Most of us who started out with some of the more extreme-oriented Metal, grew up on Death Metal classics such as "Eaten Back to Life", "Butchered at Birth", "Tomb of the Mutilated", or my personal favourite and last material by the legendary 'dreadlock guy' Chris Barnes entitled "The Bleeding". A lot of time has passed since those albums came out, and SIX FEET UNDER have been around for more than 2 decades since then. They have released 16 full-length studio albums, with "Torment" being their newest one, seeing release in 2017 via their trusted label Metal Blade Records. This album is a result of collective effort, an effort of three guys that like to write and play horrifying, nasty, zombie and gore-influenced Death Metal.

Being that none of the members except Chris are the original ones, this is nonetheless a record that you should definitely check out - since younger members might surprise you sometimes. I myself always try to be brutally honest when reality has to be faced, and the truth is: this record is a bit forced. Not in the way of playing, not in the instrumentation, and neither with the vocalisations, but with time! The band has been releasing a full-length every year since 2012 (except for 2014), and my general thought is, why the hurry? Sure, you are creative and all, but take some time, guys! Write more complicated stuff, try to impress the public, and this is coming from the heart: slow down a bit! I have been a huge fan of SIX FEET UNDER for years now, and I proudly have a poster of them on my wall from Metal Hammer.

Their vocalist is a person many have looked up to, and if he, or the band will ever read this, all I wanted to say was: just slow down a bit, and everything will come out just fine. Sure, some will bash the band's entire discography again and again, maybe even the new album, but "Torment" is an okay record clocking in at around 40 minutes, it has 12 semi-aggressive, brutal, nasty songs of various death-influenced themes - just like the ones we know the band for - and I doubt that this is going to change.

Quite simply: the band needs to take a rest for at least 2 years, and release a mind-blowing record - perhaps somewhere in 2019 - to shock the masses, both the ones that like the band and those who do not! Some songs are pretty brutal! Make sure to check out "The Separation of Flesh from Bone", "Schizomaniac", and "In the Process of Decomposing".

For longtime fans of the band, this might be a solid record, and some will never like what the band does. I honestly think it's a solid one, but I really want to be surprised by an even better one in a few years! Let's see if the next one will surpass any expectations. For now, enjoy this one, it's not as bad as some critics claim it is.