Six Foot Six is a heavy metal band from Sweden formed in 2017, to date released three albums – ‘The Six Foot Six Project’ (2018), ‘End Of All’ (2020), and ‘Beggar’s Hill’ (2023).
Influenced by such legendary bands as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Metallica, the Stockholm three-piece perfectly meld the genres of heavy metal and hard rock, swinging this way and incorporating a few sub-genres too! The band – singer/guitarist Kristoffer Gobel (ex Falconer), guitarist Christoffer Borg (Art Nation) and bassist Markus Gustafsson are joined on the album by drummer Snowy Shaw (Mad Architect, Snowy Shaw, ex-King Diamond, ex Mercyful Fate). ‘Beggar’s Hill’ stretches to fifty minutes in length with ten songs on offer, every one a barnstorming blast of melodic metal come hard rock – the classic guitar sound of the iconic NWOBHM evolution greeting listeners as ‘Raise The Dead’ kicks the album into gear! Heavy hitting and immediate, ‘Raise The Dead’ powers on, firmly planting its “foot on the monitor” to adopt the classic pose of traditional heavy metal, Six Foot Six igniting ‘Beggar’s Hill’ with a blazing opener…
…the album storming on with the heavy thunderstomper ‘Tears’ – highlighting a little folk come pirate metal influence, its swagger joyous and infectious! The mid-tempo stomping is gonna shake buildings to their foundations, the Swedish outfit delivering one of the catchiest songs imaginable – I defy anyone to not be rhythmically nodding their head back and forth right now! The difference in musical approach across the opening brace has been immense, Six Foot Six moving swiftly around the heavy metal genre – continuing their roaming with the more anthemic ‘Voices Inside’. With a rabble rousing thunder you’d expect from anthemic masters such as Saxon, Sabaton and Manowar, ‘Voices Inside’ is gonna see a sea of raised fists punching the air! The variation of metal on display is wider than the smile on my face, a smile that stretches from ear to ear with no sign of shrinking any time soon – the title song ‘Beggar’s Hill’ returning the incredible folk come pirate feel heard earlier! The band are delivering a form of majestic metal with extreme elegance, with bands such as Bloodbound and HammerFall springing immediately to mind – two other bands who also hail from Sweden, Six Foot Six more than living up to the legacy these bands have created.
Hitting like a jackhammer smashing through concrete, ‘Analog Man’ is the heaviest, yet most melodious song heard so far – the chorus breaks infectious and sing a long-able to the max. I can just see, or rather hear, every concertgoer singing along to this one – please add ‘Analog Man’ to your setlist Six Foot Six! Please! Keeping the album rooted in heavy metal territory, the band thunder on with the mid-tempo galloper ‘Riding The Sun’, featuring a much heavier attitude than heard so far, the album developing a punch so powerful there’s absolutely no boxer in the world capable of withstanding its immense force. So prepare yourselves for one helluva knockout blow everyone, ’cause here comes a second, even more powerful punch – ‘Fire Will Burn’ picking up pace and roaring on with all the pizzazz of the glorious eighties! The glorious eighties when metal masters Iron Maiden and Judas Priest shaped the sound of heavy metal, a sound that’s still going from strength to strength even after forty years! And with bands such as Six Foot Six oozing the essence of the greatest style of music on the planet, heavy metal’s in very safe hands.
The final three songs on the album form a trilogy, a “Templar’s Tale” in three parts stretching to a total of seventeen minutes – ‘The Prodigy (A Templar’s Tale Pt.1)’ maintains the previous songs immaculate traditional metal feel, Six Foot Six planting their collective feet firmly on the monitor to deliver the most infectious song on the album – the most infectious so far, ’cause there’s still two more to come! ‘The Siege (A Templar’s Tale Pt.2)’ moves in the direction of tension-filled story telling, the band creating an epic “round the campfire” atmosphere where everyone listens intently – and listen you will, as the ‘The Siege (A Templar’s Tale Pt.2)’ unfolds! And the increase in thunder halfway through is jaw-dropping, the band turning anthemic with increased oomph and oof! And the final part ‘The Homecoming (A Templar’s Tale Pt.3)’, is the heaviest, most heart-pounding slab of traditional heavy metal you could ever wish for – the band at their most elegant here, ‘Beggar’s Hill’ (the album) coming to an end with a fantastic final hurrah.
Overall, a wonderful array of heavy metal, Six Foot Six delivers infectious and catchy songs that’ll keep everyone hooked from start to finish.
TRACKLIST
Raise The Dead
Tears
Voices Inside
Beggar’s Hill
Analog Man
Riing The Tide
Fire Will Burn
The Prodigy (A Templar’s Tale Pt.1)
The Siege (A Templar’s Tale Pt.2)
The Homecoming (A Templar’s Tale Pt.3)
Six Foot Six: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: Scarlet Records
Category: Album
Country: Sweden
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire and Metal-Roos.
