destroyer [Twisted Sister cover]
09. Psychotherapy [The Ramones cover]
10. Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck [Prong cover]

Graveyard Classics III is fantastic.

?for all of 46 seconds. After that, Chris Barnes opens his mouth and everything just goes to hell. I have no idea what causes Six Feet Under to persist with these horrendous cover albums, but they staunchly refuse to listen to reason. At first, I thought I had run out of ways to say that Six Feet Under sucks after reviewing the first and second Graveyard Classics disasters. To me, it seemed that reviewing the third one as well would be flogging a dead horse. Then I remembered that Graveyard Classics III is EXACTLY THAT - flogging a dead horse. It was a terrible idea to begin with, and they just insist on doing it over and over again.

To be fair, this third installment of the series is probably the best so far. You notice right from the outset that the musicianship is much more professional-sounding than it has been in the past. Everything is crisp and tight, and while the band still has a tendency to make all the songs run together, they at least sound like a real band this time instead of a bunch of teenagers in Chris Barnes's garage. The song selection is actually less moot, because you can tell some of them apart this time, although it is not quite as exciting as the first Graveyard Classics. At first, I questioned the need to cover Bachman-Turner Overdrive, but "Not Fragile" is actually mildly interesting. "At Dawn They Sleep" is tolerable, and even as a lifelong Ramones fan I can say that "Psychotherapy" is not as terrible as the rest of Six Feet Under's covers.

Quite honestly, while the first two were entirely regrettable all-around, Graveyard Classics III could be a decent album if they would just get rid of Chris Barnes already. Sure, none of these covers are inventive or exciting, but I would not despise them were it not for our old buddy on the mic. Somehow, the Prong song at the end showcases how terrible Chris has gotten over the years, leaving you with a terrible ending to shatter any slightly lukewarm feelings you might have developed over the course of the album. Of course, the real kicker is the very first song, a cover of Mercyful Fate's classic "A Dangerous Meeting." That cover was actually my introduction to Six Feet Under. Understandably, it was a very long time before I listened to them a second time. Chris Barnes cannot even sustain a single note without sounding worn-out, and he decided to tackle one of the greatest works to date of King Diamond, one of heavy metal's mightiest and most talented singers. That was an incredibly stupid decision.

Graveyard Classics III is certainly more bearable than the first two, but the improvement is not nearly strong enough to make me want more. If Six Feet Under cannot be persuaded to call it quits as a band, they should at least deep-six the cover albums.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 6
Songwriting: 7
Originality: 5
Production: 5

Written by ScreamingSteelUS | 18.12.2012




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.


Comments

Comments: 2   Visited by: 48 users
18.12.2012 - 19:26
Cuca Beludo
Account deleted
Haha... I knew you wouldn't lose a chance to complain about Chris Barnes you must be the ultimate Chris Barnes hater in the world.
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18.12.2012 - 20:10
Rating: 4
ScreamingSteelUS
Editor-in-Chief
Written by Guest on 18.12.2012 at 19:26

Haha... I knew you wouldn't lose a chance to complain about Chris Barnes you must be the ultimate Chris Barnes hater in the world.

I hate him in the most lighthearted way possible. It's more fun than real rage, but this is legitimately terrible work.
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"Earth is small and I hate it" - Lum Invader

I'm the Agent of Steel.
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