I remember when I started listening to metal, it was well before the speed metal of Slayer and the Bay area thrash sounds of Metallica. Iron Maiden had been around for awhile, Judas Preist were becoming living legends, Dio was singing about the stripes on a tiger being clean and then having the audacity to ask if we knew what he meant. To this day . . . I still have no idea what he means.
But, I digress . . . metal has changed some from those glory days of leather clad, long haired men clammoring on of demons and dragons. No longer are these guys looking like a bunch of biker gang rejects with a flair for fashion accessories and well groomed manes. Today, we have guys who look like guys . . . except that most are pierced like a hooked flounder. The tattoos are much more apparent as well. What hasn’t changed though, is the attitude. Metal still sounds mean and conveys the frustrations of the working class male. And The Sixth? Well, they convey that attitude and frustration about as well as anybody.
“Concussion Wave” opens For Hate and Heritage with the subtlety of being repeatedly impaled in the forehead with a prison shiv. Heavy, grinding, and aggessive, The Sixth hammer away at the senses with a mid tempo assault on the senses. Tempered with some guitar virtuosity, the overall sound of the tune is an over powering ode to fighting for ones self. The theme carries on through the second track, “Let the Blood Flow.” Again, we’re treated to some nifty guitar work at the solo. No outrageous noodling . . . just a simple, melodic barrage of notes that do more for the song than scales played so damn fast that the notes get lost. I believe the word I’m looking for is “tasteful.”
“Thief” was the first song that I heard from these guys, and it grabbed my attention enough to give For Hate and Heritage a full spin. That full spin turned into a good week or so of constant rotation before I set to the task of recording my thoughts. It’s a heavy groove track calling out those who simply leach off of the good natures of others. Great break downs that flow back into the main groove . . . yeah, this will get the bodies moving and keep them moving. The same can be said for “Poison in the Water.” The beat propels the listener into a head bobbing frenzy while the vocals of Joe Rodriguez convey the frustrations of not meeting up to expectations. When those expectaions are raised so damn high that we’re set up for failure, yeah . . . it’s fucking frustrating! I’m feelin’ it . . . solid work!
“A Fate Unfortunate” offers a bit of a change in course, in that Rodriguez sets his guttural vocal work aside for a more melodic approach at the chorus. It’s a welcome change. Let’s face it . . . I’m too old to handle someone yelling at me for an hour. I need to be soothed once in awhile, get myself relaxed a bit, then when I’m yelled at again . . . well, it has more impact. It’s that kind of dynamic shift that keeps metal interesting and allows it to grow. And it goes the other way as well. Take the following track, “Needle Point Hemorrhage”, for instance. Rather than going down a more melodic path, Rodriguez takes it the opposite direction and belts out one of the most horrific screams this side of the black metal genre. This approach works well with his normal diaphragm shuddering vocal style.
For Hate and Heritage is a good metal album. Though not terribly diverse stylistically, it warrants some attention because it’s a good representation of metal aggressiveness and captures the tensions of the misunderstood youth. The world’s an ugly place these days, and The Sixth are simply expressing the pent up dissatisfaction and hopelessness that seems to surround them. We feel ya’, brothers . . . we fell ya’. And really, that’s all we at The Ripple Effect ask . . . move us with your expression. Don’t make us scratch our heads pondering the cleanliness of a tigers stripes. At the end of the day, that just makes us feel stupid. - Pope JTE
But, I digress . . . metal has changed some from those glory days of leather clad, long haired men clammoring on of demons and dragons. No longer are these guys looking like a bunch of biker gang rejects with a flair for fashion accessories and well groomed manes. Today, we have guys who look like guys . . . except that most are pierced like a hooked flounder. The tattoos are much more apparent as well. What hasn’t changed though, is the attitude. Metal still sounds mean and conveys the frustrations of the working class male. And The Sixth? Well, they convey that attitude and frustration about as well as anybody.
“Concussion Wave” opens For Hate and Heritage with the subtlety of being repeatedly impaled in the forehead with a prison shiv. Heavy, grinding, and aggessive, The Sixth hammer away at the senses with a mid tempo assault on the senses. Tempered with some guitar virtuosity, the overall sound of the tune is an over powering ode to fighting for ones self. The theme carries on through the second track, “Let the Blood Flow.” Again, we’re treated to some nifty guitar work at the solo. No outrageous noodling . . . just a simple, melodic barrage of notes that do more for the song than scales played so damn fast that the notes get lost. I believe the word I’m looking for is “tasteful.”
“Thief” was the first song that I heard from these guys, and it grabbed my attention enough to give For Hate and Heritage a full spin. That full spin turned into a good week or so of constant rotation before I set to the task of recording my thoughts. It’s a heavy groove track calling out those who simply leach off of the good natures of others. Great break downs that flow back into the main groove . . . yeah, this will get the bodies moving and keep them moving. The same can be said for “Poison in the Water.” The beat propels the listener into a head bobbing frenzy while the vocals of Joe Rodriguez convey the frustrations of not meeting up to expectations. When those expectaions are raised so damn high that we’re set up for failure, yeah . . . it’s fucking frustrating! I’m feelin’ it . . . solid work!
“A Fate Unfortunate” offers a bit of a change in course, in that Rodriguez sets his guttural vocal work aside for a more melodic approach at the chorus. It’s a welcome change. Let’s face it . . . I’m too old to handle someone yelling at me for an hour. I need to be soothed once in awhile, get myself relaxed a bit, then when I’m yelled at again . . . well, it has more impact. It’s that kind of dynamic shift that keeps metal interesting and allows it to grow. And it goes the other way as well. Take the following track, “Needle Point Hemorrhage”, for instance. Rather than going down a more melodic path, Rodriguez takes it the opposite direction and belts out one of the most horrific screams this side of the black metal genre. This approach works well with his normal diaphragm shuddering vocal style.
For Hate and Heritage is a good metal album. Though not terribly diverse stylistically, it warrants some attention because it’s a good representation of metal aggressiveness and captures the tensions of the misunderstood youth. The world’s an ugly place these days, and The Sixth are simply expressing the pent up dissatisfaction and hopelessness that seems to surround them. We feel ya’, brothers . . . we fell ya’. And really, that’s all we at The Ripple Effect ask . . . move us with your expression. Don’t make us scratch our heads pondering the cleanliness of a tigers stripes. At the end of the day, that just makes us feel stupid. - Pope JTE
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