Six Feet Under's latest fount of nastiness, Crypt of the Devil, falls along similar lines to their last few albums, but feels somewhat less layered than Unborn was. Frontman Chris Barnes and company walk a narrow line between their former death-and-roll and the attempt to update their sound that they began in Undead and Unborn, and while the results aren't amazing, they're still much better than garbage like Bringer of Blood.

The production remains about the same as the last few albums, and that production allows for a lot of guitar chugging. Open Coffin Orgy's initial chugging attack is reminiscent of Lycanthropy, but there are groovier moments like Broken Bottle Rape. It's rather unfortunate, though, that the overall pace of many tracks is pretty slow, with stock riffing and little of the vicious punch to the face that one expects of death metal. Slit Wrists, for example, is slow-paced enough to make one fall asleep, though abruptly the middle of it leaps to an excellent solo and a much faster tempo, which is over all too soon.

One that isn't subject to this malaise is Stab. It's not an amazing tune but it contains plenty of snappy riffs with a hint of melody, there's soloing, and best of all, it doesn't sound like the listener should take a nap. As for Barnes' often-criticized vocals, it seemed like it was falling apart on some previous albums, but here he puts in a decent performance, sounding as if he is simultaneously drowning in muck and coughing up his own intestines. This contrasts weirdly with the guitar riffing on Eternal Darkness, which is one of the standouts on the album (also the last track, unfortunately); its soloing and more complex riffing was a welcome surprise to me after some of its by-the-numbers predecessors.

Crypt of the Devil is substantially better than Six Feet Under's 2000s-era albums, though it is definitely B-grade material, especially when compared to the recent offerings of some of the band's contemporaries. But is it really worth listening to? I remember, the last time they came through my hometown, that I tried with the best intentions to listen to their set, and ended up heading out to the bar until they were done and another band was on. The same conundrum comes up when listening to Crypt of the Devil. Despite its best efforts, and some occasionally good tunes, it is simply not a particularly interesting or exciting album.