SIX FOOT SIX
SIX FOOT SIX “Beggar's Hill”
By Iron Sheik
SIX FOOT SIX return with album number three, “Beggar's Hill” and with an urgency of aural proportions. They have a mighty and epic sound for a three piece and are comprised of Kristoffer Göbel on vocals, Christoffer Borg on guitar, and Markus Gustafsson on bass. Drums are handled by Snowy Shaw on a guest basis. Hailing from Gothenburg they offer up an album rife with epic musicianship, storytelling, and a clean modern production. Thus making them sound like they are on par with some of the bigger bands of heavy metal.
Tackling such heady topics as war, pollution, and love, “Beggar's Hill” offers up a heavy doom/power metal record with a sound akin to IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, and BLIND GUARDIAN. Although dealing with darker subject matter, SIX FOOT SIX delivers with an upbeat sound. By upbeat I don't mean happy happy joy joy, but a not so plodding style of doom. None of the tracks are long drawn out funeral dirge type doom. It is more of a doom tinged by topic style.
“Raise The Dead” kicks the doors wide open. It leads with a guitar intro that is like a call to arms. “Tears”, the latest single, follows "falling and crumbling". A short bass solo leads into the guitar solos. Delivered with a statement of intent with lyrics "Stick to our senses, building defenses". “Voices Inside” is next with an older BLIND GUARDIAN groove about "a story that must be told". It's not only a musical inference as it is a lyrical inference too. Title track “Beggar's Hill” is about where "the poor come to die." Tying in with the album cover artwork, it is a tale of the Black Plague. One of the darkest times in history.
Leaving such darkness behind for a moment we have “Analog Man” which has become my favorite track. "I stand up for what's right. I don't give in, I pick the fight...I'm your analog man." “Riding The Tide” brings a tale of upheaval at sea. Following next is “Fires Will Burn” with a tale of "freedom, famine, war and one who is no more." “A Templar's Tale” is an epic in three parts: 1) The Prodigy about a prophecy, 2) The Siege where salvation is sought, 3) The Homecoming where they are united as one. This ends the album proper. Although the music music does not stop here as two more tracks conclude the album.
First, of the two tracks outside of the main themes of the album following the trilogy is a song titled “Pete McOats”. “Pete McOats” starts with the sound of a needle on vinyl reminiscent of “Fast As A Shark” by ACCEPT to open with a guitar solo reminiscent of “Hall Of The Mountain King” )the classical version, not the SAVATAGE track) for an outro. It is an Irish flavored track. Ending the album is the song “Equinox”, which is an instrumental beginning in a melancholic way building giving a sense of hope until the end. A proper fit for the album to end because it seems to sum up everything musically.
At moments “Beggar's Hill” reminds me of not only BLIND GUARDIAN but MANOWAR as well, adding to the ever growing list of band name references. Yet the band never comes off sounding like identical twins to any band mentioned. They are very much their own thing, their own style, their own sound, and their own brand. Music and lyrics bear this out as the stories unfold. Epic stories and music abound over the fifty-five minute journey. Heady topics aside, “Beggar's Hill” rocks hard. Leaving aural pleasures across twelve tracks, SIX FOOT SIX is a band to keep an eye on as their fire burns brighter!