Six Feet Under Bringer Of Blood Reissue Review
Six Feet Under
Bringer Of Blood: Remaster/Reissue
Brutal Planet Records
2026
Let me be clear: I’m not, and never have been, a big fan of Death Metal. The early years of my writing career found me getting absolutely pummeled with it, and at the time I couldn’t say no, I’d write about anything. This was back when labels still sent physical copies, so there was a sense of obligation. Unfortunately, all that did was make me like the genre even less. Let’s just say you really have to bust your ass and be on something to impress me with Death Metal, otherwise I’m going to treat it like my dog would: piss on it and walk away.
That said, there are a few bands that burned themselves into my brain back in my younger days, bands I’ve continued to follow, or at least did for a long while. Cannibal Corpse would be the obvious one. Which brings us to my all-time favorite Death Metal band: Six Feet Under.
When Chris Barnes decided to start a side project with Allen West of Obituary, my reaction was immediate: “oh shit, this is going to be awesome”. I grabbed their debut, “Haunted,” and it completely blew me away. What hooked me was the Rock ‘N’ Roll sensibility in their approach. It wasn’t all blast beats and mindless aggression; there was actual musicianship happening. I’ve always called it “Death N’ Roll.” It was approachable, groovy, and even the lyrical content felt a bit more grounded. SFU has been my favorite Death Metal band ever since, and for me, no one has rivaled them.
Now, I won’t pretend every release has been a home run, but from 1995 to 2008, the band could do no wrong in my book, even when they covered AC/DC’s “Back in Black” front to back. And I’ll also give credit where it’s due: the band found their way back to making genuinely strong records with 2024’s “Killing for Revenge.” You wouldn’t know if you spend any time online, though, the hate for this band is legendary, and Barnes doesn’t always help himself with some of his rambling. But hey, everyone’s got an opinion. I respect his, even when I don’t always agree with it.
But enough SFU soapboxing, we’re here for a reissue.
Six Feet Under’s “Bringer of Blood” has received the remaster/reissue treatment courtesy of Brutal Planet Records, and for the first time, I’ll finally be able to grab this one on vinyl… assuming I’m one of the lucky 500 souls who get their hands on it.
Originally released in 2003, this album saw Barnes trading much of the Horror and Gore for more politically charged themes, and I wasn’t mad about it at all. I vividly remember listening to the teaser clips repeatedly on Metal Blade’s website, counting down the days until release. When it finally dropped, I stood in line at Circuit City waiting for the doors to open. And no, no one else was there for SFU; they were all after something else entirely.
The second I got the CD, I jammed it into my car stereo, cranked it wide open, and got my ass handed to me by Steve Swanson’s classic riffing. Swanson has always been criminally underrated, as has the rhythm section of Terry Butler and Greg Gall. To me, these three were the unsung heroes of Six Feet Under for years. They built the musical foundation, the groove, the feel, the landscape, that allowed Barnes to growl, stalk, and slay audiences.
I’ve always felt SFU’s strength lay in that rhythm section. Butler and Gall were never about being a “typical” Death Metal engine, it was about feel over speed. I’ll probably get roasted for this, but anyone can play fast with enough practice. Blast beats, sweep picking, and rapid-fire fills don’t mean a damn thing if there’s no groove. That’s been my biggest issue with Death Metal as a whole. SFU in this era was about groove, soul, and destruction.
Barnes sounds exactly the way I’ve always preferred him here - brutal, guttural, and monstrous, much to my wife’s dismay.
Tracks like “Sick in the Head,” “Bringer of Blood,” “Amerika the Brutal,” and “Murdered in the Basement” are immediate standouts, but honestly, this is a no-skip album. I haven’t skipped a single track while spinning this remaster and I never skip when I’m cranking the original Metal Blade Release of this album.
And speaking of the remaster, it’s excellent. Did the album need one? Probably not. But if you’re going to do it, you might as well go all in. Rob Colwell of Colwell Mastering handled the job, and the man has been on fire lately. His work on the latest Helstar record “The Devil’s Masquerade” was phenomenal, and he was the perfect choice to twist the knobs here.
Is “Bringer of Blood” a strange pick for a reissue? Maybe. But I’m not complaining. I missed the original vinyl run back in 2003, I wasn’t much of a record buyer then. I was living fast and needed CDs for the car and constant movement. By that point, my wife had already banned SFU from her presence anyway - 2001’s “True Carnage” was the final straw. And yes, after all these years they’re still on the banned list. She’ll purchase anything related to the band for me, but listening with her around is out of the question!
This reissue drops early February and is up for pre-order now, limited to 500 copies on blood-red vinyl. If you’re a fan of the classic Six Feet Under sound and vibe, this one is not to be missed.